[slm_HN]

"Synthetic diamonds are now purer, more beautiful, and vastly cheaper than mined diamonds. Beating nature took decades of hard graft and millions of pounds of pressure."

What does graft mean in this context? Is there a process where you graft diamonds, like plants? Does it refer to the diamond seed crystals mentioned in the article?

[jrgoff]

Seems to be UK slang meaning work/effort, see the third definition listed here: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/graft

[ycombinete]

Hard graft is an idiom. It means hard work.

[berniedurfee]

Ah! Thanks, I misread that as “grift” and thought it was another jab at De Beers.