What are Conflict Diamonds?

Conflict diamonds are rough diamonds that are traded or sold by rebel movements. The profits from these diamonds are used to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments.

Conflict or blood diamonds, as they are sometimes called, are usually mined using illegal employment practices. These illicit practices include using underage workers, often children well under the age of sixteen and in habitually substandard conditions.

You have probably heard that most conflict diamonds come from Africa. This is because in Angola and Sierra Leone, conflict diamonds continue to fund rebel groups. Based on this information, the United Nations has put sanctions on conflict diamonds from Angola and Sierra Leone.

Recent press on the topic of conflict diamonds has created a need for the diamond trade and governments to assure that conflict diamonds are not allowed to enter the legitimate international diamond distribution network. The ‘assurance’ we have in place today are that the diamonds that are mined in Africa have a Kimberley Process Certificate included with the exported shipment.

The Kimberley Process Certificate is a forgery resistant document which identifies a shipment of rough diamonds as being in compliance with the current requirements. This process requires that all diamonds mined after January 1, 2003, be shipped in tamper-resistant containers accompanied by government-validated certificates.

How do you know if the diamond you are buying contains a Kimberley Process Certificate? Can you trust a jeweler who says their diamonds were exported from non-conflict sources?

No individual diamond sold can come with complete assurance that it has the Kimberley Process Certificate attached to it. Since rough diamonds change hands many times before they make it to your local jeweler, and the entire shipment of rough diamonds are what is being certified as conflict free no jeweler can make the assertion that an individual diamond has gone through the Kimberley Process.

However, you can trust reputable jewelers who state that their diamonds were mined from conflict free sources. For example, diamonds mined in Canada are conflict free. Check out http://www.crystalmoonjewelry.com and http://www.andersonsfinejewelry.com for more information on the Kimberley Process and buying conflict free diamonds.

Ann O'Brien is the owner of the www.annobrienjewelry.com