For most of us, the first time we heard the term Blood Diamonds was when the Leonardo Di Caprio film of the same name appeared in cinemas. So what are blood diamonds, and should you take steps to avoid inadvertently buying Jewellery which contains them?
Essentially, they are the stones which appear in Diamond Jewellery which have been sold in Africa in order to fund illegal operations of rebels and other terrorist groups. Countries that have been most affected by this are Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where many people have died in conflicts which have been funded by the sale of these stones which later turn up in everything from Diamond Bracelets to Eternity Rings.
There have been moves to ensure that our Diamond Jewellery is free from these blood diamonds. Ten years ago, South African countries with a legitimate diamond trade began a campaign to track the origins of all rough diamonds, attempting to put a stop to blood diamond sales from known conflict areas. Their efforts eventually resulted in The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), an international effort to rid the world of conflict diamonds, and so far appears to be seeing success.
When you are buying diamond jewellery, don’t be afraid to questions when you are choosing diamond rings or diamond earrings. Ask the dealer where the diamonds you are looking at came from, what the company’s policy on blood diamonds is, and if the company can verify the origins of the stones.
Tags: diamond bracelets, diamond earrings, Diamond Jewellery, Diamond Rings