Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond? (1982)
Wow, absolutely brilliant. I can't believe this article popped up on HN's front page tonight. I just got back from looking at engagement rings with my girlfriend.I've known about this monopoly for a while, and so has she. Heck, one of the first movies we watched together when we first started dating 7 years ago was Blood Diamond. Here's the conversation we had while in the jewellery store tonight.Me: "Sweety, I really don't want to buy you a diamond. I really would rather buy you something that at least has some more value associated with it, like a sapphire."Her: "Well, I've always pictured a diamond ring. That's what everyone gets."Me: "Well, what do you like about the diamond that the sapphire doesn't give you?"Her: "I like the sparkle."Me: "Ok, that's fair. What about moissanite? (Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moissanite) It's supposedly even more sparkly and brilliant than diamonds."Her: "What's it made of?"Me: "You know how diamond is just carbon? Moissanite is silicon and carbon in the same type of crystal structure."Her: "And it's natural?"Me: "Well, it can occur naturally, but it's extremely rare. So the ones you buy are usually created in a lab, but are more brilliant than a diamond, but actually cost less. I can apparently get a 1.5 carat stone for $800."Her: (annoyed) "I don't want something fake!"Me: "Oh, so it's not about the sparkle then?"I swear, De Beers has probably pulled off the greatest marketing stunt in the history of humanity. The fact that it's so ingrained in our minds, to the point where a smart, educated, and informed person like my girlfriend still wants a diamond even after knowing all the issues with them, is fascinating.Honestly, as a community of people in the startup ecosystem, we could stand to learn a thing or two here.