Live data from Hacker News

South African diamond mines are closing due to weak sales and lab-grown stones

wsj.com

31–40 of 176 posts

Re: South African diamond mines are closing due to weak sales and lab-grown stones

#31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s not even close to being true.

You both need to provide citations my dudes.

The first person hedged their statement with "I heard once" so it's likely true regardless of whether the rest is accurate.

In a similar vein it has been said (by me, just now) that DeBeers is actually already out of diamonds and manufactures then de novo from the compressed ashes of orphans.

Re: South African diamond mines are closing due to weak sales and lab-grown stones

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we can replace the taste, appearance, and texture of a medium-rare rib eye with lab grown meat at a substantially cheaper price, we will.

>substantially cheaper price why substantially cheaper? Break-even would be fine too, no? And as a plus, lab-grown meat is much more ethical. I also think that replacing 'cheap' meat like ground beef would already be sufficient and would make a huge impact, there is really no need make it difficult for ourselves and try to replace rib-eye.

Maybe there's something about lives being taken to provide the food that appeals to certain people.

Re: South African diamond mines are closing due to weak sales and lab-grown stones

#33

Brutal news for Botswana which was really breaking new ground in raising Sub Saharan living standards. 30% of their GDP and a huge portion of government revenues are diamond exports. And they had gotten to 100% formalized and child labor free supply lines

Botswana's diamond mining industry is exactly one company: Debswana, a 50/50 joint venture between the government of Botswana and De Beers.

Which means, when you think about it, that half of one subsidiary of De Beers is effectively producing ~one third of Botswana's GDP. Really puts into perspective how exploitative De Beers is.

Re: South African diamond mines are closing due to weak sales and lab-grown stones

#34

Brutal news for Botswana which was really breaking new ground in raising Sub Saharan living standards. 30% of their GDP and a huge portion of government revenues are diamond exports. And they had gotten to 100% formalized and child labor free supply lines

Botswana's diamond mining industry is exactly one company: Debswana, a 50/50 joint venture between the government of Botswana and De Beers. Which means, when you think about it, that half of one subsidiary of De Beers is effectively producing ~one third of Botswana's GDP. Really puts into perspective how exploitative De Beers is.

[deleted]

Re: South African diamond mines are closing due to weak sales and lab-grown stones

#35
post #14

> Demand for engagement rings gave thousands of South Africans steady work at De Beers. Now, weak sales and lab-grown stones are taking it away. So wait, on this Labor Day weekend, it sounds like the WSJ is pro-worker, but only if they're in South Africa?

At least they aren't blaming millennials still.

Re: South African diamond mines are closing due to weak sales and lab-grown stones

#37
post #14

> Demand for engagement rings gave thousands of South Africans steady work at De Beers. Now, weak sales and lab-grown stones are taking it away. So wait, on this Labor Day weekend, it sounds like the WSJ is pro-worker, but only if they're in South Africa?

Nah, they’re pro-De Beers

Re: South African diamond mines are closing due to weak sales and lab-grown stones

#39
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we can replace the taste, appearance, and texture of a medium-rare rib eye with lab grown meat at a substantially cheaper price, we will.

Modern beef is unhealthy for humans due to grazing conditions. Maybe the lab grown stuff will be closer to conventional farming output.

Hopefully most people here getting ribeyes aren’t getting them from the same factory farms that supply McDonald’s and sell other cheap kinds of beef. A ribeye is an occasional luxury and best bought from the farmer.

Re: South African diamond mines are closing due to weak sales and lab-grown stones

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You both need to provide citations my dudes.

The first person hedged their statement with "I heard once" so it's likely true regardless of whether the rest is accurate. In a similar vein it has been said (by me, just now) that DeBeers is actually already out of diamonds and manufactures then de novo from the compressed ashes of orphans.

“I heard” = hearsay. Citation needed. (I mean, I heard the earth is flat - but it’s not)
Post reply on HN