The "Pink Star" diamond sold for $83 bloody million dollars

Al Jazeera's Catherine Stancl reports from London.

On Oct. 24, 2013, Al Jazeera English released a short news feature on the world's rarest diamond going up for sale. On Nov. 13, the Pink Star diamond was sold at an auction for $83-million dollars. 

The pink diamond was mined in De Beers, Africa, in 1999. It is an astonishing 59.6 carats in its finished state. Al Jazeera reports this story in a positive manner. Stancl, the reporter, narrates with an enthusiastic tone in her voice. Her admiration for the diamond is clear when she tries on the ring and describes its rarity.  The main purpose of this new report is to inform the public that a rare and expensive diamond is on the market, up for grabs. Al Jazeera also interviews Sotheby's chairman to add a positive spin to the sale. From watching this report, I am led to think that this diamond is beautiful, highly valuable, and almost unattainable.

Al Jazeera's report, however, is countered by an article published by The Guardian's "Africa Network", which talks in depth about the enslaving industry of "blood diamonds". The article, published on June 5, 2013, sets a negative tone towards the diamond industry. It reveals, instead, what is behind the commodification of diamonds. It captured my attention through three powerful and unusual photographs, taken in Africa. Greg Nicolson, journalist for The Guardian, used these images to convey oppression, conflict, and suffering, as a result of the diamond industry. He then reinforces these captivating images with facts on the effects of the trade, the "Kimberley Process", and its establishment to stop rebel groups from using profits of diamonds to fund their coup d'etas.  The Guardian's article goes beyond the diamond. To me, it has taken an activistic, didactic approach and strives to reveal a truth that is unknown to us, especially in the West.

Miners pan for diamonds in Sierra Leone. Ben Curtis/AP

Amnesty International France led a campaign that shows the consequences of conflict or blood diamonds.
 Photo: Amnesty International

Miners dig for diamonds in Zimbabwe's Marange fields. Photo: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP

In the Al Jazeera video, filters and a commercial discourse can be identified. English Al Jazeera, a product of the west, mirrors the concerns of western society. The discourse presented supports values of capitalism (the starting price of the diamond was at a ridiculous $60-million) and utter luxury, which can only be attained by the extremely wealthy. This discourse ignores the narrative that is experienced by the Africans who are enslaved by this business, or by the civil conflicts it finances in these regions. Specifically, the only filter used to tell this story is through the voice of the diamond company's chairperson, who's priorities lie in making a big sale. 

On the other hand, The Guardian "Africa Network" relies on war images and humanist photojournalism to convey a different, more investigated and newsworthy story. The article sheds light on the workers in sufferable conditions. These images bring a sense of discomfort because we do not identify with the conditions the miners are working in. We also see, through facial expressions, that they may be overworked and visibly afraid. The article also uses Amnesty International's campaign photo, which equates one's diamond encrusted jewelry to death of another. 

This topic reminded me of the movie "Blood Diamond" (2005), which was actually what introduced me to the grave reality of this industry. Though the blockbuster movie may not have been a factually accurate representation of character story lines, I think it reaffirms the truth of blood diamonds with the story itself. 



Between the two pieces of journalism, I learned a greater deal from The Guardian's article. It provided me with context and facts that would otherwise have been unknown to me had I only watched Al Jazeera's promotional Pink Star video. Nicolson's article, however, followed Hall's description of the news, "it is about making sense of a problematic reality within a conservative consensus". 

Kanye West's music video for "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" came out in 2006, just a year after the box-office hit movie, which proved that it was news worth talking and thinking about.  The topic went beyond the news lines and for a moment, was venerated by mainstream Hollywood. 



The subject of "blood diamonds" is no longer a foreign issue to us. But even with the information presented to us, Al Jazeera reaffirms and mirrors our conservatism, as we come full circle from recognizing the problem, then seeking comfort and pleasure in the news, instead of justice.