The Kimberley Process and Non Conflict Diamonds

When it comes to buying loose diamonds, you should make sure that you buy non onflict diamonds. This means ensuring that your supplier buys only from those countries that do not use the sale of diamonds to finance any activities that result in hardship and bloodshed. This fact may be surprising to you if you do not realize that there are countries in Africa in which diamond mining is part of the way in which groups receive money they need to pay for wars and terrorist activities.

As a result, the United Nations set up the Kimberley process in 1998 and coined the two phrases non conflict diamonds and conflict diamonds. Conflict diamonds are also referred to as blood diamonds because the money gained is used to pay for activities that result in the loss of life. Also, the manner in which such diamonds are extracted result in harsh working conditions.

There are forty countries that take part in the Kimberley Certification process to attest to the fact that the sale of diamonds is used to finance economic activities within the countries. They provide a certificate to the sellers when shipping non conflict diamonds out of the country that they can provide to their customers. The diamonds along with this certificate must be sealed in a package that cannot be opened until it reaches the hands of the customer.

One of the aspects of non conflict diamonds is that these diamonds are rough diamonds and have not been cut or polished in any way. Once you buy these diamonds you have to find a craftsman capable of cutting the diamonds in the way you wish, such as Emerald, Marquise, Oval, Round, or pear cuts. The skill of the cut will have a direct effect on the appraisal of the diamond which can be carried out by IGI appraisals, GIA, EGL or AGA. By buying non-conflict diamonds on your own, you will not know the true value of the stones.

However, if you buy from a trusted seller, you won\'t have to bother with obtaining the services of a diamond cutter. The jeweler will have an appraisal of the diamond to accompany your purchase. You will also receive this appraisal when you buy diamonds already set in pieces of jewelry, such as GIA diamond rings. Of course, you can double check the appraisal by having one carried out at your own expense. Legitimate diamond sellers will not have any difficulty telling you where the diamonds came from or being able to show you the Kimberley certification.

Local jewelry stores may not actually have this certificate, but they will be able to attest to the fact that their suppliers deal only in non-conflict diamonds. You usually don\'t have to worry too much about this factor when buying from a jeweler, but it is important to check the date on the appraisal certificate.The date on the certificate of authenticity will give you a hint as to when the diamond came into the country. If it was before 1998, you may have cause for concern about it not being a non-conflict diamond and you may have to investigate further.

You should also be mindful of this date on the appraisal certificate for IGI appraisals because if too much time has elapsed since the appraisal the diamond may have been changed in some way, especially if you are buying one that has been traded in as part of an upgrade. In recent years, many people who have had IGI appraisals of their diamonds have found that even though they did receive a very comprehensive report, the approximate value of the diamond was far greater than an appraisal done by another gemological institute.

One of the aspects of non-conflict diamonds is that these diamonds are rough diamonds and have not been cut or polished in any way. Once you buy these diamonds you have to find a craftsman capable of cutting the diamonds in the way you wish...