Hi,
After reading some good recommendations about NG Splendid Stones video I started looking for one. AMAZON has them here at $20:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6304475896/qid=1061362788/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-3698552-8222444?v=glance&s=video&n=507846
Luckily, I found them on sale at Tower Records at a great discount going for $2.5 !! So I had to buy it. It came in VHS video format.
Well, the tape is well worth it. It is not technical or scientific, it just gives the viewer an inside look on the gem industry, mining in different parts of the world and of course some beautiful shots of extremely high priced jewelry. The video deals with gems, about 50% of the movie is dedicated to diamonds and the rest for other gems, especially rubies pearls and emeralds. I was afraid that diamonds (which were my main interest in buying this tape) will not get enough cover but I was wrong and diamonds got their fair share of screen time.
Besides telling the viewer about all the known factoids (250 tons to make one 1 carat diamond, only 20% of mined diamonds are jewelry quality - rest 80% are for industrial use in tools etc..) the video showed De Beers marketing and selling process including an inside filming INSIDE De Beers HQ in London showing their sorting tables and showing a meeting with a buyer (William Goldberg from NY) and also a closing of a deal with him - with the MAZAL handshake. The movie then follows William Goldberg and how he gets the package in his NY office with all those hundreds of carats worth of stones all wrapped in diamond paper with a wax seal on the outer box - and how he cut these rough stones - usually big ones.
I was surprised (and slightly disappointed) that the video wasn't even slightly scientific and didn't try to explain exactly how diamonds are created. I was surprised they mentioned GE synthetic diamond process used for industrial grade stones but not cost effective for big stones (this video is from 1991 and as we all know only recently Gemesis and Apollo diamonds are making jewelry grade stones cost effective).
The only things missing in this video were a mining process inside those south African mines, they were not PC as NG usually are (which I liked) and called De Beers a monopoly - it is obvious from this tape what they (and probably most of the world think) really think that De Beers is a monopolistic giant which controls diamond prices. I was amazed at De Beers cooperation and letting them film inside their offices and even film a selling meeting with one sight holder showing how he argues his price.
Summary : Highly recommend this video for general knowledge of gems and diamonds - mostly Pearls, Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds are covered but it is very interesting easy to watch video I am sure most kids would be drawn too.
After reading some good recommendations about NG Splendid Stones video I started looking for one. AMAZON has them here at $20:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6304475896/qid=1061362788/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-3698552-8222444?v=glance&s=video&n=507846
Luckily, I found them on sale at Tower Records at a great discount going for $2.5 !! So I had to buy it. It came in VHS video format.
Well, the tape is well worth it. It is not technical or scientific, it just gives the viewer an inside look on the gem industry, mining in different parts of the world and of course some beautiful shots of extremely high priced jewelry. The video deals with gems, about 50% of the movie is dedicated to diamonds and the rest for other gems, especially rubies pearls and emeralds. I was afraid that diamonds (which were my main interest in buying this tape) will not get enough cover but I was wrong and diamonds got their fair share of screen time.
Besides telling the viewer about all the known factoids (250 tons to make one 1 carat diamond, only 20% of mined diamonds are jewelry quality - rest 80% are for industrial use in tools etc..) the video showed De Beers marketing and selling process including an inside filming INSIDE De Beers HQ in London showing their sorting tables and showing a meeting with a buyer (William Goldberg from NY) and also a closing of a deal with him - with the MAZAL handshake. The movie then follows William Goldberg and how he gets the package in his NY office with all those hundreds of carats worth of stones all wrapped in diamond paper with a wax seal on the outer box - and how he cut these rough stones - usually big ones.
I was surprised (and slightly disappointed) that the video wasn't even slightly scientific and didn't try to explain exactly how diamonds are created. I was surprised they mentioned GE synthetic diamond process used for industrial grade stones but not cost effective for big stones (this video is from 1991 and as we all know only recently Gemesis and Apollo diamonds are making jewelry grade stones cost effective).
The only things missing in this video were a mining process inside those south African mines, they were not PC as NG usually are (which I liked) and called De Beers a monopoly - it is obvious from this tape what they (and probably most of the world think) really think that De Beers is a monopolistic giant which controls diamond prices. I was amazed at De Beers cooperation and letting them film inside their offices and even film a selling meeting with one sight holder showing how he argues his price.
Summary : Highly recommend this video for general knowledge of gems and diamonds - mostly Pearls, Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds are covered but it is very interesting easy to watch video I am sure most kids would be drawn too.
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