Zakum Diamond drops?

yeah I wouldn't trust that. You know how many times they've said "lol it drops you're just unlucky" and then like 3 months later were like "Oh shi- it really doesn't drop" >_>
Pap's curl as an example of this.

My political senses tell me that the answer I was given pertained to the message itself, and not the actual game xD I wouldn't be surprised if it was the wrong answer, since the game's being produced by several departments, which work independently for the most part.

Really? I tried it in the Ariant quests, but it never worked, not even when I was standing on right on top of the NPC.

I don't know what to tell you, except that they worked for Abel's Glasses quest.