Diamonds from pollution?

I think thier main disadvantage here is that they went public with this... If they had remained quiet, they could be minting thier own money now!

Andy Coghlan writes in New Scientist magazine about a marvelous way to clean up carbon dioxide�turn it into diamonds. "We are changing a waste gas into gems," says Chinese researcher Qianwang Chen.
It's even cheaper than the current method of creating manmade diamonds, which requires up five million atmospheres of pressure and ultra-high temperatures. Chen makes diamonds in only 12 hours by reacting CO2 with metallic sodium in a pressurized oven at a lower temperature and pressure.

The first diamonds created by Chen's team were too tiny to use in jewelry, but can still be used for industrial cutting tools. But now they've improved the process. "We can grow diamonds as large as 1.2 millimeters," Chen says. "They are transparent and colorless, and so could be used as gems."

www.unknowncountry.com...

You can also grow small diamonds with an acetylene burner... probably even cheaper

But more damaging to the environment

[Edited on 26-7-2003 by Devils Advocate]

Even better. There is a company that will take the ashes from your loved one's incinirated body, put it under enormous pressure and provide you with a diamond you can wear about as a remembrance.

Whoa, that would be weird to "wear" Grandma to a fancy outing......

No, Diamonds are worthless unless specifically marked, and marketed by DeBeers.

At most you could get from a diamond, is what a Pawn broker would pay for it, and most won't pay crap for a diamond that does not look legitimate.

No, Diamonds are worthless unless specifically marked, and marketed by DeBeers.

DeBeers is a diamond mining and retailing company... they are not a regulatory agency. They do NOT own the diamond market, therefore, the above statement is incorrect.

Uh no Dragonrider, mr. Texas, who knows nothing outside of his geological area.

Diamonds are CONTROLLED by two organizations, one is DeBeers, the other is the international Diamond cutters. Only several locations in the world cut diamonds and they only recieve raw stones that are either mined by DeBeers, or are permissed by DeBeers.

DeBeers recieves almost all uncut stones and hoards them, and they also recieve almost all cut stones and marks them for sale.

You can not cut your own diamonds, my grandpa cut one, it was incredibly difficult for him to recieve the diamond.

Anything produced outside of this network is completely valuless, and might as well just be Industrial tools.

The idea of making jewelry out of manufactured Diamonds has been thought up by many, but DeBeers is well ahead of them to see to it that only mined diamonds are sold.

To try and introduce manufactured Diamonds into the Market, would be the equivalent of trying to rob the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. (Die Hard 3 is completely implausable.)

Throw down some links.

UN sanctions embargoing conflict diamonds from Angola and Sierra Leone have created the need for the diamond trade and governments to assure that conflict diamonds are not allowed to enter the legitimate international diamond distribution network through imports to diamond producing or consumption nations. Since conflict diamonds cannot be identified through physical inspection and also since they are often transshipped through countries that are not involved in conflict, a global system of export certification and import verification must be established. This global system will insure that all diamonds legally imported into diamond cutting, trading and consumer nations will be of known, verifiable non-conflict origin.



The diamond industry, through the World Diamond Council (WDC), seeks to cooperate with the United Nations and governments to insure that conflict diamonds are excluded from the legitimate diamond trade through implementation of an efficient and workable system of international diamond controls. The WDC and governments recognize the important role that diamonds play in the economic development of many diamond mining and producing countries and therefore seeks to implement a system of controls that does not harm the legitimate diamond industry.



The system of international diamond import and export controls presented herein establishes an international conflict free trade zone (CFTZ) for diamond producing, cutting and trading nations. Nations that implement strict controls over their imports of rough and polished diamonds will be deemed conflict free diamond centers and, therefore, will be able to trade freely with each other and to freely export polished diamonds to diamond consuming nations. CFTZ nations will also be able to freely process (i.e. sort, mix and manufacture) all rough and polished diamonds in their diamond centers. To ensure that conflict diamonds do not enter the world markets, all polished diamond importing countries will be required to restrict polished imports to those from countries that implement rough diamond import and export controls.

www.globalwitness.org...

Simple quick link but I don't like the source:

abcnews.go.com...

A few more links...

The most common route is through the channels of DeBeers' Central Selling Organization (CSO). Many people are familiar with DeBeers mainly because of their advertisements and commercials and because of the famous motto that they coined in the early half of the 20th century: "A Diamond is Forever."

www.mondera.com...

Couldn't have said it better myself....

I really don't think you ought to:

1. Assume that some one from another geographic region has a geographically-induced disadvantage over you intellectually.

2. Put your money on the "DeBeers regulates the diamond market" horse. DeBeers, although they almost have a monopoly!!!, is just as DR described. They are the largest diamond miners and wholesalers, but they do NOT control the diamond market in a regulatory manner.



[Edited on 26-7-2003 by Valhall]

Didnt say DeBeers wasnt a big name in the diamond industry... but they dont own it. Read my previous link. There is nothing that grants DeBeers absolute control over gem quality diamonds, and nothing that limits the value of diamonds originating other sources than DeBeers.

The DTC holds ten week-long selling sessions called 'sights' each year. These sights are by invitation only

I wanted to point this out specifically, this is why it was nearly impossible for my grandpa to get a raw diamond to cut.

You have to be invited, and of course no bloke off the street is going to be invited, no matter how good they are...he got one from a friend.

And DR, who cares about "conflict" diamonds, we're talking about Manufactured Diamonds.

No way in hell will DeBeers alone, allow the Diamond Market to go bust by a bunch of Manufacturers...let alone all their Sub-competitors and co-dependants.

Originally posted by Valhall
I really don't think you ought to:

1. Assume that some one from another geographic region has a geographically-induced disadvantage over you intellectually.

2. Put your money on the "DeBeers regulates the diamond market" horse. DeBeers, although they almost have a monopoly!!!, is just as DR described. They are the largest diamond miners and wholesalers, but they do NOT control the diamond market in a regulatory manner.



[Edited on 26-7-2003 by Valhall]

Val, thanks for your support on this, but dont worry, this is FM we are talking about... that should be self explanatory.

FM, I STILL dont see anything in what you mentioned regarding DeBeers owning the entire market. As I mentioned, yes they are the big dogs, but they DO NOT own the market. There is currently no regulations prohibitting sales of manufactured diamonds as gem quality, so that completely circumvents your arguement.

Actually you are both wrong, DeBeers does control the Diamond Market in an entirely regulatory manner.

While the UN (I think it's them...international laws...) has a law stating foreign companies can not own more than 50% of a Diamond Mine...DeBeers is successfully challenging this.

In the meantime DeBeers insures its further foothold by being one of the only companies from which to purchase Industrial Equipment for mining Diamonds.

Futhermore they also broker most loan arrangements and credit arrangements for founding Diamond Mines.

Actually you are both wrong, DeBeers does control the Diamond Market in an entirely regulatory manner.

Again, provide proof.

Uh DR just read the simpleton links I gave you, Diamond Cutters recieve their stones from either DeBeers directly, or from a DeBeers funded program in other nations.

Some larger nations like Russia are trying but finding it hard to fund without DeBeers intervention, their own Diamond mining efforts, and because of this Russia is mainly trying to gain a foothold in Vietnam's Diamonds.

After a stone is cut, they are sold to middle men who then dish them out to where you buy your stones.

All these stones if you look, will have a DeBeers mark inscribed inside by laser, that is microscopic....

Actually why should I provide proof? You are asking me to find thousands of doccuments that show I'm right.

When I can simply ask you to find one doccument that shows me I'm wrong.

You'll be looking forever.

EKATI DIAMOND MINE, CANADA
Ekati diamond mine, near Lac de Gras in Canada�s Northwest Territories, is about 300km north east of Yellowknife. It is a joint venture between BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc (80%) and geologists Charles E Fipke and Dr Stewart E Blusson (10% each), BHP Billiton having bought out Dia Met Minerals� holding in mid-2001.

www.mining-technology.com...

Diagem acquires 100% interest in diamond mining equipment
and diamond properties

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--Diagem International Resource Corp.
(CDNX: DGM) is pleased to announce that it has negotiated a share
exchange agreement to dissolve its Brazilian joint venture
partnership. This partnership consisted of a 50% interest in two
joint venture partnership companies, Mineracao e Comercio de
Diamantes Juina MT Ltda ("CDJ") and Mineracao CDJ Ltda. ("MCL"),
in Mato Grosso State, Brazil.

The share exchange agreement gives Diagem 100% ownership of MCL, a
Brazilian mining company giving Diagem operational control over
all of the diamond exploration and mining assets. In exchange,
Diagem relinquishes its 50% ownership in CDJ, a trading company,
whose assets are not central to Diagem's activities.

www2.cdn-news.com.../2001/04/11/0411073n.html

So you mean to say that all of these companies have to have thier production "blessed" by DeBeers???