Just found a review of this documentary . Anyone hear of this?https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/nothing-lasts-forever-review-diamonds-1235180591/
New documentary called Nothing Lasts Forever. Have you seen it?
- Thread starter Mlh
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I have been seeing this kind of horse manure since I entered the diamond business back in the 1970's. So many have tried to tell all of us who love diamonds that they are super abundant, over priced, yada, yada, yada.
In spite of this constant yammering, the diamond lovers continue to love, just as the haters continue to hate.
In my opinion, this is not a ground breaking documentary, it is just another piece of drivel by someone trying to damage the business I have loved all of my adult life...
Wink
In spite of this constant yammering, the diamond lovers continue to love, just as the haters continue to hate.
In my opinion, this is not a ground breaking documentary, it is just another piece of drivel by someone trying to damage the business I have loved all of my adult life...
Wink
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You are welcome.
Sorry to have been so uneloquent in my comment.
Wink
I always appreciate your perspective and candor!
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I really dislike this kind of piece. It’s not the first and it’s not the last but they do have a relatively new wrinkle in the form of the ‘ethical advantage’ of synthetics.
Really?
What advantage is that? Mining is, by its nature, an environmentally destructive activity, no matter what you're mining and no matter where you mine it. Although I agree with that, the environmental impact of all of the diamonds ever made is comparatively tiny. Compare that to, say, the amount of land that’s been paved to create the US interstate system. Ah, but diamonds are unnecessary, interstates are useful. That’s the heart of the argument. Humans have been decorating themselves and their loved ones with pretty rocks since literally the dawn of time. Call that unnecessary if you like but there is clearly a human need being filled here. Are synthetics ‘good enough’ because it’s hard to tell the difference? Maybe, we’ll see, but it’s far from obvious. People like the real thing. A Monet is worth thousands of times more than an otherwise identical fake. Fair-trade coffee is worth twice as much as unfair trade, whatever that is, even if it’s exactly the same bean. There are tons of examples of this. There are tons of examples of this. People value things other than chemistry.
But there’s still that mining thing. What about those big holes in Siberia? Aren’t synthetics better about that? Not really. Synthetics are made out of electricity. Lots of electricity. Electricity doesn’t just happen. It’s one of the most environmentally destructive ‘products’ out there. It’s made from coal. It’s made from bird-killing wind farms. It’s made from giant fish-killing hydro projects. It’s transmitted by giant powerlines that traverse the country and the world. PG&E literally burned California with them. That leads back to the same thing. Electricity is useful, diamonds are not. For some people they aren’t, for others they’re important.
Guess who is writing articles like this.
One more thing. The labor argument. So-called ‘blood diamonds’. Aren’t diamonds mined by slaves? In a word, no they aren’t. The movie of the same name is set in Sierra Leone during their spectacularly uncivil war. That war ended in 2002. A generation ago. SR still has their troubles, to be sure, but one of the things you can do that would really HELP the Sierra Leonese is to buy their diamonds. Boycotting them in favor of competitive factory products from China is the exact opposite.
They also bring up Surat, the diamond city in India. Hundreds of thousands of people feed themselves and their families by cutting diamonds, both mined and labs. Once again, the problem here is that no one NEEDS their work products. That’s the worst argument out there. Unless you’re a farmer or a nurse, probably no one NEEDS your work product either.
Really?
What advantage is that? Mining is, by its nature, an environmentally destructive activity, no matter what you're mining and no matter where you mine it. Although I agree with that, the environmental impact of all of the diamonds ever made is comparatively tiny. Compare that to, say, the amount of land that’s been paved to create the US interstate system. Ah, but diamonds are unnecessary, interstates are useful. That’s the heart of the argument. Humans have been decorating themselves and their loved ones with pretty rocks since literally the dawn of time. Call that unnecessary if you like but there is clearly a human need being filled here. Are synthetics ‘good enough’ because it’s hard to tell the difference? Maybe, we’ll see, but it’s far from obvious. People like the real thing. A Monet is worth thousands of times more than an otherwise identical fake. Fair-trade coffee is worth twice as much as unfair trade, whatever that is, even if it’s exactly the same bean. There are tons of examples of this. There are tons of examples of this. People value things other than chemistry.
But there’s still that mining thing. What about those big holes in Siberia? Aren’t synthetics better about that? Not really. Synthetics are made out of electricity. Lots of electricity. Electricity doesn’t just happen. It’s one of the most environmentally destructive ‘products’ out there. It’s made from coal. It’s made from bird-killing wind farms. It’s made from giant fish-killing hydro projects. It’s transmitted by giant powerlines that traverse the country and the world. PG&E literally burned California with them. That leads back to the same thing. Electricity is useful, diamonds are not. For some people they aren’t, for others they’re important.
Guess who is writing articles like this.
One more thing. The labor argument. So-called ‘blood diamonds’. Aren’t diamonds mined by slaves? In a word, no they aren’t. The movie of the same name is set in Sierra Leone during their spectacularly uncivil war. That war ended in 2002. A generation ago. SR still has their troubles, to be sure, but one of the things you can do that would really HELP the Sierra Leonese is to buy their diamonds. Boycotting them in favor of competitive factory products from China is the exact opposite.
They also bring up Surat, the diamond city in India. Hundreds of thousands of people feed themselves and their families by cutting diamonds, both mined and labs. Once again, the problem here is that no one NEEDS their work products. That’s the worst argument out there. Unless you’re a farmer or a nurse, probably no one NEEDS your work product either.
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Beyond this review, by the way, I haven't been able to find any evidence that this 'documentary' exists at all. I was prepared to waste 87 minutes of my valuable time just to be up on the most recent rehashing of the same old hatchet job. I still am. Vanity Fair says it's Showtime but Showtime doesn't seem to have it.
Wow. I didn't even go check after Wink replied. So odd. Thanks for the thoughtful response @denverappraiser !! Very interesting points!
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Predicted to drop March 12
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16317380/
It's ironic that a notable source of new buzz (about old diamond related concerns) happens to be stakeholders in the lab grown diamond sector.
Certain of these long-standing concerns reached their height in the 1990s, for good reason, and the industry wasn't deaf to them. Steps have been taken since then, in terms of both environmental and human stewardship which changed the landscape, literally and figuratively.
In terms of the environment, Australia and Canada have addressed environment and biodiversity preservation from inception, in planning and operating their mines. What ALROSA's diamond revenues have done for Russia since the Soviet Union fell in 1991 is significantly positive, in terms of both cultural and natural restoration (see "To Russia with Love" below).
As it relates to labor and human rights, no company or industry can control geopolitics. We can try, however. I believe it would be hard to name another industry which has stimulated multinational organizations and governments of hundreds of stable nations to develop processes, anti-money-laundering legislation and KYC practices designed to oppose conflict minerals as much as the diamond industry has. Tin, tungsten, coltan and gold are the most common - yet "conflict coltan" is rarely talked about - although it's a component in whatever device you're using to read my post right now.
Probably most important, riffing on Neil's observations about Surat, is the fact that natural diamonds being extracted in stable, process-compliant countries are sustaining and growing education, healthcare and infrastructure for millions of people in the world's most remote locations.
To Russia with love.
DeBeers Gives Back.
Diamonds From The Depths.
I haven't covered DebSwana yet - Livia Firth does a beautiful job.
My decision to write about the topics above at a time when certain LGD stakeholders are throwing shade at competing natural diamonds is not accidental. What's crazy is the shade isn't needed IMO. Lab grown diamonds are plenty cool on their own merits, for a wide segment of people. There's dual channel legitimacy for both products.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16317380/
It's ironic that a notable source of new buzz (about old diamond related concerns) happens to be stakeholders in the lab grown diamond sector.
Certain of these long-standing concerns reached their height in the 1990s, for good reason, and the industry wasn't deaf to them. Steps have been taken since then, in terms of both environmental and human stewardship which changed the landscape, literally and figuratively.
In terms of the environment, Australia and Canada have addressed environment and biodiversity preservation from inception, in planning and operating their mines. What ALROSA's diamond revenues have done for Russia since the Soviet Union fell in 1991 is significantly positive, in terms of both cultural and natural restoration (see "To Russia with Love" below).
As it relates to labor and human rights, no company or industry can control geopolitics. We can try, however. I believe it would be hard to name another industry which has stimulated multinational organizations and governments of hundreds of stable nations to develop processes, anti-money-laundering legislation and KYC practices designed to oppose conflict minerals as much as the diamond industry has. Tin, tungsten, coltan and gold are the most common - yet "conflict coltan" is rarely talked about - although it's a component in whatever device you're using to read my post right now.
Probably most important, riffing on Neil's observations about Surat, is the fact that natural diamonds being extracted in stable, process-compliant countries are sustaining and growing education, healthcare and infrastructure for millions of people in the world's most remote locations.
To Russia with love.
DeBeers Gives Back.
Diamonds From The Depths.
I haven't covered DebSwana yet - Livia Firth does a beautiful job.
My decision to write about the topics above at a time when certain LGD stakeholders are throwing shade at competing natural diamonds is not accidental. What's crazy is the shade isn't needed IMO. Lab grown diamonds are plenty cool on their own merits, for a wide segment of people. There's dual channel legitimacy for both products.
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Like the other three wise men that posted above, this is the same "lets make money writing filming etc by bashing nasty capitalists" aka Jay Epstein, Seth Rosen et al.
I noted in the trailer this little misuse of information:
Bill Boyajian says "they may be indistinguishable............" - they cut him off because he was about to say "to the man or woman in the street". And that was Bill in early 2000's when he was still GIA president. Rapaport as a business is now 42 years old and on the rostrum that was recorded at the Rap 25th anniversary!
The same type of people bash MacDonalds. I am no fan of that company or their products, but like the diamond industry, they have adjusted their offerings to meet the needs of ever changing society and customers.
As for Surat - that city has many highly educated and trainedople making complex decisions on who to cut and polish diamonds. The planning of natural rough involves mathematicians, engineers and physicists. That is not the case with synthetic diamonds which lend themselves to low wage vs robotics since the cost of the rough is approaching zero.
I noted in the trailer this little misuse of information:
Bill Boyajian says "they may be indistinguishable............" - they cut him off because he was about to say "to the man or woman in the street". And that was Bill in early 2000's when he was still GIA president. Rapaport as a business is now 42 years old and on the rostrum that was recorded at the Rap 25th anniversary!
The same type of people bash MacDonalds. I am no fan of that company or their products, but like the diamond industry, they have adjusted their offerings to meet the needs of ever changing society and customers.
As for Surat - that city has many highly educated and trainedople making complex decisions on who to cut and polish diamonds. The planning of natural rough involves mathematicians, engineers and physicists. That is not the case with synthetic diamonds which lend themselves to low wage vs robotics since the cost of the rough is approaching zero.
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2000
- Messages
- 18,738
A sensible review from a sensible smart journalist who has seen a preview and interviewed some of the 'stars'.
www.jckonline.com
Showtime Diamond Doc ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ Is Entertaining. But Is It Accurate?
<p>It’s impossible for me to objectively review Nothing Lasts Forever, the flashy new diamond documentary that will air this fall on Showtime. It’s full of people I know, conferences I’ve been to, and subjects I’ve spent decades writing about. There’s even a brief shot of me at one event...
www.jckonline.com
DejaWiz
Ideal_Rock
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A sensible review from a sensible smart journalist who has seen a preview and interviewed some of the 'stars'.
Showtime Diamond Doc ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ Is Entertaining. But Is It Accurate?
<p>It’s impossible for me to objectively review Nothing Lasts Forever, the flashy new diamond documentary that will air this fall on Showtime. It’s full of people I know, conferences I’ve been to, and subjects I’ve spent decades writing about. There’s even a brief shot of me at one event...
Love the work that Bates puts out... especially when he's bashing the bashers - good stuff.
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