Japanese queue up for free diamonds

TOKYO: Lines curled around for blocks in downtown Tokyo yesterday for 5,000 tiny but freebie diamonds French jeweler Mauboussin was giving away in an attention-getting drive in Japan, a nation where it's still unknown.

"A value of a diamond doesn't go down. And you never get tired of a diamond," said Noriko Suzumaru, a 39-year-old housewife, who jumped on a train from the nearby city of Kawasaki to stand in line after seeing the deal on TV news.

Suzumaru was among a crowd of bargain-hunters lined up in the glitzy Ginza for the 0.1-carat diamonds Mauboussin was offering for its first 5,000 customers. The gems are valued at about 5,000 yen ($50).