▁() ▁was ▁a ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁French ▁silent ▁comedy ▁film ▁directed ▁by ▁Georges ▁Mé li ès . ▁ ▁Plot ▁A ▁fra ud ster ▁is ▁at ▁work ▁in ▁his ▁labor atory , ▁where ▁he ▁pret ends ▁to ▁make ▁synth etic ▁diam onds . ▁He ▁is ▁visited ▁by ▁numerous ▁angry ▁customers ▁who ▁have ▁discovered ▁the ▁de ception , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁by ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁a ▁South ▁African ▁diam ond ▁min ing ▁company , ▁who ▁watch es ▁the ▁fra ud ster ▁at ▁work ▁and ▁is ▁presented ▁with ▁a ▁diam ond ▁tie ▁pin ▁for ▁his ▁c rav at . ▁Pol ic emen ▁carry ▁the ▁fra ud ster ▁off ▁to ▁trial , ▁but ▁during ▁the ▁may hem ▁of ▁the ▁court ▁case , ▁he ▁up ends ▁his ▁oppon ents ▁and ▁esc apes ▁through ▁a ▁window . ▁A ▁ch ase ▁ens ues ▁before ▁the ▁fake ▁diam ond ▁sw ind ler ▁is ▁finally ▁caught ▁and ▁imprison ed . ▁ ▁Production ▁and ▁release ▁As ▁the ▁film ▁historian ▁Georges ▁Sad oul ▁noted , ▁the ▁film ▁par od ies ▁the ▁career ▁of ▁Henri ▁Lem o ine , ▁an ▁engineer ▁who ▁had ▁con ned ▁the ▁diam ond ▁merchant ▁De ▁Be ers ▁into ▁bel ieving ▁he ▁had ▁invent ed ▁a ▁process ▁for ▁making ▁synth etic ▁diam onds . ▁ ▁A ▁F ake ▁Diam ond ▁Sw ind ler ▁was ▁released ▁by ▁Mé li ès ' s ▁Star ▁Film ▁Company ▁and ▁is ▁number ed ▁ 1 1 1 6 – 1 1 2 3 ▁in ▁its ▁catalog ues , ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁advert ised ▁as