My SO is a geologist and likes the idea that Earth created the mineral over millions/billions of years through extreme processes. I'm a technologist, so I kinda like the idea that humans created something "better" using our tools and techniques.
Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems
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Re: Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems
#152Earlier quoted context omitted.
That’s my favourite book of his, but I’ve stopped recommending it to non-programmers because I think much of it’s magic is knowing how much of it is actually possible in the future.
Possibly a key indicator of a quality SF idea / author -- how much closer we are to their universe a decade or two later. I've loved everything Neal's written, though I may begrudgingly agree with various critics that suggest he really doesn't do endings very well (REAMDE and Anathem are much, much better on this front). I've tried recommending various books of his to different friends, and I've concluded that I have…
I would suggest checking out Dan Simmons. He's like Neal in many ways (lots of world building, interesting scifi), but I think a better writer and story teller. I picked up Hyperion based on a review of Seveneves, which suggested the third part was a pale imitation. It and Ilium are amazing.
Re: Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems
#153Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm curious, what are some of the places we would start to see titanium if the prices dropped?
Cheap titanium bikes are high on my list but I think the killer application is titanium hinges. Springs will last a lifetime. Looks like this is starting to happen alreadt: https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/titanium-hinges.html $0.25 for a hinge Titanium is light, but my favorite thing is it is next to impossible to bend. So anything that shouldn't bend will be better with titanium.
There's very little actual titanium in titanium bike frames. Most of the cost is in the machining and labor, so I doubt prices will drop much. And the majority of riders seem to prefer carbon fiber anyway.
Re: Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems
#154Earlier quoted context omitted.
> They’re called fake because they’re artificial, not because they have more flaws (...) give credit to the other side’s point: they have a reasonable and internally consistent argument The only thing I credit them for is being ruthlessly manipulative. "Fakes" is not a neutral word. It was very specifically chosen for its emotional baggage, similar to "pro-lifer" or "franken-foods". It is an emotional distracting pie…
You’re taking away a lot of agency from people who prefer natural diamonds. Yes, of course their marketing campaign set off the industry, but the reason it worked is because many people are already predisposed to prefer natural things over artificial things. What you’re calling “emotional baggage” is a subjective preference for some things over other things. It’s only doublespeak if you subscribe to a literalist form…
> You’re taking away a lot of agency from people who prefer natural diamonds. Yes, of course their marketing campaign set off the industry, but the reason it worked is because many people are already predisposed to prefer natural things over artificial things.
Predisposed is a pretty strong word. Do you think people are born with a preference for “natural” diamonds? I happen to believe that most preferences you hold are learned throughout life, perhaps even manufactured by others.
Re: Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems
#155I chose a lab-grown diamond to have set in my fiancée's engagement ring. It looks stunning, is significantly larger than I would have been able to afford if sticking to "natural" stones, and nobody can tell the difference. It's certified by IGI, which most people will tell you is not a good thing (you would generally look for GIA certification, and GIA refuse to certify lab-grown diamonds), but if you find a stone that is graded highly across the board by an IGI lab (colour D or E, cut Ideal or Excellent and clarity >VS1) it seems unlikely you'll be disappointed once it's set in a ring.
Re: Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems
#156This is a story about a rentier near monopolist (DeBeers) desperately trying to fend off innovation that is making them irrelevant.
Re: Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems
#157Earlier quoted context omitted.
The internally consistent argument is that these items are, like many other luxury goods, designed to signal status (or, more rarely, to elicit a response of much more fundamental appreciation, the sort a fellow watchmaker might have for a Patek Philippe). Diamonds are not unique in this regard, because many people prefer natural/real over artificial/synthetic/fake when it comes to art, antiques, luxury items, etc. I…
How does this hypothetical wider set of people know your diamond is de beers approved? Do you keep the price tag on it? Or do you just talk about how, obviously, you'd never stoop to buying man-made diamonds?
Assuming they talk about how they prefer “real” diamonds, the latter. Similarly, people on the other side signal their association by talking about how they’d never buy “real” diamonds.
Re: Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems
#158Earlier quoted context omitted.
Possibly a key indicator of a quality SF idea / author -- how much closer we are to their universe a decade or two later. I've loved everything Neal's written, though I may begrudgingly agree with various critics that suggest he really doesn't do endings very well (REAMDE and Anathem are much, much better on this front). I've tried recommending various books of his to different friends, and I've concluded that I have…
I read somewhere (cannot find source at the moment) that Neal Stephenson would start each day with a complete reread of the book he was working on, editing as he went. This would explain why the first few chapters of his books are always the strongest, because they get the most attention and polish in this method, while the endings tend to be weaker.
Were you thinking of William Gibson[0]?
[0] https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/6089/william-gibso...
Re: Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems
#159Earlier quoted context omitted.
In Napoleon's day it was more expensive than gold. By the time the Washington Monument was constructed the price had dropped to roughly the level of silver. Titanium might be poised to follow in its footsteps after the discovery of electrolysis of titanium oxide in molten calcium chloride, analogous to the cryolite process.
I'm curious, what are some of the places we would start to see titanium if the prices dropped?
I think pipes might be a strong contender. Currently titanium is roughly the same price as copper, but harder to machine -- and it's produced in ugly forms by the Kroll process. Electrolysis produces a metal powder using less energy. Titanium is practically immune to chloride corrosion but is slowly worn down by fluoride, although fluoride is typically present at just 1 PPM in tap water (anything higher is toxic) so Ti pipes should last quite a while. Boats can also be made of titanium alloys. Anything dealing with water gets easier when titanium is in play, for the most part; one of the few things that really affects it is lactate (biofouling), but even that can be inhibited with the right alloying additives. More speculative uses might include offshore wind turbines and underwater (isobaric) compressed-air energy storage equipment.
Re: Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems
#160De beers blood diamond monopoly is over