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Diamond Deception, The
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Program Overview
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Today science is closing in on an impossible dream: the ability to
manufacture gem-quality diamonds in a few days, instead of the
billions of years required by nature. These synthetic diamonds are
such good copies of the real thing that they not only have the
identical atomic structure but can even replicate their flaws. Even
the most sophisticated machines can scarcely distinguish the
difference. More important, these diamonds can be made and sold at a
handsome profit.
In "Diamond Deception," NOVA dramatizes the breakneck battle in the
1950s as a team at General Electric beat its rivals to synthesize
the first industrial diamonds. Then the show explores today's race
to produce the first artificial gem-quality stones. Surprisingly,
crucial breakthroughs have been made with primitive-looking
equipment in makeshift labs in Russia and China. These unlikely
pioneers are now closing in on their goal of producing bigger stones
with fewer flaws and perfect coloration. Their efforts threaten the
centuries-old monopoly of De Beers and may transform the marketing
of the world's most desirable gem.
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