DiCaprio film may hurt diamond demand: analysts

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Blood Diamond," the Warner Bros. thriller that hits movie theaters on Friday, could spark public concern about illicit "conflict diamonds" and hurt demand during the key holiday shopping season, analysts said on Monday.

But any financial impact to retailers should be modest and brief, they added.

The film, staring Leonardo DiCaprio, highlights the precious gem's role in Sierra Leone's civil war during the 1990s. So-called conflict diamonds, or blood diamonds, refer to stones mined in war zones and sold illicitly to fund war, insurgencies and human rights abuses.

James Hurley, an analyst with research firm Telsey Group, said the movie will likely affect sentiment with its star power and advertising push.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/diamonds_movie_retail_dc

x(

I like saphires, personally.

topaz, emeralds, rubies exist in North Carolina, Tennessee, and many other states.

Of course, this is years down the road, but he knows I will not accept a diamond ring.

guy! :hi:

there is a state mine in arkansas where a small quantity of diamonds is mined, by people who pay a small fee for hope of hitting it big, i've dug there a few times, never hit any diamonds tho

anyway there are some arkansas diamonds around, many of them are "canary" (bright yellow, not dirty yellow) but they are american, however, i should think they would be very scarce and pricey

i've only seen them offered at gem shows or in the better arkansas gem stores

n/t

and that she was allergic to silver . . . .

So I got her a snazzy copper bracelet. Woulda got her something cute in gold if she hadn't been about as subtle as a bull in a tutu shop.

:shrug:

I'm not allergic to any form of jewelry, but topaz and citrines are my faves if I had to pick a casual stone, followed by rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Diamonds are pretty far down there for me. Plus I don't care if it's real or not either! I just like shiny things.

:rofl:

people's heads turn...but yet it is a very tiny sub fraction of the cost of a diamond...

It is all in how the stone is cut...

Me likey shiny things too!

many people do have metal allergies, and it's probably to the nickel in the alloy, be that as it may, if she is allergic to silver, she is probably bothered by all reactive metals and the copper was not just a shitty gift in the sense of being a deliberate attempt to disappoint her but it was also a shitty thing because you just wasted money on something she can't wear since it will turn her arm green

i have an idea, if you don't like someone and you don't want them to get a gift they will like, don't buy any gift, it gets the point across without making you look like a self-congratulating jerk

the idea of spending money to be deliberately cruel is something i've never understood

and put it down here:

(you can guess what it might have said)


Is that direct enough?

this is a friend who goes back years and years and years.

Who the hell are you to pass judgement? And, she's not allergic to silver. And, between friends if someone is tacky enough to say that, I'll be tacky enough to respond.

You need to get the FUCK off your high horse - you are outta line.

and edited to add more scolding:

I know my friends well enough to do the things I do and to say the things I say. I share here because I trust my friends here also know their friends at least that well, have some tiny bit of trust in my judgement, and would have a very very solid and clearly demonstrable reason for swinging in on a vine and flinging poop like a rabid bonobo if they felt some compulsion to do so.

And last but not least. When a sometimes annoying friend leaves a message on your answering machine saying "I'm allergic to silver but I'm not allergic to gold" and you're throwing her a party anyway, a copper bracelet is an inside joke.

it was clear that the intent was to disappoint and to laugh at her disappointment, sorry, to me that is NOT even remotely funny

but then i've never seen the charm of scoring points off my friends

i think it is really, really, REALLY rude to tell inside jokes in public and DU is a public place last time i looked

whether you were trying to score points off your "friend" or trying to score points off the reader, who apparently was supposed to psychically know the friend wasn't allergic to silver even though you said she said she was who really knows at this point, but the entire episode is fairly unattractive

Seriously.

If you have any questions about WHAT I think, ask me. You don't have to make assumptions or put words in my mouth. That really comes across as immature and an exercise in poor social skills.

Do not think I will put up with more crap.

I think the rules say something about not assuming ill will. In that regard it would appear you've flouted the rules, not that I care.

You are being judgemental over made up crap - just stop while you're behind. You are correct that it is not at all attractive.

1. Nobody cares what you do or do not find remotely funny and I wouldn't care even if you were able to do jumping jacks on water and raise the dead both before and after morning coffee.

2. "scoring points" is a two dimensional view. Tickling ribs, mocking ourselves (as she was when she said she was "allergic to silver" and responding with a jest is not SCORING POINTS. Grow up. I have no idea how old or socially maladapted you are, but it's becoming evident that your friends are not the kind I would keep if you are any measure of them.

3. Who cares what you find rude. "last time you looked" you were not any form of social arbiter at DU or elsewhere. You don't know smack about inside jokes; pontificating on them just comes across as pathetic and lame ass.

4. You are correct. Making assumptions is unattractive. Smells like ass in here. You had a choice before you posted to make a constructive point or not, but you said something about self congratulatory jerks. On a scale of 1 to 10 with the criteria being your ability to interact successfully with strangers, I'm giving you the blue ribbon for best of the worst. I could care less how you interact with your friends - and it would be silly of me to make such a judgement.

5. That's all.

diamond happens to be my birthstone and i do have a few small ones but i mostly have semi-precious (topaz, garnet, iolite, amethyst, tourmaline) because i can afford them . . . especially honking big ones!

ellen fl

Though it's trecherous work to remove the stones, it's nothing like the Diamond industry. I have a Sapphire Engagement ring. (My choice!) I love Sapphires. I also love Rubies, but they are quite the pricey little gem!

that would give me a diamond doesn't know me well enough to be giving me anything. Even if te industry wasn't so corrupt there is too much out that that is prettier.

....I mean, we've had "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Inconvient Truth" and yet people still drive oversized SUVs.

And, sadly, truth :(

I am not by any means suggesting those films were the sole reason SUV sales dropped, far from it in fact. The biggest reason was high gas prices, but I think it would be wrong to suggest those films did not have any impact.

which many wouldn't otherwise know about. Unfortunately I think a film starring Dicaprio could do more to influence the masses than a film starring Gore.

been environmentally aware but now I am even more aware since that movie. I am almost through changing all my light bulbs to fluorescent ones.

BTW - my electric bill went WAY DOWN LAST MONTH!

and hungry, so de bear may soon eat me.

Eat me, DeBeers. One of the most criminal companies in the history of the creation of corperations. Even today, deBeers officers are not permitted to step foot inside the US because of past judgments. Their actions were so outrageous that even the Bush administration's justice department would have to act. (allegedly, the debeers of USA is a separate, unrelated company, with no connections with the euro-africaan mobsters of the same name)

Slave labor, murder, bribery, graft, illegal conflict trade, war profiteering, arms deals, revolutions, theft and worse, hell, you guys are just like the Bush family, except you've had a century more experience.

controls over 90% of the worldwide diamond trade.

It's not throught innocent little marketing campaigns.

if ya love diamonds you would not star in this movie. Good for DiCaprio...he gives a shit..unlike DeBeers and their ilk...the 'arms' trade they so aptly are accused of are those of teenage boys working in the diamond mines. SUCH A DISGUSTING TRADE...If not for the Internet(s) we would all still be ignorant of these atrocities!

http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/ms/diam/index_e.htm

It's a great movie, btw.

My partner and I got antique rings so we wouldn't be contributing to the blood diamond industry. The old diamonds were hand cut, which means each stone was cut by an artist who brought out its best features. I think they're much more beautiful than modern laser cut diamonds.

How many childrens' limbs need to be hacked off with machetes before people fucking pay attention?

the diamond trade is dripping blood and people should see what the real cost of those baubles is. I think diamonds are bland boring stones anyway, any of the other stones are lots prettier.

I like lots of other stones better but got a diamond because it is tradition. I wish I had been wise about the diamond trade years ago when I got married, that would have spurred me to get something else.

My question is....how are the other stones mined? Is there similar corruption and exploitation going on in the other gem industries? I thought I had heard something about the (was it the) opal (?) industry being similar? It would be good to know more about all of them before purchasing any gemstones.

Remember that the gems themselves are formed naturally so that anyone can dig them, the problem with diamonds is that the DeBeers diamond cartel owns virtually every major diamond mine in the world. This corporate consolidation has driven up prices and resulted in some major human rights abuses.

I would check on the conditions any particular type of stone is mined under, but I am sure you would not have difficulty finding a beautiful stone which was dug up by an ordinary person who was not connected to any human rights abuses if you looked.

diamonds do not actually have a very long tradition going back thousands of years, if you go back through history, you will see that MANY valuable gems were exchanged as wedding gifts, it was quite recently in human history that we developed the techniques to properly polish the diamond to bring out its beauty, so it is very much a triumph of marketing to make people think it's an ancient tradition to give diamond engagement rings

there is no reason people can't choose a stone with a color or an association meaningful to them

one of my friends has kunzite as her engagement stone, not my choice, it's pink and it's fragile but it's meaningful to her and it is certainly beautiful

and hell even a diamond can be shattered if you hit it wrong so who am i to throw stones?

7-8 years via the internet. It was a real eye-opener for alot of people.

I told my husband not to buy me a diamond at all; I don't want to take a chance that it could come from someone's real physical pain and forced labor.

Because the next thing you know, people will be looking at big fancy cars, or giant mansions, and saying: "Where do these come from? What kinds of problems are they creating for the rest of the world?"

And then Western-style capitalism would look greedy and exploitative. (And unless capitalism wins, the terrorists win!)

60 years ago, you didn't need to buy a diamond to show love to another. The practice only became popular because of corporate propaganda pushed by diamond sellers. We see now the price of diamonds. The price is the blood of innocents.

Try making that into a fucking commercial.

era. Like fur stoles.
I have a ruby for my wedding ring and I never wear the diamonds I inherited. They're not that pretty, anyway.
There are so many people making beautiful jewelry (you should see the rings my co-worker makes as a hobby) that why people spend so much money on diamonds (which tend to have that ugly "I bought this at the store at the mall" look to them) is a mystery.
It's an odd industry.
But, then, I don't get the fur industry, either.

A few months ago, a mining company's contract was up and a diamond mine was left unprotected. Zimbabwe is suffering from severe inflation among other things. When people heard about this, they came in droves, like the gold rush in California. The Government has evicted the scavengers now, so they can no longer extract the minerals. Those who were sucessful in grabbing them before are selling them on the streets in areas near the borders.

These are more like survival diamonds rather than blood diamonds, but DeBeers wouldn't approve of either.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Edited to add this clip:
From Business Day (SA), 30 November


Zimbabwe’s economy to grow in next year – minister


Harare - Zimbabwe’s economy is expected to grow by 0,5 to 1,0% next year while inflation should slow to triple digits thanks to a projected increase in farm output, Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa said today. Presenting his annual budget for the state, which is mired deep in political and economic crisis, Murerwa said the government believed its worst days were behind it. "We are beginning to see a slow economic recovery. Next year the economy is projected to grow by 0,5-1,0% against the anticipated good weather, high mineral demand and improved tourism arrivals," Murerwa said in a televised speech to parliament. Murerwa had earlier revised this year’s growth forecasts to between 0,3 and 0,6%, down from a previous estimate of 1 to 2%. Economists say Zimbabwe’s economy has shrunk in real terms for the past six years. Murerwa said inflation, now the highest in the world at 1,070,2% and dubbed number one enemy by President Robert Mugabe’s government, would retreat to between 350-400% by next September. Analysts, including the International Monetary Fund, expect it to accelerate further.
From The Zimbabwe Independent, 1 December


US$300m feared lost in diamonds scam

Dumisani Muleya

A massive diamond racket involving millions of hard currency is feared after gemstones bought from Marange by the government-run Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) could not be fully accounted for. Mining sources said yesterday there were investigations instituted by the government, which involved the central bank, to find out the truth about diamonds bought and sold by the MMCZ, the sole selling and marketing agent for minerals produced in Zimbabwe. The country has 44 types of minerals which include gold, platinum, emeralds and diamonds. Zimbabwe is said to have lost US$300 million due to looting of diamonds in Marange. The MMCZ is a parastatal under the Ministry of Mines. Sources said the MMCZ recently bought and sold for US$1,7 million, a parcel of 36 146 carats of diamonds from Marange. The parcel contained 32 314 carats of industrial and near-gem rough stones and 3 833 carats of gem quality diamonds. The gem quality diamonds fetched US$1 523 502,10 near-gem stones, which were 1 192,86 carats got US$23 857,20 and industrial diamonds, which were 31 128,14 carats, cost US$155 640,70. This means the diamonds were sold at an average of US$47 per carat, a value too low compared to current market trends since about 10 years ago. In 1997 a parcel of 50 carats of diamonds cost US$27 230 yielding US$544,60 per carat. A parcel of four carats was selling for US$1 569,68 a carat. The current market value for a rough diamond of 9,75 carats is US$3 000 per carat. The value for a cut diamond of 3,65 carats is US$9 000 a carat. The value of diamonds depends on carat, colour, clarity and cuttability.


Sources said diamond experts consulted by government on the issue had queried the deal, saying the diamonds were "grossly undervalued". It is said Reserve Bank authorities were worried the country could have lost millions in foreign currency in the process. An independent diamond expert said yesterday the MMCZ transaction raised more questions than answers. He said government should intensify inquiries into the issue to ascertain if there was fraud involved in the diamond sales. "The above figures and values show anyone who has an idea of how diamonds are produced and sold that there was gross undervaluation of the parcels," the source said. "This means a deal involving millions of US dollars could have been at stake during the buying and selling of these diamonds. Surely how can more than 36 000 carats of diamonds, which include nearly 4 000 carats of gem quality, cost a mere US$1,7 million?" Fears of a diamond scam came as it emerged Zimbabwe could have lost nearly US$300 million to dealers and smugglers since the state-sponsored invasion of British-listed Africa Consolidated Resources (ACR) plc’s Marange diamond claims. The diamond rush and subsequent looting has attracted thousands of panners from all corners of the country, including dealers from the region.


Repeated efforts to get comments from MMCZ CEO Onesimo Moyo and public relations manager Pretty Murwisi were unsuccessful. The MMCZ telephones went unanswered. ACR is locked in a legal battle with the MMCZ over the diamond claims in Marange. The British firm, which has local shareholders, has written to President Robert Mugabe asking him to intervene to stop the pillaging of the diamonds. Mugabe has since appointed a cabinet committee to deal with the issue. ACR has also written to Mines minister Amos Midzi, Moyo and also alerted the Kimberly Process Certification System, which regulates the diamond trade, about the Marange diamonds situation. Midzi was also not available for comment yesterday. The Marange diamond claims initially belonged to Kimberlitic Searches, a subsidiary of global diamond giant, the De Beers Group of South Africa, whose EPO expired in March. However, the MMCZ recently seized the claims through a special grant, which ACR argues violates the Precious Stones Trade Act that prohibits any licensed dealers like the MMCZ from engaging in mining act

Murerwa said agriculture, which was initially expected to record 23% growth this year, was now expected to grow by 6,4% due to low output of maize and wheat, the country’s two main staple crops. He did not give a projected figure for agricultural growth next year, but said it would be better. Murerwa put a positive spin on an economy teetering on the brink of collapse, saying the mining sector, which has overtaken agriculture as the top foreign currency earner, would grow by 4,9% next year. Zimbabwe is in the midst of its deepest recession since independence from Britain in 1980, marked by record inflation, unemployment above 80% and shortages of everything from foreign currency to food. Veteran leader Mugabe denies he is responsible, saying the economy is a victim of sabotage by rich countries opposed to his controversial seizure of land from white farmers to redistribute to blacks. "The economy remains under siege ... facing sanctions from the West and a deliberate effort to undermine our economic revival," Murerwa told Parliament.

Filthy, dishonest business. Diamonds are virtually worthless. It's all marketing and market manipulation. Not to mention brutality and theft.

I wouldn't get caught dead wasting my money on diamonds, especially blood diamonds.

I prefer aluminum oxide crystals (AKA rubies and saphires) anyway.

I would hold no ill will against any man who chose to give a cubic zirconium engagement ring.

Describes the typical American attention span when it comes to solving social problems.

with their friend to gush over how much their "guy" loves them, since he paid $10k for that little sparkler on their ring finger..


we are the "ooooh..shiny!" people :(

I personally would hope my partner would know and care about the immoral diamond trade to want something else as a gift.

The diamond industry's hands are soaked in blood and if everybody just stopped buying diamonds tommorow I would not feel sorry for any of them.

I am glad DiCapprio and the filmmakers have taken this issue on, and I certainly hope that it brings diamond sales down.

Diamond is my 'birthstone' but I don't think I could purchase them again in good conscience. I'll take the white topaz suggestion above.

But what about white sapphires? Can those be bought in good conscience?

they are asian not african, well, the ones i know of anyway and to be honest i know little about mining conditions in asia (asia is a big place)

"diffusion" sapphires are often white sapphires that have been treated

i wouldn't pay too much for them, white sapphire is really not of great value but other than that i have no advice

i have not heard of issues on a par w. what's going on in africa w. diamonds and perhaps tanzanites though, sad to say it, but i pretty much avoid all diamonds because even if they supposedly come from another source (canada, russia) i'm suspicious that they have been laundered (esp. the "russian" ones)

i make the exception for the arkansas diamonds above because they are so distinctive but honestly you and i would be unlikely to get our hands on a fine arkansas canary

would be VERY interested in any links, rumors, anecdotes, anything about the white sapphire issue, haven't followed this in years, so don't take my advice as gospel

maybe check the gem shows, if you can get a really low price, it's safe to say that you are probably not helping any money launderers and warlords

topaz is the same idea, it is not usually very valuable, so it would be of little use to your average money launderer

brightness of the sapphire would likely be better, but you could get a MUCH larger topaz for the money

if they want them more modern. There is a consignment store in my town where you can get diamonds necklaces, rings, earrings etc. at a fraction of the cost and whatever bad karma is attached to their acquisition happened long ago. Not a perfect solution but aside from buying no diamonds at all, a possible one.

I read about them being promoted as an alternative, and for the first time, I heard them specifically called Canadian diamnonds on a radio commercial. I wonder if this film will be good for their business, as well as lab-grown stones?

in the girdle as well as a logo of a Polar Bear.

They also come with a certificate from the RCMP
authenicating the source, provenance and purchaser
of the diamond. The level of security in the Canadian
diamond industry is the strictest in the world.

A couple of years ago a guy stole some uncut diamonds
form the Ikati mine and tried to sell them.

The retailer turned him into the RCMP and he was in
jail within three days.

No reputable retailer will buy a diamond these days
without and engrave serial number and certificate of
purchase. Even Zales is selling Canadian diamonds to
avoid the conflict diamond market.

I've never cared for diamonds, always preferred the rich colors of emeralds or sapphires, but after being in the jewelry business I absolutely shun diamonds. I do understand the attraction, because many of them are quite beautiful and that sparkle is alluring, but the way they get to market ... feh. It's a grossly overpriced product, to say the least.

About Sierra Leone, National Geographic years ago had an excellent article on the blood diamond trade. Take one look at their photos of children who were deliberately maimed (limbs amputated, et cetera) as vengeance in the conflict over diamonds, and believe me, it's hard to look at a diamond without wondering its real price.

Personally, I prefer semi-precious stones, my favorite being the jaspers, especially picture jasper and leopard jasper. Gives me a feeling of being closer to the earth. :)

Oh. And I love copper, even more than gold or silver.

some of them really capture the imagination, it's like looking into other worlds

Oooh... they're slightly harder than other gems. They're also kinda boring, and they charge extra just because 'oooh, it's a diamond'. :)

ring and they were given to me by my mother after my grandmother's death in 1979. They were given to her by my grandfather when they got engaged after WWI, so I don't know if they're considered "blood diamonds" or not.

I'm an October baby and I adore opals. My parents gave me a beautiful opal ring for my 21st birthday (way back in 1974) but I lost it in 2002 and I haven't found another ring to replace it with since. I still miss wearing that ring every day. I was heartbroken when I lost it.

Mr. Wonderful bought me a beautiful set of opal earrings for our 25th wedding anniversary and my sister bought me a gorgeous opal pendant when she went to Australia in 2001, but I still miss my ring...

I also love emeralds and sapphires, but don't have any.

Later I added small gemstones for my children's birthdays, so now I do have a tiny diamond. My daughter's engagement ring is a pink sapphire. It's lovely and didn't put her fiancee into debt.

on this corrupt, vicious, bloodthirsty business.

I have but if I ever get engaged again I would want some other sort of ring.

It wasn't this movie but Bill Maher who told me about this type of travesty.

"Nothing says love quite like spending thousands of dollars on a tiny gem that she (or he) could accidentally drop down the bathroom sink drain."

So there.

it's time this was given more exposure

You can get diamonds from other places than Africa.

thereby incentivizing more mayhem.

I am on a very high horse on this issue. A few months ago I spent many thousands of dollars on a blue sapphire engagement ring because of the blood diamond thing and because the market is so totally manipulated. I feel righteous but I also spend money on gasoline so I am hypocritical.