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 Post subject: Lab grown, "conflict free" diamonds
PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 4:06 am 
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Hi all, have just been reading a release, published in a Diamond newsletter, which I found interesting.
The headline was; Lab grown diamonds propose a conflict free way forward.
Went on to say, as the public becomes aware of the corrupt and often deadly nature of the diamond trade, the "high end jewellers" are increasingly turning to lab stones.
Went on to say that you could expect to buy a 1ct stone for 25-50% less than a natural one.
Is this what those of you dealing with diamonds are finding?
Is a lab grown stone really that expensive, or are we in for some major "spin".
Thanks for your feedback, Barry.


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 Post subject: Re: Lab grown, "conflict free" diamonds
PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:13 am 
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That's a good advertising approach, but certainly I would steer consumers towards Canadian, Russian or antique naturally occurring gems.
No conflict with Alrosa!


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 Post subject: Re: Lab grown, "conflict free" diamonds
PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 2:58 am 
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Yes, quality lab grown/created diamonds are fairly expensive. One company, whose only brick and mortar store in the world is about 10 miles east of my house sells stones for several thousand USD each.

John

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Web: http://handmadeartists.com/shop/rasmussengems
Blog: http://rasmussengemsandjewelryllc.blogspot.com/


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 Post subject: Re: Lab grown, "conflict free" diamonds
PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 9:54 am 
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thats kind of smart advertisement, but if you buy from reliable source you can be sure about conflict free diamonds. that's the strategy i use in my company and almost all of our diamond stock is from Alrosa or DeBeers Sightholders and some from Canada, for the melees argyle is good too. mostly conflict Diamonds in the market are from Africa specially, Zimbabwe (they are also cheaper) and we are a very restrict policy about them FYI Zimbabwe's diamonds have some greenish overtone, although they have the Kimberley Process (KP) but still we believe still Severe human rights violations have taken place in the diamond fields of Marange and can not be sure diamonds from Zimbabwe are mined from where so its best not to touch them

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 Post subject: Re: Lab grown, "conflict free" diamonds
PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 1:49 pm 
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There are conflict diamonds out there, financing war and terror but when looking at what is going on in the more stabile diamondproducing african countries it is going in the right direction, more and more of the value is staying in the producing countries, which in my view is good even though I know the profits often do not gain the ones that needs it the most. The number of conflict diamonds on the market is going down, a few years ago it was estimated to about 2%, now less than 1%, mainly because there is more political stability in many areas and countries like Sierra Leone are now part of the KP process. In Zimbabwes Marange district terrible things are going on and the awareness of this (and other conflict zones) needs to be spread to both customers and suppliers, but also the benefits of diamondproduction has to be pointed out.

It is estimated that over 10 million people makes their living from diamond production and manufacturing, most of them in third world countries. When looking at countries like Namibia and Botswana one wonders what would become of them and their people if they could not profit from their greatest natural resources and people instead would prefer products made in factories in mainly Russia and the US just because they got the impression that all african diamonds are funding terrorism.


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 Post subject: Re: Lab grown, "conflict free" diamonds
PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 2:02 pm 
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Press Release:
Global Witness regarding Kimberley Process, Dec. 2011
Click here if you can not read the following pdf.
[pdfview]http://www.globalwitness.org/sites/default/files/library/KPexity.pdf[/pdfview]


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 Post subject: Re: Lab grown, "conflict free" diamonds
PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 2:18 pm 
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Yes, the KP certification does not work as well as most hoped, there are many loopholes, Zimbabwe is an example of that, but it has helped to put focus on problems and preassure to diamondproducers and suppliers. I am still convinced diamondproduction does a lot more good than bad in diamondproducing african countries.
Global witness had their doubts about KP already in 2007 but waited four years before leaving it.


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