A Comprehensive and Deep Dive into Diamond History, an Ancient and Dark Tale of Oppression. If you were moved by the movie Blood Diamond, this book will surely resonate deeply with you.
Synopsis:
This book is a groundbreaking historical exposé of the diamond industry, revealing the ancient and bloody, sweat-filled competition beneath the dazzling exterior of diamonds. It focuses on the exploitation of miners and the environment in diamond mining, detailing how empires, governments, and private companies monopolize the uncut diamond trade and how elites build their fortunes on the labor of the poor and their doomed dreams.
From the Sultans of India and Portuguese in Brazil to industrialists in South Africa, the book delves into the use of forced labor and political oppression to hoard diamonds and maintain high prices. It also covers how British imperialism used diamond trade monopolies to enforce racial oppression and imperialistic fantasies, expanding colonial rule. The book examines how De Beers, the world’s largest diamond miner, set the tone for the diamond industry and engaged in some of the darkest moments of the 20th century. It also explores the origins of the morally condemned "blood diamonds."
Despite advancements in synthetic diamond production, the book demonstrates that the insatiable global desire for diamonds continues to drive exploitative mining practices even today.
Reading this book will reveal that natural diamonds are essentially synonymous with De Beers, contrary to the belief that they are a Western marketing creation. The emergence of the lab-grown diamond industry has shed light on the significant impact diamonds have had on capital extraction and complex relationships in many countries, especially in Africa and to some extent in China.