In the bustling streets of London in the early 1940s, a crafty group of marketers convened with a scheme:
Transform a mere gem into a cultural icon.
And they named their campaign "A Diamond is Forever."
De Beers tactic was masterful.
They labeled diamonds as the ultimate symbol of love.
They made sure to integrate that message into every romantic Hollywood movie.
And so, for the last eighty years we’ve been enchanted by the idea that diamonds symbolize love, so propose with confidence.
Their value is eternal, so invest without fear.
Their rarity is unmatched, so indulge in their exclusivity.
That memories are precious, so commemorate with diamonds.
And that engagements are incomplete, so mark them with a diamond ring worth 2 months of your salary.
With such a cast list, the triumph of the diamond market seemed almost inevitable and it’s been driving us into a cultural obsession with these gems.
But we were also told that diamonds are scarce.
That illusion was so clearly debunked by revelations of abundant reserves; reserves over which De Beers hold an almost complete monopoly over until the year 2000. They focused on diamonds, and not sapphires or rubies, because they simply had too many of them.
But by then the damage was done.
In distant lands, far from the gleaming showrooms, children, too small for such burdens, are thrust into the mines.
Their delicate hands, idealized for the fine work of sorting, are exploited under the guise of necessity, stripping them of the joy and learning of childhood.
Rebel groups use the profits from selling these diamonds to buy arms, support their military actions, and sustain their control over territories.
Over 4 million people died in conflicts fueled by diamonds.
4 million people died and countless childhoods were ruined because 80 years ago a marketing agency needed to get rid of excess diamonds and they did too good of a job.
4 million people died because our need for status was too easily translated into a silly rock on a finger.
We've sold the world a story of eternal love and beauty, yet hid its cost in human strife and environmental toll.
This is the power of marketing.
Use it wisely.
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