Non-conflict diamonds do not come from countries where militias or warlords mine them for funds.
A conflict-free diamond is a diamond that has a certification that assures the buyer that it does not come from areas where criminals control the diamond trade. Diamonds from areas such as Sierra Leone, Angola, and Congo are often called conflict diamonds or blood diamonds. This is because diamonds obtained in these areas often cost people their lives. People who legally trade diamonds in these countries are at great risk of being killed or terrorized by criminals who will steal their diamonds and sell them. By purchasing a non-conflict diamond, the consumer can be assured that they have not inadvertently contributed to violence.
The African countries of Sierra Leone, Angola and Liberia are the main producers of conflict diamonds.
Concern about the loss of life around these diamonds has sparked the interest of many Western countries in obtaining conflict-free diamonds. The problem is that it is usually impossible to tell the difference between blood diamonds and non-conflict diamonds. This led to the Kimberly Diamond Certification Process, where sellers and buyers agree to abide by certain rules when sourcing diamonds to ensure they are conflict-free. The Kimberly Process attempts to document all diamonds and their movements on the international market. This international process is not mandatory in all countries, but some diamond buyers have made arrangements to work only with diamonds that are presumed to be conflict-free.
Buying a conflict free diamond will require some research.
Original shippers of rough conflict-free diamonds must provide information on how the diamonds were sourced and sufficient evidence that they are, in fact, conflict-free to receive certification. This does not always mean that someone is going to purchase a conflict-free diamond, but retailers that only deal with Kimberly Process certified diamonds are more likely to have purchased legally sourced diamonds. The Kimberly Process is not always able to capture illegally obtained diamonds.
Where the diamond was mined is important in certifying it as conflict free.
People interested in buying a conflict-free diamond can work with retailers that only buy certified diamonds. At the moment, however, a conflict-free diamond cannot be guaranteed unless you legally remove it from the ground and cut it yourself.
There are some characteristics of a conflict free diamond that can help with identification. Australian diamonds, for example, are generally conflict-free and can have a slightly pinkish hue. Additionally, certification helps minimize the risk of purchasing a blood diamond.
Many believe that the way to stop the progress of conflict diamonds is to buy diamonds only from retailers who voluntarily buy Kimberly Process certified diamonds. This will certainly help increase the chances of purchasing a conflict-free diamond, one that was not obtained at the cost of other people’s lives.