Diamond prices are down 60% since a 2011 high, and they are still falling. It’s not all down to lab-grown diamonds, demand is down too, especially in China.

No one can lab-grow gold yet, so its rarity and scarcity protect its value, but that will end too. It’s just a question of when. China launched an asteroid touch-down mission this week, which will make it the 4th country/region to do so, after Europe, the US & Japan.

How soon will it be feasible to mine asteroids? Who knows, but a breakthrough in space propulsion might mean the prospect happens quickly when it does. It’s possible gold has twenty years or less of being high value left.

The $80 Billion Diamond Market Crash Leaves De Beers Reeling

  • Honytawk@feddit.nl
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    3 days ago

    Why should it already plunge today? The demand/supply is still the same.

    But it will not be the same when asteroid mining increases the supply tenfold.

    • plyth@feddit.org
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      3 days ago

      True if used in production. But it’s used to store value. If I know gold will be worth 50% next year, I am not willing to pay full price today if I want to resell it then.