In September, students from all over the world stepped into the academic temple in their minds, and Harbin Institute of Technology’s “luxury” admission letter with diamonds became a hot topic. Many netizens are worried, what if such a valuable admission letter is accidentally lost on the road? In fact, this kind of worry is unnecessary, because artificial diamonds are really cheap, and natural diamonds are expensive.
Natural diamonds, rich relatives living in the center of the earth
On May 11, 2022, a golf ball-sized diamond was auctioned in Geneva, Switzerland, and sold for approximately 147 million yuan. This made many netizens gasp: They say that there are so many diamonds on the earth, why are they still so expensive?
It is true that on this planet we live, there are a large amount of diamonds stored, but most of them are located at a depth of 160 kilometers inside the earth, far beyond the limit that human beings can explore. Pure natural diamonds are often “turned” from the depths of the earth to the surface due to volcanic eruptions and changes in the earth’s crust. In other words, a diamond hidden deep in the ground is like a rich relative who lives in seclusion in the mountains, and the encounter depends on the fate of heaven.
Another reason why diamonds are expensive is due to the clever marketing methods of Western diamond dealers.
For example, the well-known brainwashing advertising slogan “Diamonds are forever, and one piece will last forever” came from the idea of jeweler De Beers. De Beers also likes to send diamonds to celebrities and female stars all over the world, encouraging them to wear them frequently, which can be described as a long-term publicity for huge profits. Over time, diamonds have become synonymous with luxury.
Entering 2022, European and American jewelers who are lying down to make money can never imagine that they will be defeated by Henan Province of China.
Henan diamonds, rule the world
Recently, the news that “70% of the world’s diamonds are produced in Henan” has been on the hot search list. There are even new jokes on the Internet: De Beers said that impurities in natural diamonds are a status symbol, and the Henan boss said that this is not easy, I just add some impurities to you.
Are man-made diamonds “fake” diamonds? of course not!
In 1955, General Motors of the United States created the first laboratory diamond. There is no difference between man-made diamonds and natural diamonds in terms of chemical and physical properties, and they are all serious diamonds.
Mao Heguang, a Chinese-American scientist, spent a week cultivating a 2-carat man-made diamond. He asked his students to get a valuation from GIA (one of the world’s three major diamond rating authorities), and the appraisal expert actually gave a valuation of 200,000 U.S. dollars. The cost of buying this man-made diamond was less than $5,000.
This makes the jeweler unable to sit still, isn’t this going to smash everyone’s jobs? So they launched various propaganda tactics. For example, in recent years, De Beers launched the “Real is Rare” (really is pure) promotion, telling everyone that pure natural diamonds are more precious. Indeed, it takes hundreds of millions of years to obtain natural diamonds, and it is human nature to be moved by this natural gemstone.
“Unfortunately,” in 2018, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced that it was removing the word “natural” from its definition of “diamond.” In other words, whether it is a natural diamond or a man-made diamond, it can be called a diamond.
Natural diamonds are placed in luxury showcases, while man-made diamonds with the same composition have been used in industry because of their good hardness and low cost. China is one of the largest producers of man-made diamonds in the world. In December 1963, the first domestic diamond was synthesized in Henan Province, which opened the prelude to the production of China’s diamond industry. Diamond is the hardest thing in the world. It is very good for material cutting and crafting. It is often placed on drill bits and cutting tools.
Today, China’s synthetic diamond production is about 25 billion carats, accounting for more than 90% of the world’s total, ranking first in the world for 15 consecutive years, 80% of which come from Henan.
In recent years, artificial diamonds are marching into the jewelry industry, which is also what diamond dealers do not want to see. In the discussion about marriage on Xiaohongshu in 2022, “whether to buy artificial diamonds” and “whether artificial diamonds are a substitute for natural diamonds” have become hot topics.
So, now, can man-made diamonds replace natural diamonds as raw materials for high-end jewelry?
The answer is: not yet.
Love, commitment, eternity, don’t grow in diamonds
According to the financial media “Interface” report, starting from 2021, De Beers began to deliberately increase the price of rough diamonds, and raised the price 6 times a year. According to the analysis of marketing experts, natural diamonds are becoming more and more expensive, which can highlight their value and distinguish them from artificial diamonds.
Boob, who got married this year, said that he also bought a high-priced natural diamond ring when he got married. Although it was stuffed in the drawer after the wedding, it was still indispensable in the wedding. In her area, marriage customs are very important. In this case, it is a natural choice for the man to pay for the woman to buy natural diamonds. “Whether a man loves you or not depends on whether he is willing to spend money. How about buying a ‘fake’ diamond?” Boob’s mother said.
In recent years, the view that “diamonds are IQ tax” has become more and more popular on the Internet. Are natural diamonds an IQ tax? Is it worth spending so much money to buy a useless stone? Sorry, this question is like asking those who spend 70,000 to 80,000 to buy a limited edition bag is worth it, isn’t it just a bag? As a kind of gemstone, diamonds also have the function of showing off. It is not a necessity of life, and it is not evaluated by “worth it or not”.
So, here comes the real question: Which young people are still buying diamonds? Business surveys show that modern single women are the main consumers of jewellery, including diamonds.
According to data from Bain Consulting, nowadays, the biggest reason for single women to buy diamonds is not about marriage or love, but “to please themselves”. In China, 46% of people buy diamonds to reward themselves. De Beers has been marketing for decades to create the concept of linking diamonds with love and romance, which is being gradually abandoned by today’s consumers.
”In my eyes, diamonds are no different from other gemstones. I care more about my boyfriend washing dishes every day, washing his own socks, and being faithful. It’s not good for me, and it’s useless to send super-large diamonds.” Odin, a post-00 girl Ah said.
Ah Chao, who was born in 1999, is more practical. “The global economy is in a downturn, and gold can preserve its value. Fortunately, it can be exchanged. If I want to buy diamonds, I have to buy one as big as a quail egg to preserve its value. If a man loves me, buy me some practical ones.” Gold.” A
diamond executive once said when satirizing artificial diamonds, “Love, commitment, and eternity will not grow in a laboratory.” However, for girls today, what can represent love, commitment, and eternity, It’s up to them to decide.
