Decoding the Hot Word of the Diamond World
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Diamonds have been valued as one of Earth’s most beautiful creations since ancient times. But only when man learned how to cut and set them early in the second millennium AD were they used to adorn jewelry. Rare luxuries only the wealthiest could once acquire, diamonds today are more accessible and affordable for all.
Only in the last couple decades has attention turned to where these precious stones come from. Thanks to news headlines and the Hollywood film Blood Diamond, the public has become more aware of the unsavory backstories surrounding the sourcing of diamonds. Soon the label “conflict-free” started appearing on the jewelry market.
So what does it mean for a diamond to be conflict-free? Put simply, these diamonds are not linked to criminal/militia /rebel /terror groups, largely found in African countries where the diamond trade is highest. They have not been procured from war-torn areas, smuggled, or illegally traded.
It’s important to note that according to Gemological Institute of America, 99% of diamonds in the marketplace today are conflict-free. So just because a diamond isn’t labelled “conflict-free” it doesn’t mean that it is a “blood diamond.” That is, in part, a result of the Kimberley Process which developed regulations to ensure the sourcing of conflict-free diamonds. Today, 75 countries participate in this certification process.
Another consideration is that conflict-free is a limited classification. It doesn’t necessarily mean ethical. A diamond can not come from a war zone or not be link to a rebel group and have been mined under conditions that violate environmental and human rights standards.
*For more diamond facts check out our Decoding Diamonds series.
