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For major diamond dealers, the objective is to
increase allocation of diamonds that they receive in their shoebox at each night
(Read - The Rise and Fall of Diamonds, The Shuttering of a
Brilliant Illusion by Edward Jay Epstein). It is , as one dealer put it -
"the Name of the Game".
"Perhaps you've been slightly naughty, but let's see
what we can do next time."
-- De Beers to a disappointed sight-holder who
disobeyed the rules

Any one wanting rough and uncut diamonds for cutting,
has to play by the rules as set by De Beers. The rules
are basically are as follows (Read
- The Rise and Fall of Diamonds, The Shuttering of a
Brilliant Illusion by Edward Jay Epstein):
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No one may question the authority of the Diamond
Trading Company to decide who gets which diamonds
-
There shall be no haggling over the rice
-
Take the entire shoebox or none at all
-
No client may resell the diamonds in his box in
their uncut form without a special dispensation from the Managing Director
of the Diamond Trading Company
-
Clients will supply De Beers with whatever
information it needs to assess the diamond market
-
Diamonds must never be sold into "weak hands"

What is Sight Holders?
In its distribution process, De Beers have commanded
absolute authority. 10 times a year, De Beers sells
boxes of rough diamonds to 160 select international
dealers and manufacturers in market rituals as sights in
London, although smaller sights are simultaneously held
in...
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Maintaining the Value of Diamonds
The multi-billion dollar business of diamonds revolves
around the attractive pebble that has a less intrinsic
value per carat. The higher value is an artificial one
and is attributable to the strong hand of De Beers. The
sights in London are not merely occasions for major
gem...
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Creating Artificial Scarcity
It is ironic that during the lifetime of Sir Ernest
Oppenheimer, De Beers never discovered a diamond mine itself. Oppenheimers saw
little point to investing profits in exploring for diamonds...
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Tell me about the Name De Beers
De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. is a business organization that has been
controlling the diamond trade world wide for the last century. Many
people tried to compete such Harry Winston for New York and the Argyle
Diamond Company of Australia ...
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The Birth of De Beers Company in Early
1871, a diamond was found on a small hill, a mile away
from the farm house owned by De Beer brothers (whose
names were immortalized in the misspelled form of De
Beer) in the town of Vooruizicht in South Africa and
soon another was found on the farm. A throng of...
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The Oppenheimers Arrive..
Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, who came from a prosperous cigar business family
in Germany, moved as a child to South Africa to join his brothers on a
diamond farm in 1902. He started his career as a diamond sorter and grew
rapidly to own and operate the world's most powerful...
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The Long Arm of De Beers
De Beers mainly mines gem quality and industrial
diamonds, markets diamonds produced by itself and also others, makes and
sells synthetic diamond and related international investments in mining,
industrial and finance companies. In its worldwide operations, it has
assumed many....
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Monopoly Through Financial Strength and Government
Support
De Beers could teach OPEC a thing or two about how to
maintain a cartel. It controls 80% of the world's diamond supply
through only 20% of De Beers gems come from its own mines. It
controls the world's diamond trade through indirect levers. Some
nations, such as Botswana...
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A Diamond is Forever
De Beers launched a multi-million dollar "A Diamond is For Ever" advertising
campaign to rekindle the demand. With N.W. Iyer, its U.S. advertising agency, it
had developed aggressive campaign to promote sales of diamond anniversary rings
and jewelry for men... ...
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De Beers' Competition
De Beers has left no avenues to control, stop, take over, make friends with or
bulldoze its competitors when necessary. In 1971, it crushed Sammy Collin's
Marine Diamond....
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How did De Beers Do it?
De Beers was phenomenally successfully in crushing its competitors with the
strengths it built over 100 years through financial and relationship powers and
the business acumen that came from...
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Diamonds from New Sources
The Oppenheimers using all colonial connections of the British Empire, succeeded
in weaving all the later discoveries in Africa, the colonial administrators in
Angola, the Congo, Sierra Leone......
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Smuggling from other African Mines
The smuggling routes lead from the diamond mines and diggings in
Southern and Western Africa to entry spots such as Monroevia,
Brazzaville, Burundi and Beirut. The Belgian and other European markets
are often flooded with smuggled diamonds. The native sorters at....
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Read about Diamond History,
Diamond Trade, Buying Tips and more...
The Romans believed that diamonds brought
courage and bravery during battle. Jewish high priests used diamonds to
decide the innocence or guilt of the accused: A stone held before a
guilty person dulled and darkened; a stone held before an innocent
person glowed with increased brilliance. The Hindus believed that this
brilliant gem was created when....
Learn about Diamonds....

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