Posted on 01/06/2007 7:44:37 PM PST by blam
Diamonds are no longer a girl's best friend
By Chris Hastings, Stephanie Plentl and Beth Jones, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:29am GMT 07/01/2007
Diamonds have been synonymous with Hollywood glamour since Marilyn Monroe declared them to be a girl's best friend in the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. But now a new generation of Hollywood stars is shunning the stones as a new film exposes the darker side of the international diamond trade.
Blood Diamond tells the story of forced-labour diamond mines
For the first time in the 79-year history of the Oscars, certain kinds of diamond will be absent from the annual prize-giving ceremony. Normally the awards, which will take place on February 25, are awash with sparkling stones, with some stars even choosing to wear them on their shoes.
But now many of the biggest names in Hollywood are asking agents and diamond experts to ensure they are not photographed wearing illicit diamonds.
The backlash against the stones has led to diamonds being dubbed the "new fur", as stars increasingly try to make sure that they are not wearing anything that might be regarded as unethical.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly, the stars of Blood Diamond, as well as Kayne West, the rap artist, the models Iman and Erin O'Connor – the face of Marks and Spencer – are leading the backlash. Blood Diamond, part of which was filmed in London's Hatton Garden diamond district, is set in civil war-ravaged Sierra Leone and tells the story of forced-labour diamond mining companies.
The success of the film, which has already opened in America and comes to UK cinemas at the end of the month, has led to an upsurge in demand for so-called conflict-free diamonds, which carry a certificate of confirmation that their trade is not connected with war, civil strife or human rights abuses.
Gaia Geddes, the jewellery editor at Harper's Bazaar, said: "You have the Oscars and Baftas coming up, and that's when the stars wear very big rocks. This year there will be a lot of focus on conflict-free diamonds and a lot of people will take a stand, just like they did with fur."
Connelly, 36, who plays a journalist in the movie, made a point of wearing "conflict-free" diamonds to the film's American premiere last month.
"I think what I got out of the film is a desire to be a more ethnical consumer," she said. "I did some research and there are companies like Bulgari, like Tiffany, that are striving to be clean and accountable and that provide written guarantees that their diamonds are conflict-free.
Iman pulled out of her contract as the face of De Beers
"No one is saying boycott diamonds but [buyers] can be pro-active and go to their jewellers and say, 'Can you show me a certificate? Can you give me a verifiable warranty that these diamonds are conflict-free?'"
Jane Fonda, the double Oscar-winning actress and friend of the film's producer, Paula Weinstein, has also revealed how she has made sure she only wears conflict-free diamonds.
African tribes in conflict with the diamond industry are actively targeting the world's celebrities in a bid to win them over. Last year, Bushmen in the Kalahari in dispute with De Beers wrote an open letter in Variety to DiCaprio, seeking his support.
Eileen Kelly, the manager of Abiba, a jeweller in Hatton Garden, said: "Recently we have had more and more customers come into the shop because of publicity about the film and ask where the diamonds have come from. We can say that we do not sell conflict diamonds. For the past year we have quite clearly printed on our receipts that our diamonds are conflict-free."
The campaign against the diamond trade had been building up even before the release of Blood Diamond. In 2004 Iman, who is married to the singer David Bowie, pulled out of her contract as the face of De Beers in protest at what she claimed was the company's eviction of tribespeople from their land in Botswana. In 2005, the actress Julie Christie joined a protest outside the Natural History Museum in support of the same tribesmen.
De Beers denies all the allegations levied against it in connection with diamonds. The company declined to comment last night, but a spokesman for the World Diamond Council, the representative body of the diamond industry, said: "We don't have any issue with the film. The important thing is that the movie is based in the past, in 1999, and the situation now is that the vast majority of conflict is over.
"The diamond industry contributes over $8 million (about £4.5 million) per year to local African economies, which helps to build schools, hospitals and provide employment."
If the fake ones look just as good at the real ones to you then you don't know anything about diamonds at all.
Really???? I has sold several pieces on the open market and got as much or more than I paid.
Those of us who follow the good Professor Walter E Williams know that a good gift for wifey is vacuum cleaner bags. That is appropriate after making sure her ironing board cover is not in need of replacement.
He is of course the retired chairman of the economics department of George Mason University and visiting host at the Limbaugh Institute of Conservative Studies.
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/
If they don't do any better job than they do with rubys and emeralds than manufacturing them won't make any difference. If you buy any of those stones you can tell the difference between them instantly.
Did your wife buy this argument??? Where did you get her wedding ring??? Out of a box of cracker jacks???
There are excellent fakes out there these days, and my jeweler friends recommend them. And most of the diamonds on the regular market for the average Joe are pretty crappy at best. Often floor sweepings with occlusions, poor color and even sadder clarity. The best you can hope for is usually a G, and maybe SI if you're lucky.
Heck, I have seen a D, but I think it was in a museum :)
If I could have a 1 carat 'real' diamond that was the average one carat 'real' diamond out there or I could take that chunk of change and buy are really good something rarer....
a real black opal (not doublet), a good purple grape tanzanite, a real estate Khasmir sapphire...
I would.....and have it set with the really good fake diamonds around it (which I have done and will continue to do).
In my experence, there is way more pleasure in purchasing the other stones than there ever will be in buying any diamond.... almost all other gemstones, you can find the best of the best...... Diamonds are rarely at their best when real....
Most people don't want fakes, certainly not any of those that can afford a good diamond. Nothing wrong with the fake if you want one but is not going to dent the sale of real diamonds. Most people will want the real thing, not some manufactured thing. Those that buy diamonds on a regular basis are not going to waste their time on the fakes no matter if a jeweler recommends them.
Honestly,
I don't see the hype about 'real' diamonds. Again, the good fakes serve the purpose from a jewelry standpoint. And I adore jewelery....just don't buy me diamonds. For me, they're a bore.
When it comes to investing, I'd rather buy something I can talk about, and really get into when I wear it....
"Oh, yeah, this is erm, a diamond and its, erm...clear and it sparkles and its from Africa."
Versus
"This is a Harlequin Black opal from lighting ridge! And it's not a doublet either! See all the different colors, and it's in it's natural shape."
Or finding a 100 old Alexandrite ring from Russia, or a pariba tourmaline uncut from the mines.....
Same with all the other stones....more stories to tell, more colors to flash...just way, way more interesting!
Sorta like comparing vanilla custard to chocolate raspberry cheesecake with real whipped cream. Both are desserts, but on is just way more fun to eat!
It's really strange they left out how many slaves he owned at one time.
Why do I have a picture in my mind of you shopping for diamonds.
Diamonds are not really an investment. But at least they are worth something. Keep a car long enough (unless fabulous care is taken of them) they eventually end up in the junk yard. Diamonds will always be worth something. When people speak of their re-sale value the same can be said of a car. I purchased a new SUV this year. The price was right in line with the book value. Now just 9 months later I owe 3000.00 more on that vehicle than the book value.
Who cares what the Hollywood elite think? Truth be told, if it wasn't diamonds, the'd be fighting over something else?
I have my share of them as well as quite a bit of gold. They dress up the outfit.
The other gems I mentioned not only are worth something, but usually appreciate in value---like my 10 carat deep purple tanzanite I got a 'bzillion years ago....it's worth 6 times more than I paid for it, if I wanted to sell it.
I'd rather wear it.
Same with black opals too....
Oh yeah,
and things like cars, clothes, furnishings etc...
Goodwill and Salvation army....really, really old, beat up and cheap.
Same as the dresses, apparently. The designers want their names in the news, so the movie babes wear the designers' latest frocks, prance around on the red carpet, and the designers hope to get some new clients with the exposure. Too bad so many of the dresses are awful!
I assume he didn't marry her; at least I HOPE he didn't!
Most women buy 'costume' jewelry, and are not looking to shell out a bunch of money for it. If they want a more stunning piece, they'll go with a nice 14K or even 18K setting, but for everyday stuff, they'll settle for 10K.
I can just imagine Mrs. Williams sitting in her lovely home laughing herself silly when he starts in on the radio like that. They must be a fun couple!
sw
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