There’s no disputing the beauty of diamonds, however their origin has often been rather ugly. The issue of blood diamonds – also known as conflict diamonds – has always been a difficult one for the diamond industry.

What Are Blood Diamonds?

Blood diamonds are gems that are mined and sold in order to support insurgencies, wars and other armed conflicts. Given the large proportion of the world’s diamonds mined in Africa this term can cover a significant amount of the world’s potential diamond output. Many buyers are, understandably, reluctant to buy gems that support such activity. The issue of blood diamonds became more well known following the 2006 Leonardo DiCaprio movie.

How To Avoid Blood Diamonds

Trying to check the provenance of each stone in a piece of jewelry you’re planning to buy is next to impossible for the average consumer. Over the years individual governments and the UN have placed trade embargos on certain regions, however these are uncertain methods that take time to enact. So how can you avoid having blood on your hands when you buy diamonds?

The best protection for the average buyer comes from the Kimberley Process. This is a “joint governments, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds – rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments”.

The Kimberley Process began in 2000 and runs the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) which certifies rough diamonds from member states as “conflict free”. As a result of the KPCS it’s estimated that the percentage of blood diamonds on the market has fallen from 15% to a mere 1%.

Despite the great success of the Kimberley process there are still some who feel it doesn’t go far enough and would like to see it strengthened, for example by expanding the KPCS definition of a blood diamond.

External Links:
The Kimberley Process