With the new release of the Leonardo DiCaprio film Blood Diamond, there has been much discussion regarding conflict diamonds and how they have affected many countries. However, unless you have the money to shell out to see the new DiCaprio film, chances are you’ll be left wondering exactly what conflict diamonds are.
Conflict diamonds, also referred to as blood diamonds, and are sold in order to fund illegal operations of rebel groups in third world countries. These countries include Liberia, the Congo, and Sierra Leone. These countries have been torn by endless wars from groups in control of the local diamond trade and it the citizens have experienced this violence first hand.
Though much of the terrorist acts and killing has ended, there are still pockets across West Africa that is still experiencing the horror of the corrupt diamond trading system. The answer to the problem started in 1998 when the United Nations placed Angola under sanction forbidding other countries from buying diamonds originating from Angola. This solution was the start of correcting the diamond trade industry, and it was the first time the United Nations had specifically set out to correct the industry. Did it work, you may ask? Well, in 1999 the diamond trade was estimated to make up roughly 3% of the world’s diamond population, and this number fell to 1% by 2004. It’s clear that the United Nation’s actions were effective, as well as those of the Kimberley Process.
The Kimberley Process started in 2000 when South African countries began the process of tracking down all rough diamonds and making an attempt to end the blood diamond trade. They adopted this process as The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, also known as KPCS.
The KPCS tracked all of the rough diamonds by requiring any shipping entering the country to place the diamonds on tamper proof crates and giving a detailed description about the diamond’s origins. While some countries have still not adopted the KPCS system, it’s catching on quickly and has already accomplished significant things.
Believe it or not, you can help in the fight to stop conflict diamonds. If you’re in the market for a diamond, demand that your local jeweler provide detailed information about the diamond’s origin and whether or not it’s conflict free. Not only are you physically denying conflict diamond’s but you’re sending a clear message that you do not support the corrupt diamond trade business that has left many countries torn and bloody. You, an average consumer, have the ability to not support this industry that helps fund terror groups. When you go into the jeweler, simply ask for a paper trail that tracks the diamond’s progression from the mine to its current location. The paperwork should include how the diamond has been handled, packaged, and marked for shipment. The jeweler can also provide you with the diamond’s identification number, an invoice and date of the invoice, as well as the overall diamond description.
If you’re living in a country like the United States then it’s hard to even imagine what it’s like to live in a country where diamonds are the cause of so much suffering and terror. Part of the reason is the media has chosen to ignore the issue and instead report on other stories. As I mentioned earlier, the new film Blood Diamond is bringing this concern to the mainstream and is opening everyone’s eyes to the way they go about shopping for diamonds. Although a jeweler cannot guarantee and conflict free diamond, you are still using something that’s even more important than the stone itself. Your voice is what can really change the world, one diamond at a time.
