What exactly are conflict diamonds?
To understand conflict-free diamonds, we first have to understand what conflict diamonds are. Many diamonds that have been mined from violent conflict zones have led to the diamond industry's scrutiny. Rebel groups control various diamond mines and use diamond proceeds to finance their wars against various governments, brutalize local populations, and construct factional armies. These warzone diamonds are called conflict diamonds or blood diamonds.
One significant example involves Sierra Leone, whose diamond revenue was used to buy weapons in order to pay for the 1990s deadly and devastating civil war. The diamond industry funded the civil war that saw more than 75,000 people killed and countless displaced. Natural diamonds are often extracted from countries that have poor labor conditions and poor pay. As stated in an article for Time magazine, "hundreds of miners die every year in tunnel collapses that usually don't make the news because they happen all the time."
About 65% of diamonds in the diamond industry worth $81.4 billion originate from African countries. A few years back, the United Nations, as reported by Reuters, found that about 140,000 carats of conflict diamonds, worth $24 million, were smuggled out of the Central African Republic, which was a war-torn nation.
What exactly are conflict diamonds?
Today, while diamond mining is predominantly associated with Africa, serious contributions also come from places like Russia, Canada, and Australia. Among these, Russia is especially significant because they produce a tremendous amount of smaller diamonds, many of which are used in engagement rings, earrings, and pendants, for instance for U.S., which imports diamonds heavily from northeastern Russia. However, there are claims that the money from Russian diamonds is being used to fund military operations against Ukraine, and thus some countries have labeled these diamonds as blood diamonds.
The United States and other countries are considering full-fledged declarations of Russian diamonds as conflict diamonds, saying the money earned from these sales goes to the Russian government's war efforts in Ukraine. "The proceeds from that production are benefiting the very state that is now waging a premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified war," said George Cajati, a U.S. State Department official.
This raises a critical question: can the diamond industry really change its reputation concerning the blood diamonds? Conflict-free diamonds are a proper substitute for the natural diamond industry, historically with problems in sourcing practices; they provide options that are sourced ethically and violence-free. Diamonds mined peacefully and ethically shine with as much brilliance as any other conventional diamond.
What defines a conflict-free diamond?
The diamond industry has been making efforts to track diamonds at different stages of the supply chain-that is, from mines to retail stores-trying to stop the sales of conflict diamonds. The process of tracking also complies with the requirements set by the Kimberley Process (KP), which is an international, voluntary certification system aimed at preventing the trade in conflict gems.
Under KP, participating countries require to certify that the diamonds exported are conflict-free along the origin and the methods applied for mining and trading. It is still a complex challenge as it is almost impossible to claim that a natural diamond discovered in a jewelry store is 100% conflict-free.
Is it possible for mined diamonds to be 100% conflict-free?
Many mining companies of diamonds claim to shun the use of conflict diamonds, but the verification of these claims is a tough task. The fact that diamonds are often cut and polished in different countries makes it even harder to trace their origin and thus verify their conflict-free status.
The New York Times article, above-quoted also says, "In 2003, the diamond industry established the Kimberley Process, an international certification system designed to reassure consumers that the diamonds they bought were conflict-free. But more than 10 years later, while the process did reduce the number of conflict diamonds on the market, it remains riddled with loopholes, unable to stop many diamonds mined in war zones or under other egregious circumstances from being sold in international markets."
Hundreds of thousands of rough diamonds mined in African countries are shipped abroad for cutting and polishing, and then to laboratories for grading. In this process, one diamond can pass through 20-30 hands before reaching a jewelry store. This is a very complex process, making it very difficult to guarantee that a diamond is entirely conflict-free.
Where can I find conflict-free diamonds?
The Good News
Lab-Grown Diamonds Are Always Conflict-Free!
Since lab-grown diamonds are produced in controlled, ethical conditions, you can be assured they are never associated with conflict, violence, or war. Choosing conflict-free or lab-created diamonds has many advantages over traditionally mined stones:
100% Conflict-Free
Lab-grown diamonds are bound to be free of conflicts because they ensure comfort that mined ones cannot provide always. Even when mined diamonds were sourced from territories where war crimes, human rights abuses, even genocide took place, lab diamonds are grown with safety in an environment completely cut off from any ethical concerns.Lab-grown diamonds are often more affordable than their natural counterparts due to significantly lower production costs. Unlike mined diamonds, they do not require expensive extraction processes or intensive labor. Moreover, controlled creation ensures consistency in quality, which is not easy to achieve with naturally mined diamonds.
Ethically Sourced
By choosing a lab-grown diamond, one is supporting practices that are responsible and ethical to avoid exploitation and funding of violence. They're an ethically sound, affordable alternative, aligned with the expanding consumer demand for beautiful jewelry which also contributes to social and environmental well-being.
