Japanese queue up for free diamonds

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-02 07:45

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).

Mauboussin's flagship Japan store opened in Ginza in Japan, in February. But the store had often been empty because its name, though associated with international celebrities, isn't widely recognized among Japanese. Many still don't even know how to pronounce Mauboussin (Mo-bu-SAN).

Trend-loving Japanese have also stood in lines for products like Apple's iPhone, the egg-shaped toy Tamagotchi and countless video games. So drawing lines in Tokyo has become a signature way businesses drum up publicity.

Mauboussin, which was founded 181 years ago in France, is encouraging people to get their free diamond be made into rings and pendants at its store. But that will come at a cost, starting at about 50,000 yen ($500).

(China Daily 06/02/2009 page10)