After the museum tour, Liang En and his group didn't have any other plans and returned directly to the hotel. According to their previous arrangement, they would visit Mr. Varma's diamond processing factory to see if they could find any inspiration.
Diamonds have a long history as objects of desire. In the first century AD, the Roman naturalist Pliny said, "Diamond is the most valuable, not only of precious stones but of all things in this world."
Nowadays, when people think of diamonds, they often think of diamond-rich African countries like South Africa and Sierra Leone. Those interested in this field might also mention newer sources like Canada, Russia, or Brazil.
However, the oldest diamonds come from India. From 800 BC until the mid-18th century, India was the only source of diamonds, producing famous large diamonds like the Koh-i-Noor.
Ancient Indians classified diamond colors into four grades, named according to the unique caste system of India: colorless diamonds were called "Brahmin," light red diamonds "Kshatriya," light green diamonds "Vaishya," and gray diamonds "Shudra."
Indian literature from the 4th century BC already described and recorded diamonds, and archaeological research has found that Indians used diamonds as tools to carve beads of other gemstones as early as the 4th century BC.
Like the ancient Silk Road, India also had a trade route connecting India to the Western world, known to historians as the Diamond Road.
The Diamond Road actually consisted of two routes: a land route from India through present-day Iraq and Turkey to Rome, and a sea route across the Indian Ocean, passing Mecca and reaching Alexandria in Egypt before crossing the Mediterranean to Rome.
Diamonds that appeared in the Roman Empire from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD were transported via these two "Diamond Roads" from India. However, with the fall of the Roman Empire, the final destination of this route became Persia.
The biggest issue with Indian diamond mines was their low yield. Even at their peak in the 17th century, the annual output was only about 50,000 to 100,000 carats, with only a small portion reaching gem quality.
Afterwards, diamond production quickly declined. Between 1725 and 1730, only 2,000 to 5,000 carats of diamonds were shipped from India to Europe annually, severely impacting the European diamond industry.
However, in 1730, diamonds were discovered in Brazil, reaching a peak in the 1850s with an annual output of over 300,000 carats until it dropped to 5,000 carats by 1880.
At that time, the most important modern diamond source, Africa, was discovered. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the annual output from diamond mines near Kimberley alone reached 20 to 30 million carats.
Since then, diamonds have become accessible to ordinary people, no longer exclusive to royalty and nobility. However, India still plays a significant role in the diamond industry.
Nowadays, many people who buy and wear diamonds don't consider this question: African miners dig rough diamonds, wealthy people around the world buy diamonds, but who completes the processing? The answer is India!
Today, the western port cities of Surat and Mumbai in India have become global diamond processing centers, sometimes accounting for 92% of global diamond processing in extreme years.
In recent years, China has gradually started this business, but due to labor costs, the market share hasn't expanded significantly, and India still holds the top spot in global diamond processing.
Currently, there are four major diamond processing centers in the world: the small diamond processing centers in Surat and Mumbai, India; the large diamond processing center in New York, USA; the masterful diamond processing city of Antwerp, Belgium; and the delicate small diamond processing center in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Because Indian diamond processing overall has poorer cutting results than other places, the primary focus is on small diamonds for ordinary consumers.
But this doesn't mean there aren't good diamonds in Indian hands. Considering India's severe wealth disparity, it's possible for wealthy individuals to own some top-quality diamonds.
However, in terms of jewelry design and high-end processing, India is indeed poor. The entire country has few masters in this area, which is why Mr. Varma specifically invited Liang En.
At least Liang En's work can truly reach a master level, which is precisely what Mr. Varma currently lacks. It would be foolish not to seize this opportunity.
Liang En received a request from butler Lubson, hoping he could help see if Mr. Varma had any good diamonds and, if so, notify them to discuss diamond procurement.
For luxury goods companies, large diamonds are rare resources. If they have the opportunity to acquire them through collaboration at a reasonable price, they will certainly strive for it.
Surat is over 200 kilometers north of Mumbai. Since they left after noon, they arrived around 4 PM.
The first thing they did upon arrival was to eat. Indians are known for dragging out all necessary business times, so if you don't eat before working, you'll definitely be uncomfortably hungry later.
After eating, they drove to a settlement of low-income Surat residents on the outskirts of the city. Crawling along a few hundred meters of road for a few minutes, they arrived in front of a large iron gate.
Tall walls, barbed wire, and watchtowers separated the factory from the surrounding community. Passing through the gate, they saw a somewhat crude factory before them.
The factory looked crude because its buildings were clearly not built in the same era. Some older buildings had peeling paint and broken glass, appearing dilapidated.
However, the new factory buildings, five stories high, looked very good, likely built in the past two years. This indicated that the factory had been continuously developing, making it understandable why they were considering expansion.
From the scale, it seemed to be a large factory, employing over 5,000 people, making it one of the largest in the region.
This is characteristic of India's processing industry, relying on cheap labor in a war of attrition. For example, labor costs in India are only about 60% of those in China.
This is why China, as the world's top manufacturing nation, cannot defeat India in this area. Indian labor costs are simply too low.
However, this also means that India can only dominate low-end diamond processing and cannot upgrade its industry. The illiterate or semi-literate workers can't meet the quality requirements for industrial upgrading.
After entering the factory building, they took an elevator to the fifth-floor office. As one of the few air-conditioned rooms, everyone felt immediately cooler upon entering.
After closing the office door, Mr. Varma opened a safe and took out several trays of varying sizes, all filled with sparkling diamonds, dazzling under the light.
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