All tagged Diamonds

Diamonds and Mining are NOT a girl’s best friend!

Engaging in a dialogue about gender and economics is not intuitive. Especially, when the main understanding of the economy is based on the global free market, production, and the idea of meritocracy, which leads us to think that this dialogue would be limited to subjects such as equal opportunities between women and men and/or parity; and would leave aside other gendered and economic relationships of domination that are more discrete, normalized, and violent, such as gendered socialization and imposed gender roles. However, the recent resurgence of socio-economic and gender inequalities, and how they are interwoven, has made a deeper exchange necessary. We observe the emergence of an intersectional reflection in both economic and gender terms, which challenges the unequal distribution of wealth, natural resources, and the sexual division of labor. 

Diamonds Aren't Forever

Diamonds have undoubtedly become the most prominent gemstone in popular culture, with 86% of engagement rings in the United States being diamond. The popularity of diamond-studded jewelry in American hip-hop culture has also exploded, leading to an even further glorification of diamonds as a status symbol. However, demand for diamonds was not always so high and De Beers, which until recently held arguably the strongest monopoly in history, was able to utilize brilliant marketing techniques in order to embed diamonds into everyday life around the globe and set market prices to make incredible profits. Recently, a slew of antitrust laws against the company has diversified the market and growth in the efficiency of lab-made diamonds promises to benefit consumers.

Diamonds Aren't Forever

Diamonds have undoubtedly become the most prominent gemstone in popular culture, with 86% of engagement rings in the United States being diamond. The popularity of diamond-studded jewelry in American hip-hop culture has also exploded, leading to an even further glorification of diamonds as a status symbol. However, demand for diamonds was not always so high and De Beers, which until recently held arguably the strongest monopoly in history, was able to utilize brilliant marketing techniques in order to embed diamonds into everyday life around the globe and set market prices to make incredible profits. Recently, a slew of antitrust laws against the company has diversified the market and growth in the efficiency of lab-made diamonds promises to benefit consumers.