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Martin Rapaport Writes Condemning Letter to Leonardo DiCaprio for Synthetic Diamond Claims

Published

8 years ago

April 4, 2016

INSTORE Staff

“You are literally taking the bread out of the mouths of the poorest people on earth.”

In the latest issue of Rapaport magazine, Martin Rapaport penned a deep opinion piece called the “Synthetic Diamond Scam” that vigorously criticizes the “fundamentally unethical” way in which synthetic diamonds are marketed and sold, asserting that “the current market for synthetic diamonds is evil and consumers that buy them are suckers.”

Naturally, he takes up beef with Leonardo DiCaprio – an investor in synthetic diamond maker Diamond Foundry – and says that his diamonds “threaten the lives of millions of artisanal diggers.” At the bottom of the article, Rapaport includes a letter he wrote to the movie star in which he pleads that DiCaprio stop promoting synthetic diamonds as a more ethical product than legitimate natural diamonds, citing the 1.5 million diggers in Africa who are highly impoverished and rely on the natural diamond industry for their livelihoods. The real zinger aimed at Leo: “You are literally taking the bread out of the mouths of the poorest people on earth. And you are calling it ethical. That is super wrong.”

This Third-Generation Jeweler Was Ready for Retirement. He Called Wilkerson

Retirement is never easy, especially when it means the end to a business that was founded in 1884. But for Laura and Sam Sipe, it was time to put their own needs first. They decided to close J.C. Sipe Jewelers, one of Indianapolis’ most trusted names in fine jewelry, and call Wilkerson. “Laura and I decided the conditions were right,” says Sam. Wilkerson handled every detail in their going-out-of-business sale, from marketing to manning the sales floor. “The main goal was to sell our existing inventory that’s all paid for and turn that into cash for our retirement,” says Sam. “It’s been very, very productive.” Would they recommend Wilkerson to other jewelers who want to enjoy their golden years? Absolutely! “Call Wilkerson,” says Laura. “They can help you achieve your goals so you’ll be able to move into retirement comfortably.”