MMeM, Vol.12 Issue 47 – Cra-ocholate!

Fads. They are addictive. They can be viral and grow exponentially. Usually, the truly viral ones are organic and spring from pop culture. But, sometimes fads are born, nurtured, and prodded along solely the result of big corporate endeavors.

There’s really nothing wrong with that either. That is the corporations’ sole purpose and they should be good at it. However, there are times when either marketing is so good or consumers are so easily duped that things get a little uncomfortable.

Take diamonds. For decades, we’ve all been taught the 4C’s of diamonds and diamond purchasing guidelines to look for and live by in order to make the best purchase for what can be a forever purchase.

1. Cut
2. Clarity
3. Color
4. Carat

Now, since 2015 and even a bit earlier there is a 5th “C”. Furthermore, this 5th “C” has apparently been around the whole time and is more common and abundant than any other characteristic of diamond. The only difference is, kind of like your choice of “The 5th Beatle” whoever you think that was, companies in the diamond industry want to push out the 5th “C” onto the center stage.

Yes, I’m talking about Chocolate diamonds. What a load of crap (pun intended) this marketing gimmick is. See, of the original 4C members, Clarity and Color were by far the leaders of the GIA scale and could be argued as having been the founders of the ring-band. Until recent years, and marketing efforts especially the trademarking of “Chocolate Diamonds” by Le Vian®, 15% of all diamonds mined were actually called BROWN diamonds.

Take the Australian Argyle mine. Annually, it harvests 35 million carats of diamonds, which accounts for almost 1/3 of global production of natural diamonds. “80% of Argyle diamonds are brown”.

Hmm, wonder where those fell on the 4Cs GIA scale? These 15%, the largest portion of all diamonds mined, were relegated to industrial purposes, i.e. the tips of drill bits, etc.

Subsequently, marketing recognized and created an opportunity by saving ugly crap colored diamonds, calling them chocolate, and WA-LAH, an emerging sales stream was born!