BLOOD DIAMONDS VS CONFLICT FREE DIAMONDS
BLACK MARKET DIAMONDS
TRADE DIAMONDS TO FUND WARS
Conflict-free diamonds are those gems which were not obtained due to human right abuses, child labor, violence, or environmental degradation. Although the U.N.'s Kimberly Process only covers diamonds under the control of legitimate and recognized governments, conflict-free goes one step further by rejecting diamonds from governments that trade in diamonds to bankroll their conflicts.
Through 1990s, most of the world's diamonds came from Africa, particularly regions undergoing civil unrest. Rebel armies in parts of Africa were exploiting alluvial diamond fields to fund their wars against established governments, putting people and the environment in the middle of their conflicts. Alluvial diamonds are found just inches to a few feet below the surface, making them easier to mine, but having an adverse impact on the environment. The people working these fields were often very young and subject to exploitation, with some losing their lives or permanently maimed as wars raged around them. Hence term blood diamonds to describe these types of gems.
In some words, conflict or Blood Diamonds are diamonds sold to fund conflict, civil war and terrorism as well as slave labor in many African countries. Blood diamonds have been known to fund civil war in Ivory Coast, armed conflict in Liberia, Congo and Angola as well as funding terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and Hezbollah.
Public awareness of the issue of conflict diamonds was enhanced with the release of the successful Leonardo DiCaprio movie Blood Diamond.
The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was established to certify the origin of rough diamonds from sources known to be conflict free. A 2000 meeting of southern Africa diamond producing countries established guidelines for the KPCS which were later adopted by the United Nations.
The United Nation officially recognized the severity of the conflict diamond trade in 1998 and in 2002 the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme was launched. The Kimberly Process is a system of record keeping and certification, tracing every stone from the origin in its raw state, all the ways to its final destination as a polished diamond. To ensure compliance, independent auditing systems are tasked with tracking diamonds from their place of origin to delivery.
Polished diamonds sold in the US must adhere to the Patriot Act which requires that every US dealer maintain Kimberly compliance or be subject to penalties from Homeland Security, the US Justice Department, and the US Treasury.
DIAMONDS TOPICS BY DIAMONDS RINGS & JEWELRY BLOG
BLACK MARKET DIAMONDS
TRADE DIAMONDS TO FUND WARS
Conflict-free diamonds are those gems which were not obtained due to human right abuses, child labor, violence, or environmental degradation. Although the U.N.'s Kimberly Process only covers diamonds under the control of legitimate and recognized governments, conflict-free goes one step further by rejecting diamonds from governments that trade in diamonds to bankroll their conflicts.
Through 1990s, most of the world's diamonds came from Africa, particularly regions undergoing civil unrest. Rebel armies in parts of Africa were exploiting alluvial diamond fields to fund their wars against established governments, putting people and the environment in the middle of their conflicts. Alluvial diamonds are found just inches to a few feet below the surface, making them easier to mine, but having an adverse impact on the environment. The people working these fields were often very young and subject to exploitation, with some losing their lives or permanently maimed as wars raged around them. Hence term blood diamonds to describe these types of gems.
In some words, conflict or Blood Diamonds are diamonds sold to fund conflict, civil war and terrorism as well as slave labor in many African countries. Blood diamonds have been known to fund civil war in Ivory Coast, armed conflict in Liberia, Congo and Angola as well as funding terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and Hezbollah.
Public awareness of the issue of conflict diamonds was enhanced with the release of the successful Leonardo DiCaprio movie Blood Diamond.
The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was established to certify the origin of rough diamonds from sources known to be conflict free. A 2000 meeting of southern Africa diamond producing countries established guidelines for the KPCS which were later adopted by the United Nations.
The United Nation officially recognized the severity of the conflict diamond trade in 1998 and in 2002 the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme was launched. The Kimberly Process is a system of record keeping and certification, tracing every stone from the origin in its raw state, all the ways to its final destination as a polished diamond. To ensure compliance, independent auditing systems are tasked with tracking diamonds from their place of origin to delivery.
Polished diamonds sold in the US must adhere to the Patriot Act which requires that every US dealer maintain Kimberly compliance or be subject to penalties from Homeland Security, the US Justice Department, and the US Treasury.
DIAMONDS TOPICS BY DIAMONDS RINGS & JEWELRY BLOG
