Monday, April 28, 2014

And the conning continues...


A good number of patrons who come to our store are surprised by what we share with them.

So in today's (28th April 2014) TOI newspaper, you might've come across this piece of 'news'. You can check it online here. Considering how easy it is for them to influence the reader into believing something, it's a rather pathetic piece of 'journalism'.

They've mentioned 5 names here. 3 of them categorized under FAUX DIAMONDS. So let me fail the faux first.

CZ = American Diamond. Again, CZ = American Diamond. Which means, there shouldn't be a price difference. Having said that , CZs come from various manufacturers who claim some differences. So yeah, CZs are also branded products. Depending on the brand, one pays the price. And indeed, the prices span a wide range. And that 1 Carat prices for each of these Faux Diamonds that this girl, Hemali Chhapia-Shah the journalist, has mentioned are way off the mark.

The third Faux Diamond, Moissanite, doesn't come that cheap. Unless it's a Faux Moissanite. Or someone's figured out the patented making process and is making it illegally. More on this later in this very same post...

Coming to Diamonds, if you just make a casual search on Google, you'd realize that Natural Diamonds and Lab-made Diamonds are priced almost equally across the web. (Pardon me, if something's changed very recently. I guess not.) Why so?

The article I've linked to above has an explanation:
The website of Gemesis, one of the companies that manufactures diamonds via the CVD and HPHT methods, claims the only differentiator between the diamonds they produce and the natural stones is the point of origin. "Available in the purest Type IIa, colorless and rare, these diamonds possess the same exceptional cut, color and clarity, as well as identical chemical, optical and physical characteristics as high-quality mined diamonds," states the company.
You get that, no?

Now the moot point about diamonds and faux diamonds.

What are the reasons that drive this market for diamonds and faux diamonds? That brilliant brilliant slogan 'Diamonds are forever'. Or that investment that can be reaped at an appropriate time. Or that desire to be pampered rather extravagantly and therefore, be reassured of your man's commitment. Or that glitter that lights up a face (or a look).

You can think of more reasons and I guess they would be offshoots of the above.

Why are diamonds so expensive? Why is Moissanite so expensive, not in comparison to diamonds but in comparison to CZ?

For diamonds, ask De Beers. For Moissanite, ask Charles & Colvard. No, I am not seeking an escape here. Who among us knows the cost of the manufacturing these precious stones? Is it the cost of manufacturing that determines prices? Or is it the charm of a lovely face that makes these stones so desirable? And exactly what is the value of the charm of the woman's face you love?

I leave the answers to your own guesses and optical senses :).

Lastly, from what we've studied while running Mississippi Earrings, we've come to understand that it's really really difficult to determine if a diamond is a Natural Diamond or Lab-made (or man-made) Diamond. The world simply goes by the word of the jeweler that it buys from. But what your investment in forever?! Your guess is as good as mine.

Last issue.

What gives this woman Hemali Chhapia-Shah such misguided confidence to write such an article and occupy the space on a first page on TOI? Here's her record as shown on TOI website today, 28th April 2014. She's written 9 articles in total. All on education, except the one I've anchored this post on.

Diamond or not, isn't the point. To con or not to, is the meta-physical issue. Or let's ask, "What's conning?"