Blood Diamonds Sold In A Jewelry Store Near You

Several recent posts on this site have referenced the situation in Zimbabwe, where blood diamonds mined in massive quantities end up on diamond engagement rings in your local jewelry store. Yet of all the shocking articles I’ve read about diamonds coming from Zimbabwe, a piece just published by the Daily Mail out of the UK outlines the horrendous and intolerable situation in Zimbabwe in the most candid fashion.

The title of the article is Mugabe’s Darkest Secret: An £800bn blood diamond mine he’s running with China’s Red Army. It outlines how diamond commerce continues to support human rights atrocities on the most horrific scale—diamonds that are reaching jewelry stores and sold as “conflict free” under the Kimberley Certification Process.

On the positive side, The Rapaport Group, which has been on the forefront of fair trade issues, has led the charge in opposition to Zimbabwe diamonds entering the mainstream supply chain. However, the Responsible Jewellery Council, the leading ethical certification initiative supported by the mainstream jewelry sector, continues to support the Kimberley Certification Process despite the influx of Zimbabwe diamonds. This means that diamonds from Zimbabwe will continue to hit the mainstream US and EU market.

Apart from recycled diamonds, which represent a good option, the only way to assure that your newly mined diamond is not a blood diamond is to know where it was sourced, from mine to market. Any new diamond where this determination cannot be made should be boycotted.

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