Article Highlights
A conflict diamond is a diamond whose sale funds wars. The Kimberley Process is a pact between countries to only trade non-conflict diamonds.Lab created diamonds can’t be blood diamonds. The Kimberley Process was founded in 2000 in Kimberley, South Africa.
Diamonds are a limited resource whose dazzling beauty is valued by all, but unfortunately, the history of diamonds has some less than dazzling parts to it.
What is a Conflict Diamond?
A diamond that is sold in order to fund conflict and wars are called conflict diamonds, or blood diamonds. This normally happens before the diamond is even cut. Often while the rough diamond is being transported, warmongers will steal the diamonds to then turn around and sell them in order to fund their agenda.
Why are Conflict Diamonds Bad?
Conflict diamonds are bad for everyone involved. The mine loses out on their livelihood. The thieves use the money made from the sale to create more conflict and the person who buys the diamond wants it to be a symbol of love and not a byproduct of unrest in other countries.
What is the Kimberley Process?
The Kimberley Process (KP) is an agreement established in 2000 in Kimberley, South Africa then enforced in 2003 between 59 countries to only trade in ethically sourced diamonds. The goal is to eliminate the trade of blood diamonds and therefore their funding of civil unrest. This is achieved by tamper-proof packaging and diligently documenting the diamonds through the trading process, as well as only trading with other KP members. The Kimberley Process takes effect at the diamond mine where the diamonds are securely packaged and documented before being transported.
How is the Kimberley Process Enforced?
Now that you know a little about how the KP works, you may be wondering how it’s enforced. As you can imagine, diamond trading is very lucrative and creates lots of jobs. The Kimberley Process has many members that are large influential countries that other countries want to trade with. However, you can only trade diamonds with members of the KP if you are part of the KP. Therefore, it incentivizes countries to become part of the KP in order to have access to more diamond trading. According to the official Kimberley Process website, there are currently 59 countries that make up the organization.
How Do I Know I’m Buying Ethical Diamonds?
Fortunately, the United States has been a part of the KP from the very beginning in 2003. This means that the diamonds that are imported are almost all conflict free. I say almost all because the official KP website says that 99.8% of trade of conflict diamonds are weeded out.
Can Lab Diamonds Be Conflict Diamonds?
One of the biggest pros of buying lab created diamonds is you will never have to wonder if it’s a blood diamond or not. Since created diamonds only come from labs, it's very easy to track every step in the trading process.
While the Kimberley Process does have some flaws, it is still a crucial part of ethical diamond trading around the world. If you have any questions or need help picking out your next piece of jewelry, remember that the Lola Ade team is only an email away!