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MP SPEAKS | 'Diamonds are intrinsically worthless, except for the deep psychological need they fill' - Nicky Oppenheimer

It was Tiffany's that made diamonds the in thing for women in the 50s.

Captions like "Diamonds are Forever," and "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friends," made Tiffany's sale go through the roof, literally becoming a household name in the age of conspicuous consumption in the US.

Fortunately for some, the carbon-clad reality hit home, and all that glitters, shine less when bathed in bloody conflict - as clearly exposed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie, Blood Diamond. The abundance of blood diamonds all over Sierra Leone was one of the reasons that had triggered the Sierra Leone Civil War which took place from 1991 to 2002.

Also, the government crackdown on large-scale free-for-all blood diamond mining in Zimbabwe in the early 2000's resulted in the deaths of more than 200 people who were shot with automatic rifles, while scores of people were beaten, tortured and raped by the soldiers.

All in all, a staggering three to four million people are estimated to have perished due to diamond mining, associated with multiple factors including unsafe working conditions and continuous civil conflicts.

In Malaysia, it would seem that the fetish with diamonds has lasted until today - for some, at least.

James Bond movie flicks like "Diamonds Are Forever" was all the rage in the mid-1970s.

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