Artificial Diamonds

[pmcray]

I'm hoping someone can help me out identifying a short story that Alison brought up this evening (we were talking about artificial diamonds).

Unhappy astronaut goes to the Moon(?) where he discovers that the surface is covered with diamonds. He collects as many diamonds as he can including a particularly large one as a gift for his wife/girlfriend (their relationship is troubled). On the way back, he learns that a new technique for synthesising artificial diamonds that has just been invented means that the diamonds he collected are worthless.

Alison thinks that the astronaut might own/have shares in a diamond mine on Earth. She also thinks that the story might be by Arthur C. Clarke. I've read most of his stories and it doesn't sound like a Clarke story. Anyone got any ideas about the story?

Comments

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

The story is by Clarke; it's called All That Glitters and is a very short piece in a series about the first international lunar expedition. The central character has a wife who loves diamonds and is an expert on them himself (but can't afford to buy any for her). Whilst on the moon he discovers a huge diamond, but at the same time gets a message that his lab has just perfected a process to synthesize diamonds of any size at negligible cost. His find that had been worth a million dollars is now worth a couple of hundred - and his wife goes on to divorce him on ground of mental cruelty.

MC

[pmcray.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've read the series of stories. I remember the one about the lunar plant that kills a biologist when it shoots out its seed and, of course, the Coca Cola advert story, but had completely forgotten the diamond story.