It's December, so the diamond people are out in force to try and tug on your heartstrings with their brilliant (no pun intended) commercial blitz. Here's the straight dope on the history of De Beers, the biggest diamond company and the inventor of the international diamond racket. But if I'm not mistaken, I haven't seen a single De Beers commercial this year. This fascinating Economist article about De Beers's current challenges may explain why: they need to contain costs in the face of new competition. Fortunately for the cartel, jewelry stores seem to be picking up the slack. If anyone spots a De Beers commercial ("diamonds are forever"), let me know...I can't get enough diamond intrigue.