Diamond Road
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
Every year 24 tons of diamonds are teased from the heart of the earth. Once mined they begin their year-long journey through the 'pipeline,' a vast network encompassing five continents and a diverse cast of characters. By the end of their journey these tiny bits of carbon will have made multi-millionaires of some and virtual slaves of others.
Boring deep into the diamond world, Diamond Road seeks to understand the multiple meanings this object has for a few of the fascinating people who are part of the diamond pipeline - international prospector, impoverished miner, child cutter, celebrity jeweller, smuggler, high-end dealer. Interwoven with their stories is the determined pursuit of one industry leader to bring fairness and transparency to this secretive world. What results is a multi-layered portrait of a stone which is steeped in a history of intrigue, conflict, love and hope.
Diamond Road Online is a leading-edge synthesis of documentary, online community, and the Web 2.0 techniques of Collaborative Filtering, and Personal Recommendations - the exciting techniques behind popular sites like Flickr, Amazon.com and Del.icio.us.
Users create online profiles that launch them on a vibrant community exploration of the global diamond trade. Using a custom designed set of client tools, they can move effortlessly through the stories in a guided experience or take a more active path and explore the Diamond Road universe using our Recommendation Engine: intelligent software that analyzes what they have already seen, what other users have seen and rated, and recommends what they should see next.
Users can choose to follow a favorite character, find out more about a particular theme, or sit back and let other users or DRO tell them a tale. At any point, they can become an 'editor' of the story landscape by creating, commenting on, and sharing content sequences.
Diamond Road Online harnesses the power of technology and community to build an interactive documentary that learns from each user and is defined by the community.
'An ambitious and large film project...The social face of the film is refreshing...I recommend the Diamond Road project to anthropologists, economists, policy-makers, those concerned with mining, and anyone who wants to find out more about what a diamond really is worth.' Jan Peter Laurens Loovers, Royal Anthropological Institute and Goldsmiths University of London, Anthropology Review Database
'A gripping picture of the world and the myth behind the much-loved stone...the weight of fact is overwhelming: diamonds are sold as an idea, that idea is eternity and that eternity comes from mines staffed by the poorest people in the world.' Erik Jensen, The Sydney Morning Herald
'This film is a smart and fascinating dissection of a business that exists only because of heavy publicity, yet remains shrouded in secrecy. Diamond Road sees past the hype to show us the worldwide twists and turns -- and numerous hypocrisies -- involved in bringing a stone to market. The filmmakers went to heroic lengths to get into obscure places and create a balanced and thoughtful portrait of a trade that affects us all. I urge you not to miss this deeply human story.' Tom Zoellner, Author, The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit and Desire
'Diamond Road is a visually gripping and important documentary. It examines the diamond world through the lens of a number of people in different parts of the world, including Sierra Leone, India, and New York. It focuses on the poor diamond miner, the child diamond cutter, the diamond trader and others within the broader industry using each of them symbolically to represent different parts of the world today. Many issues are raised by the documentary including the obligations of the developed world towards the developing world, especially with respect to limiting exploitation of those who live in the global south. As a study of the way a commodity can affect the lives of so many in the poorer parts of the world, and benefit the few so much in the richer parts of the world, this is a superb examination. It should be required viewing for everyone, especially those who are interested in socio-economic issues. It is a most useful classroom tool to raise issues concerning socio-economic deprivation, poverty reduction, and other allied problems that exist in the world today.' Dr. Jeremy Sarkin, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law, Hofstra University Law School
'Diamond Road shows us all levels of the diamond industry from the poorest digger in Sierra Leone to the wealthiest traders in New York and Antwerp. It exposes an industry where thousands of dollars exchange hands but where little of this is seen by those who dig for diamonds or cut basic stones. In the case of Sierra Leone, Diamond Road provides a clear example of how being endowed with natural resources can be a curse for development since it leads to politicians and entrepreneurs more interested in getting their share of the wealth rather than harnessing these resources for development. The documentary also highlights the challenges of bringing the benefits of the diamond industry to its poorest participants by making the market fairer. Anyone who wants to know what can and cannot be done to improve the ground-level benefits of the diamond industry should see this documentary.' Paul Winters, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, American University
'Diamond Road seeks to understand the multiple meanings this object has for a few of the fascinating people who are part of the diamond pipeline...What results is a multi-layered portrait of a stone steeped in a history of intrigue, conflict, love and hope.' TakingITGlobal
'Diamond Road is an interesting and information rich documentary that showcases the transactions in the global market of the diamond trade as well as some of the human stories behind it.' Aniuska Luna, African Peace and Conflict Network
'Has potential value in a number of curricular areas such as African studies, economics, globalization, and human rights.' School Library Journal
'Diamond Road successfully pictures the huge, secret network of the global diamond industry in a balanced way...This film will encourage class discussions in courses such as introduction to sociology, social stratification, and any course that addresses the topic of globalization...Faculty can use the film to raise questions such as, why do the benefits of the diamond industry not trickle down to the people in the local towns? Who are the main actors in the global diamond industry and how are they interrelated? How is the civil war in Sierra Leone related to or activated by the diamond industry? What are the prospects for fair treatment of diggers in Africa in the global diamond industry?' Kyoung-Ho Shin, Northwest Missouri State University, Teaching Sociology
Citation
Main credits
Lang, Robert (film producer)
Pahuja, Nisha (film director)
Kramer, John (screenwriter)
Dale, Jennifer (narrator)
Other credits
Editors, David Kazala, Robert Swartz; director of photography, Derek Rogers; music, Ken Myhr.
Distributor subjects
Advertising; African Studies; Anthropology; Asian Studies; Business Practices; Capitalism; Consumerism; Developing World; Earth Science; Economics; Environment; Ethics; Fair Trade; Gems; Geography; Geology; Globalization; Human Rights; Humanities; India; International Studies; International Trade; Law; Marketing and Advertising; Mining; Mining; Natural Resources; Political Science; Poverty; Science, Technology, Society; Social Justice; Sociology; Sustainable DevelopmentKeywords
WEBVTT
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[music]
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[music]
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Mohammad Dabu, a 45-year
old miner is walking
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to the diamond fields of Koidu,
Sierra Leone, West Africa.
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Sierra Leone is one of the ten largest
diamond producing countries in the world.
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Yet it is one of the
world’s poorest nations.
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[music]
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Mohammad earns less than a dollar a day
and a small percentage of what he finds.
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Most days or weeks or even
months there is nothing.
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[music]
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[music]
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[music]
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Manoj Balaji has joined the great
migration from the country to the city
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in the hope of a better life.
He’s 13 years old.
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For the next three months Manoj will
apprentice to become a diamond cutter.
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India has become the biggest Diamond
Cutting Center in the world.
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95% of the world’s rough diamonds are now
cut and polished in India each year.
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[music]
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[music]
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The cutters of India had revolutionized
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what we think of as a jewel.
Diamonds that were once sold
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into the industrial market because they
were too small are now polished into gems.
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Millions of low-cost diamonds every year,
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it’s these diamonds that
Manoj must learn to master.
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[music]
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[music]
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[non-English narration]
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Jacob Zupnick is a matchmaker.
He introduces buyers
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to a large expensive rocks.
Jacob is a diamond broker.
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[music]
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Jacob has spent most of his working life
within two city blocks, 46 and 47 streets,
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the heart the diamond
district in New York City.
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Zupnick is known in the neighborhood
as the mayor of 47th Street.
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[music]
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New York is where the big diamonds, the
unusual or rare diamonds mostly windup
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and many of them passed through
the hands of Jacob Zupnick.
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I go to auctions (inaudible),
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it’s called to see at the BCM.
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It’s like immediate place to get together
where we talk, any browse it on the goods.
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[music]
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Twice a year Christie’s holds
a magnificent jewels auction.
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It’s exclusive, it’s high end,
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if you have something exceptional
for sale you take it to Christie’s.
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As no two diamonds in the world be like.
(inaudible).
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It’s a question of feeling
nobody even take one stone,
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you show to ten people and
you gonna ask prices.
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Nobody’s will give you
the exact same number.
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Was the whole thing wise diamonds so expensive,
just to walk on the ground because of its rarity,
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the more rare stone the
more expensive the stone.
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Everybody wants something which
nobody has especially in diamonds.
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[music]
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Around the world, 24 tons of diamonds
are teased from the earth every year.
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[music]
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Once mined they begin a year
long journey through a vast
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secretive network of buyers and
sellers, stretching five continents.
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Last jobs at 878,
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$520,000 on this side, $540,000.
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By the end of their journey, diamonds
will adorn women around the world,
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$70 billion dollars of diamond
jewelry are sold each year.
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$650,000. $680, thank you.
$700,000. $720,000.
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$750,000. $780,000. For thousands of years
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men have felt compelled to pursue diamonds
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for profit an hour, for the
sublime beauty of diamonds.
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There is something about them
that we covered that is made them
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into a symbol of our worth,
the measure of a love.
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And in a passing world
a hint of the eternal.
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[music]
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Hi, everybody, guess what?
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(inaudible) diamonds set you back (inaudible).
Not really, about two months salary.
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You got much for something is forever.
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Diamonds as the slogan for the world’s
biggest diamond company has it,
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are forever. And mass
advertising to make sure
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it stays that way. Today
85% of American marriages
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are consulated with a diamond. A
diamond is forever (inaudible).
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[music]
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[music]
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In 1991 Mohammed and his people
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were plunged into a brutal 11-year
civil war. It began as an
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uprising against a corrupt government,
but quickly became a war about
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who would control all the country’s
most important resource, diamonds.
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Arms and mercenaries for the warring
sides were paid for in diamonds.
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The rebels had their minds,
the government had its.
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The world came to know
them as blood diamonds.
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Millions of innocent victims
were caught in the crossfire.
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Tens of thousands were murdered
or had their limbs hacked off.
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[music]
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[music]
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[music]
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The war is over, but the diamonds which
sustained it are still here to underwrite
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another war or they could be
the country’s greatest hope.
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[music]
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[music]
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Once a year the diamond world, gathers in
Las Vegas. The one of the largest jewelry
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trade events in the world, but while
it likes to show off its wares,
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the diamond business has from the
beginning been cloaked in secrecy.
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At least it was until
Martin Rapaport came along.
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Pretty view. Vegas is not like African.
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A former diamond broker himself
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Rapaport was the first to publish a price
list for diamonds coming to market.
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Buyers could for the first time
see what a fair price was.
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For a brief time the bottom
dropped out of the business.
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Many had profited from secrecy.
Rapaport had his life threatened
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and for two years he had to
wear a bulletproof vest.
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His latest mission is to
ensure that the diamond miners
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of Sierra Leone like
Mohammed receive fair wages.
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The damning question facing the diamond history is. If a
billion or $2 worth of diamonds came out of Sierra Leone
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why are there no wells? Why isn’t no water?
Why are there no schools?
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It took out the assets, you put nothing back in.
How is it going, guys? Let’s go, we have to begin.
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If we don’t take care of these
1 million diggers in Africa
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than we’re low-lifes.
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Rapaport is here to convince the who’s who of the
diamond world, why they should join in his mission?
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[music]
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Welcome, everybody.
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Ethics is about doing the right thing.
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Are we only interested in selling more
diamonds folks here in this room?
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Or is it the problem of a million
people in Africa? Angola, Cango,
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Sierra Leone countries
that are really messed up,
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and diamonds have played a very important
role in the messing up of these countries.
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Today people in Sierra Leone are the poorest
people in the world and we’re using their diamonds
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and they are suffering. World’s poorest
people, United Nations says so,
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okay? Is our diamond dream their diamond
nightmare? Is our symbol of love,
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their symbol of exploitation? Is
that what’s really going on here?
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Do we give a damn? I’m asking that
question right here and right now.
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What about the people? We’re
people business right?
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Now I have an idea, that’s what I did, there
may be other ideas that are better ideas.
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Get ready for this, fair trade
jewelry as a product category.
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Think about it, you give a woman
a ring, and you say to her,
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this ring has made the
lives of people better.
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And you want to tell me that you guys can’t
sell that? You could sell what we have.
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We don’t sell utility, we don’t sell
sneakers that let you bounce around,
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we sell the idea behind the product
and this idea is beautiful.
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[music]
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Sierra Leone was difficult
places in the world.
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God put those diamonds in
Sierra Leone for a purpose.
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And maybe the purpose was to challenge us.
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When I was there in the war and
I went to the amputee camp
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and I saw this…
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this baby Maria. A guy was next to her
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and saying, see what they did to us.
See what they did tell them,
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tell them what they did to us.
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And I just felt like you know, (inaudible)
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no one…
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because unbelievable. And I said,
you know, if I can do something,
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that makes a difference,
then I should do it.
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[sil.]
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Before he can cut his first
complete diamond, Manoj must learn
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the elegant symmetry that transforms
a rough stone into a brilliant gem.
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[sil.]
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The diamonds Manoj is learning to cut
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are some of the smallest in the world,
some no larger than a grain of sand.
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Yet each round brilliant
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is cut with the same 58 facets that
generations of diamond cutters
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determined would best create a tiny
world of endlessly refracting light.
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A convergence of physics and
what seemed like magic.
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[music]
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India is where the first recorded
Diamond was found 2,500 years ago.
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But until recently they were the
exclusive property of India’s royalty.
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Now there’s a whole new mass market
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for diamonds in India and when it
comes to the manufacturer of desire
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there are no borders.
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[music]
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The diamond business in India is run
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by a handful of close-knit family
dynasties. It is one of the reasons
00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:59.999
for India’s success. Akshay Mehta
and his family own Bluestar group,
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one of India’s largest
Diamond Manufacturers.
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We eat diamonds, we dream diamonds, we sleep diamonds,
so you know, it’s… it’s there in the blood, you know.
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Whatever luxuries I get it’s from
this, whatever pleasure I get
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it’s from this. I don’t know, it means,
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everything I get or everything what
I’m today it’s because of this.
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Today I’m 53 years,
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uh… some 18,890 days of my life have past.
I want to be
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on this chair in the age of 70,
so I have remaining 6,570 days.
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A single day missing or a
single going non-lucrative,
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going in different thoughts,
it does not help,
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and I… I cut it myself.
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Aksay and his brothers took over the
family business from their father.
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Aksay’s eldest son Arjav has been groomed
all his life to take over from him.
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The family is the biggest asset I have.
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And key element of this is uh… a
sacrificing. It has to be, the business,
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the family that should come first ahead
of any one individual or any one ego.
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[music]
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Instead always what I expect
from my son that they will take
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the grandfather’s name to the best
and the highest level what exists.
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[music]
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We’re still gonna pull the same ‘cause
it maybe a little (inaudible) fixed up
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and can be good to color to much more.
Because the way it’s cut…
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Jacob’s clients rely on him to let
them know what’s up for sale.
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At this year’s Christie’s
auction the centerpiece
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is the Joan Kroc collection. Mrs.
Kroc had the good sense to marry Ray,
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the man who built the McDonald’s
hamburger empire. Jacob is here
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to check out what kind of ice a
whole lot of burgers can buy?
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He’s also gathering intelligence
for a dealer and ocean away.
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[music]
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Andy, what did you say about the three
carats? Uh… Hold on, one second.
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We just see what you got
cooking in your head.
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Andy Cohen is a diamond dealer.
00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:54.999
He learned his trade in his
grandfather’s diamond shop.
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I’m just going over a couple numbers who were waiting for
Jacob’s call because he’s interested in a couple a lots.
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So the action is starting and we’re a little bit unprepared.
We’re gonna go 880 the pieces probably gonna bring $1 million.
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$1 million, look what was happening
to our market, that’s crazy.
00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.999
So a lot of private interest on the diamond
necklace. It’s a high risk game. When you put money
00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:19.999
into stones like that, it’s better to buy a house
because what’s the real value of a diamond,
00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:24.999
you putting up a lot of money and you could make a big
mistake. I mean, I remember we bought a piece of rough
00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:29.999
and we put it on the wheel and it shattered
like a… like if you… if you take a window
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.999
and a hammer and a window and it all shattered those stones
worthless. You have three pair shapes. You can really get hurt.
00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:39.999
That’s Jacob. Hello.
00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:44.999
Andy, this is Jacob Zupnick. Mr.
(inaudible). I just want to ask you,
00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:49.999
what lots are you interested in? I draft
some of your stones. The pink I don’t like,
00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.999
the plane pink. The blue is…
is gonna for expensive also.
00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:59.999
Lot 302, it’s too much money.
Take a look at the yellow.
00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:04.999
(inaudible). Did you like the yellow (inaudible)?
No, that’s too big for me. Too big for you,
00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:09.999
okay. What else? Lot 334. oh, I
love that stone, (inaudible).
00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:14.999
This is one of those special stones, you got the material’s
nice, it’s snappy, it’s like that go kinda material.
00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:19.999
If we even cut that, take the chip
out, you might improve the color.
00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:24.999
So how much do you wanna go on this
stone like 15 plus? Exactly, 15 plus.
00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:29.999
I will go with you on this one.
Okay, this is a stone to buy.
00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:34.999
That’s a good stone, That’s a good stone,
Jacob. All right? Okay. Later. Bye. Bye.
00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:39.999
[sil.]
00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:44.999
[music]
00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:49.999
Coming up, more diamonds and a (inaudible)
and Tiffany together. What else,
00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:54.999
it’s fashion week. Stay tuned.
00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:59.999
[music]
00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:04.999
Twice a year American designers
make to the runways of New York
00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:09.999
in the orgy of stars and
proxy fashion week.
00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:14.999
[music]
00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:19.999
Tonight is extra special. For the
first time fashion week is showcasing
00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:24.999
a jeweler as part of the show.
He’s Chris Aire,
00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:29.999
known in the trade as the iceman. I’m
trying to bring a different way of thinking
00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:34.999
to the industry. A lot of people
in the industry understand now
00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:39.999
and that he can make a lot of money in the
black community that all the new, you know,
00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:44.999
money that a lot of people are making now they
understand it as a marketer. Athletes and actors
00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:49.999
and people that nature. We’re definitely making
mark. And there is nothing you can do about that,
00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:54.999
when people are spoken.
00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:59.999
Until 16 years ago, Chris
was flipping burgers,
00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:04.999
and sleeping in the back seat of his car. Now he
sells his jewelry designs to a growing clientele
00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:09.999
made up of the super-rich
mostly black, rappers,
00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:14.999
athletes and Hollywood stars. Most of it was
because it was a market that was really neglected,
00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:19.999
nobody paid attention to it. And
where I walked up to other jewels
00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:24.999
that would tell me about… those people who don’t
spend money, they don’t have any money, but I guess
00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:29.999
most people are realized they were wrong.
00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:34.999
Chris was born in the tiny country
00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:39.999
of Benin in Africa. It could not
be further from where he is now.
00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:44.999
He left to chase the American dream.
He found it in an unlikely place.
00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:49.999
[sil.]
00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:54.999
Being a person they’ll calling in the industry I’ll tell
you it wasn’t easy. This is a business about money,
00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:59.999
greed, class, whatever, but
none of it goes to my head.
00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:08.000
[music]
00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:24.999
Tonight is the high point
of Chris’s career.
00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:29.999
Now $300 million worth of
diamonds on the run way.
00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:34.999
The diamond dress alone costs $50 million.
00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:43.000
[music]
00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:54.999
[sil.]
00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:59.999
Chris has come to meet
00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:04.999
with Martin Rapaport. Martin
hopes to convince Chris
00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:09.999
to help him spread the gospel of fair trade for
Sierra Leone’s diamonds to the Red Carpet crowd.
00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:14.999
Chris, how are you? Welcome…
Diamonds in Hollywood
00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:19.999
after all have always been a glorious match.
Beautiful stuff. Thanks you very much.
00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:24.999
You sell beautiful stuff to beautiful people. Hey,
thank you. Now we have to make beautiful diamonds.
00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:29.999
Okay. The diamond isn’t about cut,
00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:34.999
the color, the clarity. The story here
is that we are really changing lives
00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:39.999
of people in Africa. It’s not about
us, it’s on about our business.
00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:44.999
You might say, oh, I’m actually making very trade,
Julia. Okay, that maybe fine, I’m telling you
00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:49.999
if you want to hang out with me that’s
secondary bullshit. It’s a spillover effect
00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:54.999
or something else that you’re trying to do.
Okay? I grew up in Ivue-Uromi town.
00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:59.999
I see a lot of challenges in trying
to make this work. How do you
00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:04.999
tackle the problem of corruption? People
who… who… who don’t have anything
00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:09.999
is… is a lot easier to corrupt them than people
who are pretty much, you know, content or…
00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:14.999
I wouldn’t call it corruption as much it’s just the
way things are done in Africa. They have no way out.
00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:19.999
If we give the guy some money at
the grass roots, digger level,
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:24.999
he get out of the ghetto, he can
get out of this slavery crap.
00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:29.999
If I’m gonna jump on board, I want to
make sure that I really understand,
00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:34.999
you know, where you’re coming from. I believe we can do
miracles. Let me tell you something interesting. I don’t know
00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:39.999
what’s gonna happen there, and I’ll tell you this,
if you can imagine yourself doing it then no bother,
00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:44.999
look to (inaudible) how do you use of that?
00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:49.999
I’m priceless, money.
00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:54.999
Did you do, what you can do to make the world a
better place? You, Chris, say, did you do that?
00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:59.999
That’s what you’re gonna answer. You’re gonna be old guy,
be sitting around, telling your grandchildren, right?
00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:04.999
Okay? What are you gonna be most proud of?
You made another piece of jewelry
00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:09.999
for another movie star, and another
fashion show, you made another CD Rom.
00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:14.999
Where I do say to you, is that
we are going to almost for free.
00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:19.999
Bush whack through the jungle, create
a path where there is no path.
00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:24.999
Skull our hands, sweat like bullets,
00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:29.999
create something and then everyone else will walk on that
path. And the only person I don’t really know when the end
00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:34.999
is gonna be you, your God and your
grandchild. That’s what it’s about it is.
00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:43.000
[music]
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:54.999
[music]
00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:59.999
Most of Sierra Leone’s
diamonds are mined by hand.
00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:04.999
So anyone with a shovel a bucket
and receive can become a digger.
00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:09.999
If Mohammed finds a diamond,
he’ll have to hand it over
00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:14.999
to the landowner, He’ll decide what it’s worth
and how much Mohammed will get to keep.
00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:19.999
This is my land…
00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:24.999
I’m the owner. If there was
a big diamond found today,
00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:29.999
it is mine. This is my. Yeah.
00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:34.999
The god said, I’m doing it.
00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:40.000
[sil.]
00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:24.999
[sil.]
00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:29.999
[music]
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:34.999
There are virtually no
jobs in Sierra Leone,
00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:39.999
so most young men have no
choice but to dig for diamonds.
00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:44.999
There at the losing end of a system that
makes millions for the few at the top
00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:50.000
and the barest subsistence for them.
00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:14.999
[sil.]
00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:20.000
Thank you. Only two? Yes. Okay.
00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:29.999
[music]
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:34.999
If I look at the destruction,
00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:39.999
the tool, the diamonds are taking on
the lives of own people growing up.
00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:44.999
I wish they never existed.
00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:49.999
I wish… Thousands of minus
00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:54.999
immersed in water for six-eight hours
00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:59.999
that is the way of life to them. They are
not you can (inaudible), mass on employment
00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:04.999
or alternatives are not readily available.
00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:09.999
People use to refer to
them as the devil’s egg
00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:14.999
in this part of the world,
they call it the devil’s egg.
00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:19.999
Most of them do even know the value or the
worth, or what diamonds are actually for.
00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:24.999
That is the primary reason
why the (inaudible)
00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:29.999
because of ignorance of the commodity there
in fact spending almost all of their life,
00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:34.999
looking out for.
00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:43.000
[music]
00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:35.000
[music]
00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:09.999
After years of drought there is barely
00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:14.999
enough cotton to sustain the family.
00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:19.999
There will be no going back for Manoj. And the
family will look to the future through him.
00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:24.999
[music]
00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:29.999
I don’t feel I’ve lost my son,
00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:34.999
I’m just happy that he’s found work.
00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:39.999
I feel that he’ll go far in life.
00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:44.999
[music]
00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:49.999
Tomorrow is a big day for Manoj.
After three months
00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:54.999
of unpaid apprenticeship, he will
cut his first complete diamond,
00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:59.999
if he does well, he’ll take his place
with the other cutters, he’ll able
00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:04.999
to send some money home.
00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:13.000
[music]
00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:29.999
Akshay’s son Arjav is about to be married.
00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:34.999
It’s the first wedding in the
Mehta family in 25 years.
00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:43.000
It will be sealed with the
finest Mehta Diamonds.
00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:58.000
[music]
00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:14.999
The Mehta’s have spared no expense.
00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:19.999
The wedding stage will have all the
opulence of a Bollywood movie set.
00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:24.999
[music]
00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:29.999
The marriage will be a smart
match, a strategic alliance.
00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:34.999
One diamond family will marry another.
00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:39.999
I want hot chocolate.
00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:44.999
Aashna, whatever you want, you say.
That will be done for you.
00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:49.999
I’m not hungry, I had milk.
00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:54.999
I had nachos in the morning.
00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:59.999
Every wedding needs a bride and every
bride needs a diamond, or two,
00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:04.999
or more if you’re marrying into one of
the biggest diamond families in India.
00:39:05.000 --> 00:39:09.999
The future of the Mehta
dynasty depends on Aashna.
00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:14.999
She will bear the next eldest son
00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:19.999
to be groomed for the family business.
Is it okay?
00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:24.999
It’s so heavy. No, it’s not so heavy.
It’s perfect.
00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:29.999
I cannot bear this weight on my head. I cannot
near this weight. Momma, I cannot bear it.
00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:34.999
Have patience with them. They’re doing
it perfectly. Momma, I require water.
00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:40.000
I need water Momma, I’m
getting Chakkar (dizzy).
00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:53.000
[music]
00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:59.999
Martin Rapaport has finally arrived in
Sierra Leone. He’s brought along his sons
00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:04.999
and a few fair trade advocates.
00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:09.999
They’ll spend the next week crisscrossing the
country to see if Martin’s dream of better wages
00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:14.999
for the diamond miners will withstand
the reality on the ground.
00:40:15.000 --> 00:40:19.999
We’re gonna change the way that
diamonds are mined in Africa.
00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:24.999
And we’re gonna change the way consumers
buying diamonds in the 5th Avenue, New York.
00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:29.999
But it’s okay, if single-minded focus
determination and unwillingness
00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:34.999
to be sidetracked by all kinds of other issues, you know,
I think it’s going to help make this mission a success.
00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:39.999
Chris Aire’s here too.
00:40:40.000 --> 00:40:44.999
He wants to see if Martin will be as
persuasive in Sierra Leone as he was with him.
00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:49.999
I felt like it was time for me to come out
00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:54.999
and find out, you know, what I could do
00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:59.999
specifically in the diamond
sector says as my business
00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:04.999
to create more opportunities for people who otherwise would
have had it. And I see all the little kids hanging out.
00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:09.999
And that use to be me.
00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:14.999
Hanging out.
00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:17.000
Of course, I do. I get…
00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:25.000
I get paid to pull out Mr. Rapaport.
We are the real re-presenters.
00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:39.999
Mohammad Dabu.
00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:44.999
(inaudible).
00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:50.000
[sil.]
00:42:05.000 --> 00:42:13.000
[sil.]
00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:40.000
[sil.]
00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:24.999
[music]
00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:29.999
It’s showtime. Martin is about to pitch
to the people who represent the interests
00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:34.999
in Sierra Leone’s diamonds.
Government ministers,
00:43:35.000 --> 00:43:39.999
International aid agencies and
the country’s security forces.
00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:44.999
Members of parliament, friends.
Uh… It’s great to be here.
00:43:45.000 --> 00:43:49.999
I came in with an idea, a dream.
And I came here
00:43:50.000 --> 00:43:54.999
with a challenge to the government of Sierra Leon
to the NGO’s, how do we turn a negative situation
00:43:55.000 --> 00:43:59.999
into a positive one? You give
a girl, a two carat diamond,
00:44:00.000 --> 00:44:04.999
she flashes it to her friend. Her friend
doesn’t have a two carat diamond,
00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:09.999
so what does her friend say, \"Oh, is
that one of those blood diamonds?\"
00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:14.999
How can I sell a product that makes
people feel bad. I’m not in a business,
00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:19.999
I don’t wanna just make Sierra Leon
diamonds as good as south African diamonds
00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:24.999
or Russian or De Beers diamonds. I want
to compete with them, I wanna kill them.
00:44:25.000 --> 00:44:29.999
Because that’s how life is, you know, if you’re
just carrying it out, you’re an accident
00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:34.999
waiting to happen, but if you’re an
aggressive bastard into business.
00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:39.999
Anyways what did you think of this thing? No,
(inaudible), I mean, the presentation is amazing,
00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:44.999
you know, you’re very eloquent, you
have a way of reaching people.
00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:49.999
You know, I thought is some points where,
you know, you… you convince people
00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:54.999
and then you don’t convince them. Oh,
(inaudible). What do you think, we should change?
00:44:55.000 --> 00:44:59.999
Well, it’s not about changing anything, what
I… what I sincerely believe is I think that
00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:04.999
you need people to do whatever it is that you
need to do, but sometimes it doesn’t really…
00:45:05.000 --> 00:45:09.999
you know, what I mean… You have to go that level of
detail maybe. Yeah, I think sometimes less could be more,
00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:14.999
but you know… What you’re saying to
me is, but Mordecai says to me is,
00:45:15.000 --> 00:45:19.999
you talk too much. Because you’re
being very… very diplomatic about it.
00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:24.999
And that’s true. If I would only shut
up for while, I think we are done.
00:45:25.000 --> 00:45:29.999
[music]
00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:34.999
I’m not afraid to do anything. I’m just, you
know, I’m just like any good businessman,
00:45:35.000 --> 00:45:39.999
or just like any intelligent human
being, you know, just because some…
00:45:40.000 --> 00:45:44.999
your friend is inviting you to dive into
something, you don’t just into it. You know,
00:45:45.000 --> 00:45:49.999
I don’t like the idea of hangout, I don’t like it, it is paradigm
a little bit more money because they get more money now,
00:45:50.000 --> 00:45:54.999
so what? To me that’s… that’s
still the whole, you know,
00:45:55.000 --> 00:45:59.999
beggar and master type of mentality. If you
really wanna uplift people you inspire people,
00:46:00.000 --> 00:46:04.999
and you inspire people by making them
believe things about themselves,
00:46:05.000 --> 00:46:09.999
that you can see it, when everyone can’t see us. People don’t
want to beg, they don’t want to depend on other people,
00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:14.999
there’s certain pride in making your way.
Yeah, pay them fare wages,
00:46:15.000 --> 00:46:19.999
give them fare wages, as a
wonderful as a good idea,
00:46:20.000 --> 00:46:24.999
but is that… is that all… is that all…
is that all there is to do. You know.
00:46:25.000 --> 00:46:29.999
[music]
00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:34.999
193.
00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:39.999
It’s 9ː00 PM,
00:46:40.000 --> 00:46:44.999
Andy’s day is just starting.
00:46:45.000 --> 00:46:49.999
In New York it’s 3ː00 in the afternoon.
The Christie’s auction is about to begin.
00:46:50.000 --> 00:46:54.999
So here we are sitting calmly. Chilling out,
drinking beers, talking on a telephone,
00:46:55.000 --> 00:46:59.999
you know, but in the room people
sweating, they’re hyped up.
00:47:00.000 --> 00:47:04.999
Everybody in ties and jackets swishing around,
dealer is making little huddled, coming together,
00:47:05.000 --> 00:47:09.999
making groups, trying to figure out who’s going to put
up money to… to buy this or that. Telephone banks
00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:14.999
from every country all over the
world and then he had the privates.
00:47:15.000 --> 00:47:19.999
And it become strong, that becomes a little
each lot becomes like a little mini drama.
00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:24.999
And the auctioneer is the director and it’s… you know,
it’s quite something to behold. $80,000 with Layla.
00:47:25.000 --> 00:47:29.999
$85,000 against you. $90,000. $95,000,
against two of you. $100,000.
00:47:30.000 --> 00:47:34.999
Everybody wants this stone coming up, everybody. What are you
up to Liz? I got (inaudible). Back 30 Again (inaudible).
00:47:35.000 --> 00:47:39.999
Go ahead. $540,000.
00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:44.999
$550,000. Go ahead. $560,000.
00:47:45.000 --> 00:47:49.999
$560,000 with you. $570,000. Do you
want $580,000. Go $580,000, yeah.
00:47:50.000 --> 00:47:54.999
$580,000. $580,000 with you. Is
everybody else out except us,
00:47:55.000 --> 00:47:59.999
and one of the person, Liz?
It’s the us and one another.
00:48:00.000 --> 00:48:04.999
At $580,000. $590,000 now to a new place.
00:48:05.000 --> 00:48:09.999
Take $600,000. $600,000 $600,000
on my right. Lesley’s bid now.
00:48:10.000 --> 00:48:14.999
$600,000 with you. $610,000 against you.
$620,000. $620,000.
00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:19.999
$620,000. $630,000. $630,000 again.
00:48:20.000 --> 00:48:24.999
[music]
00:48:25.000 --> 00:48:29.999
Go ahead $640,000 one more.
$640,000. $640,000.
00:48:30.000 --> 00:48:34.999
$650,000. $650,000 against you. Jesus.
00:48:35.000 --> 00:48:39.999
You want $660,000?
00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:48.000
[music]
00:48:50.000 --> 00:48:54.999
I think that’s enough money. You done?
Are you out? I’m done, I’m out.
00:48:55.000 --> 00:48:59.999
$650,000,
00:49:00.000 --> 00:49:04.999
it’s your bid, Natasha. We gave it a good try,
huh? Yeah, we did. You got to get of the…
00:49:05.000 --> 00:49:09.999
got to get off the bus at some point.
00:49:10.000 --> 00:49:14.999
It’s a silly game, but that’s
the game we’re playing.
00:49:15.000 --> 00:49:19.999
Rocks… we… we’re hunting for rocks, you know,
we have nothing better to do with our luck.
00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:24.999
$120,000, sold to you, sir,
00:49:25.000 --> 00:49:29.999
thank you very much. Battle 178.
You can’t be disappointed.
00:49:30.000 --> 00:49:34.999
The good thing about this is, if you don’t put
a bet down you don’t lose. I’ve been lost yet.
00:49:35.000 --> 00:49:39.999
[sil.]
00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:44.999
Time is there a connection to my
grandfather. My grandfather lost his son,
00:49:45.000 --> 00:49:49.999
who died at a young age, so with
me he was able to reconnect
00:49:50.000 --> 00:49:54.999
and sort of pass on some knowledge. So it’s
more than just making money or business,
00:49:55.000 --> 00:49:59.999
it was about a grandfather way I look. He
taught me how to cut them, he taught me
00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:04.999
how to sell them. He thought me about
integrity, the more you deal in
00:50:05.000 --> 00:50:09.999
the knowledge gets passed down from generation to generation,
more you’ve master it and becomes in your genes.
00:50:10.000 --> 00:50:14.999
[music]
00:50:15.000 --> 00:50:19.999
Andy like countless other Jews has
a special bond with diamonds.
00:50:20.000 --> 00:50:24.999
For centuries the diamond trade
00:50:25.000 --> 00:50:29.999
was one of the few that the Jews of
Europe were allowed to practice,
00:50:30.000 --> 00:50:34.999
at every point in their long history
of exile diamonds came with them.
00:50:35.000 --> 00:50:39.999
You could convert a house,
00:50:40.000 --> 00:50:44.999
the landed stood on, the possessions
of a lifetime into diamonds
00:50:45.000 --> 00:50:49.999
and carry them in your pocket to
your next stop and begin life anew.
00:50:50.000 --> 00:50:54.999
[music]
00:50:55.000 --> 00:50:59.999
And get to fire your bags and make sure
everything is there now. I wanna solid background
00:51:00.000 --> 00:51:04.999
(inaudible) whether we are taking
or we are not taking. (inaudible)
00:51:05.000 --> 00:51:09.999
I got to go uh… meet with somebody.
(inaudible).
00:51:10.000 --> 00:51:12.000
I gotta do my thing.
00:51:20.000 --> 00:51:24.999
I think you’re onto something, but it has
kinks. So how do we get rid of the kinks?
00:51:25.000 --> 00:51:29.999
I don’t know, I let you finish your thing. And then absolutely
said, what I wanna do, I wanna sit down and talk with you again,
00:51:30.000 --> 00:51:34.999
even if we talk over the phone. Okay. This guy’s got
lots of money. Now I know he’s got lots of packets.
00:51:35.000 --> 00:51:39.999
Martin is moving on without Chris Aire.
00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:44.999
Chris has decided the forces working
against my dream are just too powerful.
00:51:45.000 --> 00:51:49.999
Everybody please make sure your stuff
is with you in your car, okay?
00:51:50.000 --> 00:51:54.999
As usual Martin Rapaport rises
to the challenge of a rejection.
00:51:55.000 --> 00:51:59.999
Find my briefcase, okay? So, Marty,
do we have copies of passports?
00:52:00.000 --> 00:52:04.999
His son Marty, has learned to take his
father’s irrepressible style and stride.
00:52:05.000 --> 00:52:09.999
For it’s like, it’s
definitely not vacation,
00:52:10.000 --> 00:52:14.999
that’s for sure. It’s like
that helping the bags…
00:52:15.000 --> 00:52:19.999
Can you pay attention to your bags, please. You know,
this is typical with him whether it’s business,
00:52:20.000 --> 00:52:24.999
family or vacation or work, the same
(inaudible), the personality that…
00:52:25.000 --> 00:52:29.999
All right, let’s go. There it’s only good, and
you got to deal with it. You don’t go on a
00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:34.999
lot of vacations with the family.
And it’s enjoy life.
00:52:35.000 --> 00:52:39.999
Everybody take one bag for person please.
00:52:40.000 --> 00:52:44.999
If I could do all of this
from uh… Miami Beach,
00:52:45.000 --> 00:52:49.999
you know, I probably be a little happier.
00:52:50.000 --> 00:52:58.000
[sil.]
00:53:05.000 --> 00:53:09.999
Two of them can stay here and wait. I don’t have to wait until
(inaudible). Uh… What’s going on is that we have broken down
00:53:10.000 --> 00:53:14.999
at 11 o’clock in the night,
three hours out of Kono.
00:53:15.000 --> 00:53:19.999
One of our car is broken down. I’m
gonna move some passengers around.
00:53:20.000 --> 00:53:24.999
And we gonna get out of here with the three remaining cars and we’re
not gonna stay all night waiting for you guys (inaudible) cars.
00:53:25.000 --> 00:53:29.999
And if they don’t like it, I’m sorry, we’re on
the road. (inaudible) in the middle of Africa.
00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:34.999
And not getting little easy go, 7ː30 tomorrow
morning, everybody’s up for breakfast
00:53:35.000 --> 00:53:39.999
or we need to make our meals. You
get your stuff out of the car…
00:53:40.000 --> 00:53:44.999
A lot of people talk about
intrapersonal skills and the fact is
00:53:45.000 --> 00:53:49.999
that I am not here to take care of
people, other than the (inaudible).
00:53:50.000 --> 00:53:54.999
Who’s is this, let’s go. It’s yours? Take it.
Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go. If I wanted to be a
00:53:55.000 --> 00:53:59.999
charming Ambassador, made sure
that people are very happy
00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:04.999
umm… I could do that, but I am not here to
be charming. Let’s go inside of that car,
00:54:05.000 --> 00:54:09.999
and get us in the running. Of course, there are
other people there, that great responsibility here,
00:54:10.000 --> 00:54:14.999
we’re gonna spend all night having six
driver stand around a car? No. I wanna move.
00:54:15.000 --> 00:54:19.999
You get me two people here and that’s it.
Okay? We empty this car
00:54:20.000 --> 00:54:24.999
and we’re moving our asses. To this my communication
skills are excellent. There in your face
00:54:25.000 --> 00:54:29.999
and that’s how I am. Somebody go
and help with the (inaudible).
00:54:30.000 --> 00:54:38.000
[music]
00:55:40.000 --> 00:55:48.000
[music]
00:56:05.000 --> 00:56:10.000
[sil.]
00:56:20.000 --> 00:56:24.999
For all their seeming permanence
00:56:25.000 --> 00:56:29.999
diamonds owe their lives to hands and eyes.
00:56:30.000 --> 00:56:34.999
Manoj is hand may slip, he may
blink at the wrong moment.
00:56:35.000 --> 00:56:40.000
Diamonds have their brilliant existence
just this side of the ground to dust.
00:57:05.000 --> 00:57:10.000
[music]
00:57:15.000 --> 00:57:23.000
[music]
00:58:00.000 --> 00:58:08.000
[music]
00:58:35.000 --> 00:58:40.000
[music]
00:58:45.000 --> 00:58:53.000
[music]
00:59:05.000 --> 00:59:09.999
Over 5,000 people have
come to the Mehta wedding.
00:59:10.000 --> 00:59:14.999
It’s an important night in
the Bombay social calendar,
00:59:15.000 --> 00:59:19.999
planes were chartered to fly in
guests from Tel Aviv, New York,
00:59:20.000 --> 00:59:24.999
Antwerp and Hong Kong, all the major
centers of the diamond world.
00:59:25.000 --> 00:59:29.999
[music]
00:59:30.000 --> 00:59:34.999
The guests press forward to share
00:59:35.000 --> 00:59:39.999
in the reflected light,
success breeds success.
00:59:40.000 --> 00:59:44.999
Money attracts money, diamonds blaze
00:59:45.000 --> 00:59:49.999
deep into the night.
00:59:50.000 --> 00:59:54.999
[sil.]
00:59:55.000 --> 01:00:03.000
[music]
01:00:05.000 --> 01:00:09.999
Soon after his wedding, Arjav takes
up his duties as the eldest son,
01:00:10.000 --> 01:00:14.999
he’s about to leave his family behind
to head up the business a world away
01:00:15.000 --> 01:00:19.999
in Antwerp, Belgium. We
still not (inaudible) us.
01:00:20.000 --> 01:00:24.999
We remember the other day, my husband,
early morning it was about 5 o’clock,
01:00:25.000 --> 01:00:29.999
he’s just crying and he left for his work.
May be it’s more deeper feeling for me.
01:00:30.000 --> 01:00:34.999
I cannot sleep, these thoughts coming into
my mind. He’ll be starting his new home.
01:00:35.000 --> 01:00:39.999
His family will be growing up there.
So ultimately you believe in me
01:00:40.000 --> 01:00:44.999
and he’s going away from me.
01:00:45.000 --> 01:00:53.000
[music]
01:01:00.000 --> 01:01:04.999
Now Sweden 334,
01:01:05.000 --> 01:01:09.999
$36,000, $36,000. It’s
not been a good night
01:01:10.000 --> 01:01:14.999
four Andy. Three hours into the auction
and he has nothing to show for it.
01:01:15.000 --> 01:01:19.999
$50,000. $60,000. $70,000.
You want in? Yes.
01:01:20.000 --> 01:01:24.999
Finally lot 334, comes up.
Buy me at $370,000.
01:01:25.000 --> 01:01:29.999
Andy’s anxious to redeem himself.
$220,000. $240,000.
01:01:30.000 --> 01:01:34.999
And $240,000. But he’s swimming
upstream against a tide of money.
01:01:35.000 --> 01:01:39.999
(inaudible). Agents are on the
phone with.com millionaires
01:01:40.000 --> 01:01:44.999
and Arab oil barons. Andy has
to watch his bottom line,
01:01:45.000 --> 01:01:49.999
they can afford to follow their passion.
01:01:50.000 --> 01:01:54.999
$380,000.
01:01:55.000 --> 01:01:59.999
3085. Last chance now. can you make
$385,000? I think its $390,000 now.
01:02:00.000 --> 01:02:04.999
Go head, $390,000. $390,000. Okay. Yeah.
01:02:05.000 --> 01:02:09.999
$390,000, your bid Lesley,
against you Julia $390,000.
01:02:10.000 --> 01:02:14.999
Any more then? $390,000.
$390,000. $400,000.
01:02:15.000 --> 01:02:19.999
Oh, shit, I call it right again.
01:02:20.000 --> 01:02:24.999
They got you $400,000. Bit again? Hey,
hold on. Tell them to hold on one second.
01:02:25.000 --> 01:02:29.999
(inaudible) One second please. I take
for (inaudible) you Julia at $400,000.
01:02:30.000 --> 01:02:34.999
Any more then? At $400,000. Ready?
01:02:35.000 --> 01:02:39.999
Go head. $410,000.
01:02:40.000 --> 01:02:44.999
It’s against you Julia now. At $410,000.
Hold one then.
01:02:45.000 --> 01:02:49.999
At $410,000, sold to you Lesley then.
We have the (inaudible).
01:02:50.000 --> 01:02:54.999
Did we got it? All right.
01:02:55.000 --> 01:02:59.999
So we brought one stone. That’s not bad.
01:03:00.000 --> 01:03:04.999
(inaudible), So, listen
01:03:05.000 --> 01:03:09.999
umm… I brought a stone and you more than welcome to
be in with me because we have discussed it earlier.
01:03:10.000 --> 01:03:14.999
Umm… I went very high. How much you paid for it?
I paid, the hammer was $410,000, I believe.
01:03:15.000 --> 01:03:19.999
You really paid that much? Yeah. I had it go through $390,000.
I thought I was going to get it, then somebody said, $400,000.
01:03:20.000 --> 01:03:24.999
I couldn’t let it go. Because I felt there was… it was just
a beautiful stone, but you know, what I’m going to do?
01:03:25.000 --> 01:03:29.999
I’m going to have it brought the Geneva, I’m gonna study it and then I’m
send it back to New York anyway to cut it. And then when it goes back
01:03:30.000 --> 01:03:34.999
you take a look at it, if you
like you’re in, cool? Yeah.
01:03:35.000 --> 01:03:39.999
[sil.]
01:03:40.000 --> 01:03:44.999
It is (inaudible) that I brought, it was an F, it
was an emerald cut, beautiful stone, old Stone,
01:03:45.000 --> 01:03:49.999
old material. Cut by a master hand with
master material probably cut, I don’t know,
01:03:50.000 --> 01:03:54.999
on ‘30s or ‘40s. And I believe,
I can get a better cut,
01:03:55.000 --> 01:03:59.999
I can get a better quality grade, and I can get
a better color. If not I have a beautiful stone
01:04:00.000 --> 01:04:04.999
that’s well-paid for and
I’ll sell it soon I hope,
01:04:05.000 --> 01:04:09.999
uh… for maybe for, you know, not much
money. So that’s… that’s what it is.
01:04:10.000 --> 01:04:14.999
Top price and umm… if I can make a
buck out of this, it’s the hard way.
01:04:15.000 --> 01:04:19.999
There’s an expression Yiddish, \"Tuchus
offen tisch,\" put your ass on the table,
01:04:20.000 --> 01:04:24.999
you know, talk is cheap. So I put
my ass on the table and I’ll see.
01:04:25.000 --> 01:04:33.000
[music]
01:04:45.000 --> 01:04:49.999
Mohammed has just lost his father
01:04:50.000 --> 01:04:54.999
and now has to support his
large extended family alone.
01:04:55.000 --> 01:05:03.000
[music]
01:05:40.000 --> 01:05:45.000
[sil.]
01:05:55.000 --> 01:05:59.999
[sil.]
01:06:00.000 --> 01:06:08.000
[music]
01:06:20.000 --> 01:06:24.999
After driving through the night, Martin finally meets
with Mohammed and the diamond diggers of Koidu.
01:06:25.000 --> 01:06:29.999
[sil.]
01:06:30.000 --> 01:06:34.999
The exploitation continues and you have diggers who work,
they work with their bodies, they reduce their health,
01:06:35.000 --> 01:06:39.999
they reduce their lifespan.
01:06:40.000 --> 01:06:44.999
Diggers (inaudible)
important, really important.
01:06:45.000 --> 01:06:49.999
Working hard? Yes, sir. You
find any diamonds? Yes, sir.
01:06:50.000 --> 01:06:54.999
So what do you think, is it good? You like
the job, you like the job? Is that good.
01:06:55.000 --> 01:06:59.999
Diamond is not for all. Diamond is
not for you. This mineral you find,
01:07:00.000 --> 01:07:04.999
it is very important,
maybe in your own country
01:07:05.000 --> 01:07:09.999
or first of all it’s very… well, we don’t
know. We just finding these mineral
01:07:10.000 --> 01:07:14.999
every day digging. The problem,
01:07:15.000 --> 01:07:19.999
money and job, good job like factory,
01:07:20.000 --> 01:07:24.999
if we have factory in
Sierra Leone, we can live.
01:07:25.000 --> 01:07:29.999
We are hard workers, but
we don’t have factory.
01:07:30.000 --> 01:07:34.999
I’m tired. I like that kinds rest.
01:07:35.000 --> 01:07:43.000
[music]
01:08:25.000 --> 01:08:29.999
Andy Cohen’s diamond
01:08:30.000 --> 01:08:34.999
has arrived at the next stop of
its journey with Linda Salkin.
01:08:35.000 --> 01:08:39.999
Let’s see what we have here.
01:08:40.000 --> 01:08:44.999
Oh, I love that one. I love mean too.
They’ve been very good to me.
01:08:45.000 --> 01:08:49.999
They’re magical, they sing, they dance,
01:08:50.000 --> 01:08:54.999
they have energy, they’re
spiritual, they’re brilliant.
01:08:55.000 --> 01:08:59.999
And they have potential to be more brain when
they come to me. It looks like it’s making
01:09:00.000 --> 01:09:04.999
more better than they are.
01:09:05.000 --> 01:09:09.999
Linda is a gemologist. Before a
diamond is sent to the cutting wheel,
01:09:10.000 --> 01:09:14.999
Linda maps it out, reads its
interior world like a cartographer
01:09:15.000 --> 01:09:19.999
charting a course.
01:09:20.000 --> 01:09:24.999
Hello. Hey, Andy. How are you today?
It’s Linda. Hey, Linda.
01:09:25.000 --> 01:09:29.999
How is it going buddy? Andy
has sent lot 334 to Linda
01:09:30.000 --> 01:09:34.999
to see what she can do to improve it for
a sales. I’m much more concerned with
01:09:35.000 --> 01:09:39.999
umm… getting the corners even and get all the burses
out. No, no. Definitely, I don’t mind straightening it.
01:09:40.000 --> 01:09:44.999
(inaudible) points are much bigger than the
other. Yeah. I don’t mind straightening it.
01:09:45.000 --> 01:09:49.999
(inaudible). Because I get good feeling
about this stone, especially in that
01:09:50.000 --> 01:09:54.999
old world way, you know, the just the way it’s curve, the
charm, (inaudible). Right, We wanna keep the flavor of it,
01:09:55.000 --> 01:09:59.999
I know. Absolutely. (inaudible), is
it charming? It’s very charming.
01:10:00.000 --> 01:10:04.999
(inaudible) gorgeous stone. And this
one snack me because it’s a beauty,
01:10:05.000 --> 01:10:09.999
you know, little crooked umm… but it spoke to
you. It was a stone with individual personality,
01:10:10.000 --> 01:10:14.999
you put your dreams into your
it, and your hope, you know,
01:10:15.000 --> 01:10:19.999
and umm… try and turn to stone
into something more beautiful.
01:10:20.000 --> 01:10:24.999
When I worked on a large stone it becomes
part of who I am, I sleep it, I eat it,
01:10:25.000 --> 01:10:29.999
I (inaudible) it. It is in
my brain and in my system.
01:10:30.000 --> 01:10:34.999
That’s when you become part of the stone.
01:10:35.000 --> 01:10:39.999
[music]
01:10:40.000 --> 01:10:44.999
Jacob is here to see if any of
his clients will be interested
01:10:45.000 --> 01:10:49.999
in buying Andy’s diamond.
01:10:50.000 --> 01:10:54.999
Hello, Linda. Hi, how are you there.
01:10:55.000 --> 01:10:59.999
(inaudible).
01:11:00.000 --> 01:11:04.999
This one has a tint.
01:11:05.000 --> 01:11:09.999
You know, chips due in part a little
bit of color, but it has a tint.
01:11:10.000 --> 01:11:14.999
By the column then the better side is… It has a
tint. It’s a gorgeous stone. It’s a one of a kind.
01:11:15.000 --> 01:11:19.999
The face is gorgeous. The
more I look at the stone,
01:11:20.000 --> 01:11:24.999
the more I love it. It’s a serious diamond.
01:11:25.000 --> 01:11:29.999
[sil.]
01:11:30.000 --> 01:11:34.999
(inaudible), how are you? Listen, I just came back. I saw
something, drop that gorgeous, I know you gonna love it.
01:11:35.000 --> 01:11:39.999
[music]
01:11:40.000 --> 01:11:44.999
While Jacob works his way through his client list,
the cutter Mr. O. As he’s known in the trade
01:11:45.000 --> 01:11:49.999
is starting to work on Andy’s diamond.
01:11:50.000 --> 01:11:54.999
[music]
01:11:55.000 --> 01:11:59.999
The diamond cutters of New York
are renowned for their work.
01:12:00.000 --> 01:12:04.999
These master cutters mostly
Jewish are descended
01:12:05.000 --> 01:12:09.999
from generations of diamond families.
They spend day after day,
01:12:10.000 --> 01:12:14.999
month after month, patiently grinding,
until the perfect diamond reveals itself.
01:12:15.000 --> 01:12:19.999
[music]
01:12:20.000 --> 01:12:24.999
It’s not just all of its banging them out. It’s
certainly not on big (inaudible) diamonds.
01:12:25.000 --> 01:12:29.999
The risk is being wrong. Never push.
01:12:30.000 --> 01:12:34.999
Because you might not get what you need.
01:12:35.000 --> 01:12:39.999
[sil.]
01:12:40.000 --> 01:12:48.000
[music]
01:14:20.000 --> 01:14:28.000
[music]
01:15:00.000 --> 01:15:08.000
[music]
01:15:20.000 --> 01:15:24.999
[music]
01:15:25.000 --> 01:15:29.999
The Mehta family like every major diamond
01:15:30.000 --> 01:15:34.999
manufacturer needs to have
an office in Antwerp,
01:15:35.000 --> 01:15:39.999
it’s where you get the raw materials
to keep your business going.
01:15:40.000 --> 01:15:45.000
Arjav will be responsible for buying rough
diamonds for his family’s factories in India.
01:15:55.000 --> 01:15:59.999
Arjav came here and he will do business
here like how I did 25 years ago.
01:16:00.000 --> 01:16:04.999
From childhood he has… he has heard
business, it is in his blood.
01:16:05.000 --> 01:16:09.999
We’re very confident that he’ll
take us to the next era.
01:16:10.000 --> 01:16:14.999
We pass on our business
to the next generation.
01:16:15.000 --> 01:16:19.999
The heart of the diamond world in Antwerp
01:16:20.000 --> 01:16:24.999
is located in just two city blocks.
Everyday tens of millions of dollars
01:16:25.000 --> 01:16:29.999
go in and out of these two streets.
They are among the most
01:16:30.000 --> 01:16:34.999
secured real estate in the world.
01:16:35.000 --> 01:16:39.999
It was the Jews who first brought diamonds to
Antwerp when they fled here to escape persecution.
01:16:40.000 --> 01:16:44.999
But in the last 30 years
01:16:45.000 --> 01:16:49.999
the Indian diamond families had been
replacing them in the ceaseless movement
01:16:50.000 --> 01:16:54.999
along the Diamond Road, one wave of
immigrants is absorbing another.
01:16:55.000 --> 01:16:59.999
95% or 90% of the business was first
controlled by the Jewish people.
01:17:00.000 --> 01:17:04.999
Yeah, they… they… they started
the business in Amsterdam
01:17:05.000 --> 01:17:09.999
before 400 years. Yeah. After Second
World War, they shifted to Antwerp.
01:17:10.000 --> 01:17:14.999
In the early 70s, Indians came into
picture and they started taking
01:17:15.000 --> 01:17:19.999
more participation in the diamond business here. Now at
the present moment it is about 60% of the diamond trade
01:17:20.000 --> 01:17:24.999
is handled by Indians here. Once
we are in these two streets uh…
01:17:25.000 --> 01:17:29.999
it is we consider ourselves as diamond people
nothing else. The only reference point is diamonds.
01:17:30.000 --> 01:17:34.999
We talk diamonds, we breath diamonds,
that is all. Indians have the capacity
01:17:35.000 --> 01:17:39.999
also to integrate very easy in a place
where they come… wherever they come.
01:17:40.000 --> 01:17:44.999
If it is here integrated very nicely,
where I felt always that they will grow
01:17:45.000 --> 01:17:49.999
and there is… if you can’t
be them, you join them.
01:17:50.000 --> 01:17:58.000
[music]
01:18:05.000 --> 01:18:09.999
Arjav lives in the house
01:18:10.000 --> 01:18:14.999
that diamonds build, secure in the
certainty of his family’s destiny.
01:18:15.000 --> 01:18:19.999
We moved umm… into this
house about five years ago.
01:18:20.000 --> 01:18:24.999
My uncle and aunt are very fond of
plants and gardening and greenery.
01:18:25.000 --> 01:18:29.999
And my uncle and aunt have seen to it that, the
whole place is there for the whole family.
01:18:30.000 --> 01:18:34.999
I stay here and also with my wife Aashna.
Basically we’re living
01:18:35.000 --> 01:18:39.999
and just like in a forest if you see. This
also the efforts of all their hard work,
01:18:40.000 --> 01:18:44.999
all the three brother’s hard work, you know, my grandfather
had work as seen in this, I mean, this was a dream
01:18:45.000 --> 01:18:49.999
to make such a house.
01:18:50.000 --> 01:18:54.999
[music]
01:18:55.000 --> 01:18:59.999
[sil.]
01:19:00.000 --> 01:19:04.999
Already. Hi, everybody.
01:19:05.000 --> 01:19:09.999
Martin has called a community meeting.
01:19:10.000 --> 01:19:14.999
He wants to hear from Mohammed
and his fellow diggers.
01:19:15.000 --> 01:19:19.999
Do you people understand me? People
understand? They’re suspicious.
01:19:20.000 --> 01:19:24.999
They’ve seen too many white men in white
jeeps with good intentions come and go.
01:19:25.000 --> 01:19:29.999
And nothing has changed.
01:19:30.000 --> 01:19:34.999
First of all if the digger is 0getting screwed,
let them say the digger was getting screwed.
01:19:35.000 --> 01:19:40.000
[non-English narration]
01:20:00.000 --> 01:20:04.999
Let me ask you this, people in America
say that it’s bad in Sierra Leone,
01:20:05.000 --> 01:20:09.999
should people in America stopped buying diamonds from Sierra Leone?
We want them to come and buy our diamonds with… with prices.
01:20:10.000 --> 01:20:14.999
We are looking for… if they buy our diamonds
with good prices, we can able to help ourselves.
01:20:15.000 --> 01:20:19.999
If we create a market in Kono,
01:20:20.000 --> 01:20:24.999
every Thursday and there was an auction.
How much you pay, how much you pay,
01:20:25.000 --> 01:20:30.760
how much you pay, high-price taken. Is that be good? That’s the idea. You
people like that idea? Yes, we like the idea. You guys like that idea?
01:20:40.000 --> 01:20:44.999
You need competition? Yes.
Fare trade. Fare trade.
01:20:45.000 --> 01:20:53.000
[music]
01:20:55.000 --> 01:20:59.999
Sit down.
01:21:00.000 --> 01:21:04.999
[music]
01:21:05.000 --> 01:21:09.999
For the last 40 years Kassim Basma has sat
01:21:10.000 --> 01:21:14.999
in his unassuming office
buying and selling diamonds.
01:21:15.000 --> 01:21:19.999
There are just a handful of other
licensed exporters in Sierra Leone.
01:21:20.000 --> 01:21:24.999
They have a monopoly on the $125 million
01:21:25.000 --> 01:21:30.000
a year diamond export trade. How much?
01:21:40.000 --> 01:21:44.999
With a little competition the exporters
01:21:45.000 --> 01:21:50.000
set the price, profits are high.
01:21:55.000 --> 01:22:03.000
It’s not only matter of talking price,
01:22:05.000 --> 01:22:09.999
you tell them, this is the fault of the
(inaudible). You convince the seller.
01:22:10.000 --> 01:22:14.999
That this the amount is (inaudible).
01:22:15.000 --> 01:22:19.999
You want to convince that it’s rights.
Who is stronger,
01:22:20.000 --> 01:22:25.000
he will be doing it. But most of the
time with my business I’m the winner.
01:22:35.000 --> 01:22:43.000
[music]
01:22:45.000 --> 01:22:49.999
Martin has come to meet with Kassim.
01:22:50.000 --> 01:22:54.999
He knows that without
Kassim onside his plan
01:22:55.000 --> 01:22:59.999
for better wages for the diggers will not
work. I can’t cut any stake holders,
01:23:00.000 --> 01:23:04.999
and I’m trying to build a house
a very, very difficult people.
01:23:05.000 --> 01:23:09.999
Anyway he’s here? How are you?
01:23:10.000 --> 01:23:14.999
Great to see you. Great to see you. Welcome,
Welcome. How are you? All right, thank god.
01:23:15.000 --> 01:23:19.999
Martin wants to propose a public auction system to
Kassim for Sierra Leone’s diamonds. Oh, my gosh.
01:23:20.000 --> 01:23:24.999
Well, first of all it’s great to see you.
He needs to convince him that a fair
01:23:25.000 --> 01:23:29.999
and open market will benefit
everyone in the (inaudible).
01:23:30.000 --> 01:23:34.999
Now if you structure the deal. So the benefit
of the higher price isn’t just kept by one guy.
01:23:35.000 --> 01:23:39.999
This important benefits,
little land owners benefits,
01:23:40.000 --> 01:23:44.999
if the (inaudible) benefits. If they
all benefits they can make more money.
01:23:45.000 --> 01:23:49.999
But I need your help. I need your help to help explain
this to the Ministers, that it’s not a threat to them.
01:23:50.000 --> 01:23:54.999
As you know the first thing they’re concerned
about, it’s no good, it’s gonna make me a problem,
01:23:55.000 --> 01:23:59.999
you know? It’s a different way of thinking.
01:24:00.000 --> 01:24:04.999
I see the idea go right to the point
01:24:05.000 --> 01:24:09.999
uh… I don’t think people would accept it.
01:24:10.000 --> 01:24:14.999
Because the support always looking
for more margin of profits.
01:24:15.000 --> 01:24:19.999
Right? But if it does work people will say.
Oh, I can make more money
01:24:20.000 --> 01:24:24.999
that’s what I’m about. It’s very simple.
You can make more money do it,
01:24:25.000 --> 01:24:29.999
if you can’t make more money don’t do it.
Business not humanitarianism.
01:24:30.000 --> 01:24:34.999
It’s… it’s where humanitarianism
meets business.
01:24:35.000 --> 01:24:39.999
Actually I knows, I knows
a lot of the guys,
01:24:40.000 --> 01:24:44.999
they don’t think about the future. They
think only for today, not tomorrow.
01:24:45.000 --> 01:24:49.999
This the problem. So you cannot
stress in this issues. You cannot.
01:24:50.000 --> 01:24:54.999
You know, Kassim, all we have to do is try.
And also if you think it’s not good,
01:24:55.000 --> 01:24:59.999
you need to tell me, I’ll change it. We have
to make the suits so it fits everybody.
01:25:00.000 --> 01:25:04.999
[music]
01:25:05.000 --> 01:25:09.999
The meeting with Kassim has not gone well.
01:25:10.000 --> 01:25:14.999
Martin now knows that Kassim’s profits
01:25:15.000 --> 01:25:19.999
are high because they have to be.
01:25:20.000 --> 01:25:24.999
There’s only seven exporters. Why does Sierra
Leone government allow those exporters
01:25:25.000 --> 01:25:29.999
to control the price in Sierra Leone, couldn’t be because it
allows them to make excess profits and those access private
01:25:30.000 --> 01:25:34.999
support the political campaigns or the
people running for office in Sierra Leone.
01:25:35.000 --> 01:25:39.999
Could that be the reason?
Very possibly yes.
01:25:40.000 --> 01:25:44.999
A better deal for the diggers will only
happen if the government wants it to happen.
01:25:45.000 --> 01:25:49.999
Martin asks for a meeting with
the country’s vice president.
01:25:50.000 --> 01:25:58.000
[music]
01:26:00.000 --> 01:26:08.000
[sil.]
01:26:10.000 --> 01:26:14.999
The makeover on Andy’s diamond is
finished it’s taken three months.
01:26:15.000 --> 01:26:19.999
This stone is beautiful. And I wish I
would have extra half a million dollars
01:26:20.000 --> 01:26:24.999
and I might even buy a stone like this.
01:26:25.000 --> 01:26:29.999
But you know, what? For making
a few dollars now sell it,
01:26:30.000 --> 01:26:34.999
I’ll be even happier.
01:26:35.000 --> 01:26:39.999
So, Andy, it’s a gorgeous stone,
(inaudible). You want to give me
01:26:40.000 --> 01:26:44.999
$0.5 million it would be standing up and
that’s about it. And I was go back and forth,
01:26:45.000 --> 01:26:49.999
I told them don’t even break the ice. It’s a lot of money,
$500,000 is a lot of money, but please tell your guy,
01:26:50.000 --> 01:26:54.999
I’m sorry, I’m not gonna sell it for that.
Sometimes the first offer is the best offer.
01:26:55.000 --> 01:26:59.999
It’s true you pay lot of money for it. I’m (inaudible). You give
me high a little bit, I’ll come down a little bit, I’ll tell you
01:27:00.000 --> 01:27:04.999
I’ll come down right now, I’ll come down to 25, everybody’s
asking 35, 40 for this stone. No, no. No, Andy,
01:27:05.000 --> 01:27:09.999
let’s put it that way. It’s a special Jacob.
You’re right, but it’s a $0.5 million
01:27:10.000 --> 01:27:14.999
from a flawless I mean. Well, get up a little bit.
You know, let me see, do you think I am not…?
01:27:15.000 --> 01:27:19.999
I do my thinking, you do your thinking.
Exactly.
01:27:20.000 --> 01:27:24.999
Hi, Jacob. Hi, Danny, listen.
01:27:25.000 --> 01:27:29.999
Simple. I’ve gotten down to 25 for him,
you have to try to talk to your customer
01:27:30.000 --> 01:27:34.999
and tell him that stone
like this is a beauty
01:27:35.000 --> 01:27:39.999
and (inaudible) the truth and you’ve…
you’ve seen quite a lot of emerald cuts,
01:27:40.000 --> 01:27:44.999
so do what you suppose do, all right? Yeah, yeah, I’ll do
what have to do, right? Praise the lord. I’ll make it happen.
01:27:45.000 --> 01:27:49.999
Bye. So as he go back to his customer,
01:27:50.000 --> 01:27:54.999
he’s got try to convinces his customer to buy
it. Now I hope that he’s gonna convince him.
01:27:55.000 --> 01:27:59.999
If he doesn’t convince him, I’m out of it.
And I won’t contain for nothing,
01:28:00.000 --> 01:28:04.999
but we’ll commission. Hopefully is gonna
happen, so I just leave it up to God’s hands.
01:28:05.000 --> 01:28:09.999
You know, people industry think,
01:28:10.000 --> 01:28:14.999
to a diamond dealer, he owns everything,
01:28:15.000 --> 01:28:19.999
he must be a multi-milliner, and the
bilinear. Believe me, I struggle now,
01:28:20.000 --> 01:28:24.999
we work very hard, I take losses.
(inaudible).
01:28:25.000 --> 01:28:29.999
The end of the day, if she make
01:28:30.000 --> 01:28:34.999
a comfortable living, I’m happy.
01:28:35.000 --> 01:28:39.999
[music]
01:28:40.000 --> 01:28:44.999
Oh, yeah. It’s gonna be to be very exciting.
Exactly. It’s gonna be to be very exciting.
01:28:45.000 --> 01:28:49.999
[music]
01:28:50.000 --> 01:28:54.999
Martin finally gets a meeting with the country’s
Vice President. Sir, hi, how are you, sir.
01:28:55.000 --> 01:28:59.999
Thank you for coming. It was very nice.
At the last minute
01:29:00.000 --> 01:29:04.999
he decides that this meeting
is best held in private.
01:29:05.000 --> 01:29:13.000
[music]
01:29:15.000 --> 01:29:19.999
(inaudible) Knew that I’m uncovering
to see a bullshit right there,
01:29:20.000 --> 01:29:24.999
okay? And the most of it goes right to the
president house. He doesn’t know anything else.
01:29:25.000 --> 01:29:29.999
And I just want an answer, and
I want to know how to do it.
01:29:30.000 --> 01:29:34.999
Even the irrepressible Martin Rapaport can’t
change years of history in one meeting.
01:29:35.000 --> 01:29:39.999
The pyramid of 150,000 diggers
01:29:40.000 --> 01:29:44.999
at the bottom and a few exploiters
and government ministers at the top
01:29:45.000 --> 01:29:49.999
won’t collapse in a week.
Now we have a problem.
01:29:50.000 --> 01:29:54.999
And I’m talking to the Vice President and I’m talking
to the minister, I’m trying to convince them,
01:29:55.000 --> 01:29:59.999
this is a good idea, I’m using every bit of energy
I have to talk to them and get them to understand
01:30:00.000 --> 01:30:04.999
that it’s really good for their people.
And now is good for the people, you know,
01:30:05.000 --> 01:30:09.999
it won’t affect their bribery level that I got to say
that in a way that doesn’t threaten them or make me
01:30:10.000 --> 01:30:14.999
appear to be not using my interpersonal
skills enough. But the bottom line is
01:30:15.000 --> 01:30:19.999
our government officials
receiving monetary benefit
01:30:20.000 --> 01:30:24.999
due to the fact that diggers
are being exploited.
01:30:25.000 --> 01:30:29.999
Is the government exploiting the diggers?
That’s the question. And if this is true,
01:30:30.000 --> 01:30:34.999
and the reason for the exploitation
is because the profit, the money
01:30:35.000 --> 01:30:39.999
that would go to diggers, is going to
government officials in the form of bribes.
01:30:40.000 --> 01:30:44.999
And should we be allowing people to buy Sierra
Leone diamonds because I will not allow
01:30:45.000 --> 01:30:49.999
Rapaport to be a fig leaf to
cover up government corruption
01:30:50.000 --> 01:30:54.999
that hurts diggers. Some
NGOs are taking their
01:30:55.000 --> 01:30:59.999
position that the exploitative
conditions are so strong,
01:31:00.000 --> 01:31:04.999
are so horrified that people around
the world should simply stop
01:31:05.000 --> 01:31:09.999
buying Sierra Leone diamonds. This
would then force a crisis in which
01:31:10.000 --> 01:31:14.999
perhaps the government would fall.
If the government fell,
01:31:15.000 --> 01:31:19.999
it’s possible that you
would have a power vacuum
01:31:20.000 --> 01:31:24.999
and Sierra Leone would return into a
revolution. It’s a serious problem,
01:31:25.000 --> 01:31:29.999
and I think people need to realize
the war is over, but the fundamental
01:31:30.000 --> 01:31:34.999
underlying conditions that
caused the war are not over.
01:31:35.000 --> 01:31:43.000
[music]
01:31:45.000 --> 01:31:49.999
Andy Cohen, how are you?
Listen to me, Andy,
01:31:50.000 --> 01:31:54.999
let’s wrap it up because the price I gave
you is a good price, we discussed it,
01:31:55.000 --> 01:31:59.999
you can have the money before 35 days. You have to understand,
I’m try to push the guy as much as I can, but this is a final…
01:32:00.000 --> 01:32:04.999
How much are you making? He’s
gonna give me a commission.
01:32:05.000 --> 01:32:09.999
Are you happy with the commission? I’m never happy.
I’m always happy, never happy. Do I know what?
01:32:10.000 --> 01:32:14.999
You’re always happy. You know what Jacob,
01:32:15.000 --> 01:32:19.999
as my grandfather always told me, you never go broke taking a
profit. So I’m going to say mazal. I’ve got a fair profit,
01:32:20.000 --> 01:32:24.999
not a big one, not a small one. I’m going
to say mazal and on to the next deal.
01:32:25.000 --> 01:32:29.999
(inaudible). Okay. Bye, bye.
01:32:30.000 --> 01:32:34.999
(inaudible) not much because I
know exactly what he paid for it.
01:32:35.000 --> 01:32:39.999
But he’s happy, you turned it over next.
We go on to the next deal.
01:32:40.000 --> 01:32:44.999
Hey, Josh, be in my office
in about ten minutes
01:32:45.000 --> 01:32:49.999
and come pick up the stone, all right?
01:32:50.000 --> 01:32:54.999
Hi, mazal. If I say, okay,
01:32:55.000 --> 01:32:59.999
we use the word mazal. It’s finished,
it’s done, switches in hand to hand.
01:33:00.000 --> 01:33:04.999
You love it? We love it. All yours. It’s
like cash in my bank. Because this guy is
01:33:05.000 --> 01:33:09.999
gonna stand by what he says, it’s verbal.
I love it. It’s a gorgeous,
01:33:10.000 --> 01:33:14.999
gorgeous make. And I’ll
(inaudible) big corner,
01:33:15.000 --> 01:33:19.999
so… Mazal. Beautiful. Lot 334 will soon
01:33:20.000 --> 01:33:24.999
be in the hands of its next owner.
Another story will be added
01:33:25.000 --> 01:33:29.999
to its long history. Let’s
sad, you pretend the facial
01:33:30.000 --> 01:33:34.999
makes not… not… never fall
in love with diamonds.
01:33:35.000 --> 01:33:39.999
[sil.]
01:33:40.000 --> 01:33:48.000
[music]
01:34:05.000 --> 01:34:13.000
[music]
01:35:05.000 --> 01:35:10.000
What is it that you want?
01:35:15.000 --> 01:35:19.999
Tomorrow Manoj will take his place
01:35:20.000 --> 01:35:25.000
with the cutters of Surat.
01:35:35.000 --> 01:35:39.999
[music]
01:35:40.000 --> 01:35:44.999
[sil.]
01:35:45.000 --> 01:35:53.000
[non-English narration]
01:36:05.000 --> 01:36:09.999
My father was a graduate of Auschwitz, so as my
mother. And in their world anything was possible.
01:36:10.000 --> 01:36:14.999
If you can survive Auschwitz you could do anything.
If (inaudible) people really have fair trade diamond,
01:36:15.000 --> 01:36:19.999
you’re crazy, you can’t do that… Nothing
is impossible if I really want to do it.
01:36:20.000 --> 01:36:24.999
With the rest of the kids
that we out of here.
01:36:25.000 --> 01:36:29.999
[music]
01:36:30.000 --> 01:36:34.999
As he leaves Sierra Leone, Martin is already
planning is next trip to the country.
01:36:35.000 --> 01:36:39.999
Everything is still possible. If
we’re dealing with very tough.
01:36:40.000 --> 01:36:44.999
That’s the bottom line, it’s going to take a bit
of time that the country is gonna move forward,
01:36:45.000 --> 01:36:49.999
it’s slow process. This is gonna
happen, we’re gonna do it.
01:36:50.000 --> 01:36:54.999
I don’t care so much
01:36:55.000 --> 01:36:59.999
what other people think. I’m
not looking for recognition,
01:37:00.000 --> 01:37:04.999
ego trips, I wanna remember myself
01:37:05.000 --> 01:37:09.999
for the good things that I’ve done. You know, like
God will know that I did it, and that’s enough.
01:37:10.000 --> 01:37:18.000
[music]
01:37:40.000 --> 01:37:44.999
Mohammed perseverance in
the hope that one day
01:37:45.000 --> 01:37:50.000
he will find that diamond which
will set his family free.
01:38:00.000 --> 01:38:08.000
[music]
01:38:20.000 --> 01:38:28.000
[music]