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mazzivewhale t1_iz173qr wrote

Reply to comment by Worst_username_eu in Scientists have analyzed the specific labor costs for producing a 1 carat diamond in mines and through artificial synthesis. The work of human turned out to be more effective: 26 minutes versus 2-3.5 hours. by Skoltech_

Almost seems as if this research was sponsored by someone who has interests in the diamond mine industry and would be put at risk by synthesized diamonds. Messing with the units of measurement until it shows the result that makes it seem better for them to keep running diamond mines.

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aesche t1_iz2seeq wrote

"Scientists [in Gaborone, Botswana]...."

edit: me remembering you can't just say stuff-- Gaborone is where the De Beers Group is

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Zhai t1_iz3t44t wrote

Yeah guys, slaves are more effective. Choose natural diamonds. They should have compered also the amount of human suffering while they are at it.

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Bagline t1_iz3rdmr wrote

I'm confused as to the point though, saying there's less labor cost makes no difference to the people buying the product. If anything it says labs employ more people per carat produced, and last I checked at a lower overall cost.

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Strazdas1 t1_iz44dqc wrote

its an attempt to show they arent exploiting those child slaves in the mines since they work oh so little.

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TerpenesByMS t1_iz3taau wrote

The article's framing is dumb. Synthetic gem-grade 1 carat cut diamonds are super impressive! When the tech matures a bit more, these stats will be a better comparison to "traditional" (* cough * exploitative) diamond mining.

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Strazdas1 t1_iz44gcu wrote

The tech is fine, its political limitations that are the issue. In most places you are legally not allowed to sell synthetic diamonds as diamonds despite them being chemically identical and clearer than anything in a mine.

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Gigazwiebel t1_iz4791k wrote

Where would that be? Diamond is chemically a well defined thing, no matter how it's produced. Also lab made diamond has many industrial use cases.

Normally a mined diamond has a certificate to show that it was in fact mined and not made in a lab.

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UniqueName39 t1_iz4echb wrote

I dunno. This means that mined diamonds should be cheaper than synthetic diamonds.

Sounds to me like someone is trying to gouge customers. And it ain’t the science diamonds.

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