Project description

Looking at diamonds most of western consumers think of precious commodities, engagement rings and probably of ethical sourcing. There is hardly ever a thought of diamonds' strategic significance in geopolitics and international affairs. Tracking Diamonds aims to undermine the understanding of science diplomacy as merely a tool for building bridges among nations. Instead, focusing on the case of emerging AI technologies to track rough diamonds, it argues that science and technology-based diplomacy runs the risk of supporting colonialism while aiming to ensure an ethically sound diamond trade.

Short Bio

Maria Rentetzi is Professor of Science, Technology, and Gender Studies at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Her research explores the political and historical dimensions of technoscience, with a focus on gender as a key analytical category in scientific and technological practices. She is co-editor of Negotiating Radiation Protection (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2025) and Boxes: A Field Guide (Mattering Press, 2020); author of Living with Radiation (Cleio Press, 2025); Seduced by Radium (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2022) and The Gender of Things (Routledge, 2024).