Conflict Diamonds, Should You Use Them? by Frank Vanderlugt

Conflict Diamonds, Should You Use Them? by Frank Vanderlugt
Diamonds are a source of power as well as a source of beauty. Diamonds can be sold for a great deal of money. When they are in the hands of unethical people, their beauty can quickly be overshadowed by the mistreatment that occurs along the way. These diamonds have come to be labeled conflict diamonds.
Mostly associated with Africa, conflict diamonds are rough diamonds that are used for funding by rebel groups trying to overthrow their local governments. As reported in the media, rebel groups take over a mining operation and force the local population to work under brutal conditions to retrieve the diamonds. The rebel group then sells these diamonds to raise funds for arms and other materials in their fight against the government.
While the diamond that was mined under unethical conditions is just as beautiful and valuable as any other stone, the conscientiousness of the buying public will not tolerate the history associated with these diamonds. Knowing that people were mistreated to produce a finished diamond added a taint that no amount of polishing can remove.
To address this problem the United Nations and other concerned groups formed the World Diamond Council and the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. The KPCS has been in use since 2003 and is the accepted way to certify the source of uncut diamonds. According to the DeBeers diamond company, one of the leading African diamond companies, the Kimberley Process has greatly reduced the amount of conflict diamonds in circulation in the world's markets.
The process works by requiring governments to ensure that each shipment of uncut diamonds is matched to an accompanying certificate. The certificate specifically traces the steps the diamond has taken from the mine. There are 70 countries currently participating in the Kimberley Process. They all agree to only accept diamond shipments that have the appropriate certification.
Public pressure also plays a key role in keeping conflict diamonds off the market. Jewelry stores want to assure their customers that their merchandise is conflict free. To meet these standards jewelers purchase their diamonds only from companies that follow the Kimberley Process and the System of Warranties. The warranties are in place to carry the diamond all the way through the finishing processes to the retail outlet. The warranty ensures that not conflict funding was generated at any step in the process.
Major diamond companies like DeBeers have fully embraced the Kimberley Process and have used it as a positive aspect of their business. They promote the warranties and make sure that all employees in the company understand the harm of conflict diamonds. By embracing the policy, companies can create positive public relations for their diamonds and give their customers confidence in their purchases.
In addition to conflict diamonds, the United Nations and the International Labor Organization are working to prevent the use of child labor in the diamond industry.
About the Author
frank j vanderlugt owns and operates http://www.diamondzmall.com Diamonds