Conflict Diamonds:
Blood Diamonds, Conflict Free Diamonds, Non Conflict Diamonds.... What's it all about?

Conflict Diamonds are also known as Blood Diamonds and are diamonds that are  illegally traded and not regulated and fund conflicts in war torn areas of the world. The terms Non-Conflict Diamonds or Conflict Free Diamonds describe diamonds that are proven to be outside of any illegal trade. An engagement ring with a conflict diamond is no way to start a marriage. Even The United Nations (UN) has taken a stance and defines conflict diamonds as...

"...diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council."

    Source: DIAMONDFACTS.ORG

Today, the flow of these diamonds has been reduced considerably.

Diamond wedding rings, a symbol of lasting commitment, need not support appalling violence and human rights abuses. As a consumer you can help.  You can avoid buying conflict diamonds or blood diamonds by first being aware of their existence and being well informed.

But there is no 100% guarantee that your diamond is a non-conflict diamond.

Ask your jeweler for proof that you are buying conflict free diamonds. Ask them how they can prove that the engagement rings that they are selling (or even all the jewelry they have) contains on conflict free diamonds. Ask them what the company policy is on this matter.

If you don't want to go down that road, and want to steer clear of blood diamonds then make sure you buy diamonds that are mined from continents and countries that do not have civil wars going on. For example, Canadian mined diamonds and Australian mined diamonds are non-conflict diamonds.

Your jeweler must be able to answer that their diamonds have passed through the Kimberley process, also know as KPCS. The Kimberley process as defined by Wikipedia is a process certification scheme introduced by a United Nations resolution  in 2003 that is designed to certify the origin of rough diamonds from sources which are free of conflict fueled by diamond production, and to prevent diamond sales from financing rebellious movements.

As consumers, we have the power to change things over time and support the UN's efforts by demanding details about the origin of the diamonds we buy. Demanding proof that a diamond is conflict free sends a powerful message to the jewelry world that we will not support an industry or nation that helps fund terror groups through conflict diamonds.

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