Conflict Diamonds

April 08, 2005 by

Catherine Lem

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War and Unrest in Western Africa

"The brutal wars in these African nations may be thousands of miles away, but the source of the funds that buy the weapons may be as close as your ring finger." Durbin, Diamonds: A war's best friend)

According to the American Press Dictionary, diamonds are "a form of carbon, a colorless, white, or occasionally tinted cubic mineral commonly occurring in octahedral crystals with a brilliant to greasy luster and a highly perfect cleavage…, the hardest known natural substance...(www.academicpress.com.)"

This definition describes the technical aspects of what constitutes a diamond, yet falls tragically short of the connotations that diamonds bring to the human mind. To many, diamonds are the symbol of wealth, romance, and love. In western society, media and advertisers bombard the consumers with images of lovers exchanging diamond jewelry as the ultimate gift of affection. Yet, to the informed consumer, this should not be the only image associated with diamonds. To many of those who understand the diamond market best, diamonds carry other underlying images: images of warfare, political strife, and human suffering. While most diamonds are bought and sold legitimately, the illegitimate diamond markets that exist in areas of Africa play a large part in the financing of wars and terrorism. Currently, there is much debate over how to best control these "conflict diamonds."

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Conflict Diamonds and How to Prevent Buying Them

An informative article discussing conflict diamonds, also known as blood diamonds, and how you can fight the corrupt diamond trade industry.

By Ben M | Published 12/14/2006 | Read more »

Conflict Diamonds: The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme

This article will breakdown what conflict diamonds are and how the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme plays it's part in keeping conflict diamonds out of the market.

By Lane Fournerat | Published 11/10/2006 | Read more »

The Cutting Truth of Conflict Diamonds

Most happy young couples shopping for a diamond engagement ring are thinking about love, not war. But a recent movie starring Hollywood powerhouse Leonardo DiCaprio is drawing new attention to the debate on where diamonds come from and how to buy them responsibly.

By Genevieve Long | Published 1/8/2007 | Read more »

Failures of the Diamond Mining Industry: History of Extorted Prices, Conflict and Genocide

Everyone saw Blood Diamond, and nearly nobody realizes that despite the so-called "infallible" Kimberley process, the diamond industry has serious problems to be addressed before we continue to throw money into it.

By Sam Stafford | Published 9/28/2007 | Read more »

Are All Diamonds Blood Diamonds?

The diamond industry claims that diamonds greatly benefit Africa. Some Africans might feel differently.

By Shanika | Published 12/17/2006 | Read more »

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Takeaways Did You Know

Diamonds are a form of carbon.
A diamond is a tinted, cubic mineral.
Conflict diamonds originate from areas that are under the control of outlaw forces or fractions.

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S Browning

We should also remember that many African countries have been in state of civil war for many years and have used ANY natural resources they can to help fund these. It is critical to remember too that diamonds, as a major natural resource contribute to building the lives of African people too and importantly that over 99.8% of the world's diamonds are from conflict free sources. There's a great site with all the facts at www.diamondfacts.org.

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Posted on 10/24/2006 at 5:10:00 AM