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TerpenesByMS t1_iz3taau wrote

Reply to comment by mazzivewhale 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_

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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