This is the bizarre story of how an industry built on lies struggles with technological innovation and ultimately co-ops it. The lie is the fact that diamonds are remarkably common in the world and paying an exorbitant amount for an engagement ring is a tradition that was invented by a cartel. When you think of cartels, you usually think of drugs, but in this case the DeBoers company controls most of the diamond prices in the world. The idea of giving a diamond as an engagement ring is a remarkably recent phenomenon, and it only exists so that the cartel can make money. More recently, the ability to make synthetic diamonds became such that it is impossible to distinguish real diamonds from synthetic ones. And DeBoers was terrified because they had cornered the market with an expensive product, and so ultimately that they decided to market their own line of somewhat overpriced but still cheaper than the real thing synthetic diamonds. I've told you the thesis of the documentary, but it's still entertaining for the great talking head interviews, especially Aja Raden who destroys the lie with a humour that is refreshing to watch.
Review of Nothing Lasts Forever
