Will the synthetics hype die off?

Synthetics have been the Grinch to natural diamonds, spoiling the rarity of rough diamonds and adding to a difficult sales period for naturals. Countries like Botswana whose economy is built on the De Beers story of the rarity of diamonds, are wishing synthetics away, predicting their doom and collapse, but the market will have the final say. Mmegi Staffer TIMOTHY LEWANIKA reports

• diamonds