Skip to content
Annual March Diamond Madness - Meet Our Champion - Up to 11% Off
Annual March Diamond Madness - Meet Our Champion - Up to 11% Off
The truth behind conflict diamonds

The truth behind conflict diamonds

The Sierra Leone blood diamond war against the Revolutionary United Front left approximately 20,000 people hurt, 75,000 killed and more than 2 million displaced, as cited on How Stuff Works. Blood diamonds, also referred to as conflict diamonds, are the cause for massive problems in diamond mining areas of the world, mainly the aforementioned Sierra Leone, as well as the African districts of Angola, Liberia, the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). So what exactly are conflict diamonds and how are they produced?

Conflict diamond mines
According to Jessica Leader, a writer for Mother Nature Network, conflict diamonds come from mines located in war zones (which are often third world countries). The stones that are resurrected from these mines are then sold on the black market; the profit made from selling conflict diamonds is then used to fund rebel fighters who are essentially running local villages and terrorizing the people who live there.

The conditions in which blood diamonds are obtained are horrific. Workers in the mines are commonly exposed to rampant disease, starvation and recurring violence. These inhumane conditions commonly causes physical and emotional harm to workers. The soldiers and rebels who are in charge of the mines deliver punishment to workers and their families if they do not work hard enough or attempt to escape the brutal environment.

A harsh reality of the conflict diamond industry is that many of the people working in the mines are children. Human Rights Watch reported that nearly 300 children worked in the mines located in the Marange district. Children are often lured into the mining industry by the rebel groups and police-controlled cartels with false promises of profit sharing. Once they are taken to the mines, the children encounter sunup to sundown working hours with little to no break time for food or water.

The Kimberly Process
In 2003, the United Nations Security Council passed the Kimberley Process, a three-year international certification scheme in the making. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) document outlines requirements for participating jewelers to help prevent conflict diamonds from making it into the mainstream market, and ultimately funding rebel groups and the war over these precious stones.

Today, the Kimberley Process has 54 participants representing approximately 80 countries throughout the world. According to the website, the KP is open to all countries who are willing to participate in the guidelines and implement the KPCS requirements into their jewelry trade market.

KPCS requirements include extensive research regarding the whereabouts and production of diamonds mined in conflict areas to prevent these blood diamonds from entering the market. Export, import and internal controls are put in place to check and certify that all diamond shipments are conflict-free before moving along to the appropriate vendors. Only those vendors that are accompanied by a KP certificate are guaranteed to be conflict-free diamonds.

Knowing the market
When shopping for jewelry, consumers should always inquire as to where the diamonds came from and request to see the KP certificate before making a purchase. If a KP certificate can not be produced, there is no guarantee that the consumer is not aiding in the horrific conflict diamond market.

Countries from the United Nations that are active chair members of the KP process include representatives from:

  • South Africa
  • Canada
  • Russia
  • Botswana
  • Countries in the European Union
  • India
  • Namibia
  • Israel
  • The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
  • The United States of America

Industry and civil society observers meet with these chair members twice a year to monitor and conduct review visits to conflict zones. Afterwards, updated reports are made and regularly exchanged to provide statistical data and updates regarding the progress being made to stop the blood diamond war zones and inhumane treatment of the workers in the mines.

Previous Paris Hilton’s 20-carat diamond engagement ring