I’m very excited to announce my next talk on the topic of buying diamonds; a gemstone close to my heart.
Here’s a small excerpt from the book Buying Gemstones & Jewellery Worldwide:
Even if you are not a diamond connoisseur, you will probably have heard the term ‘conflict’ or ‘blood’ diamonds and are aware that diamonds have been fuelling civil wars. Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, the Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have all been embroiled in violent civil discord over recent years, driven by diamonds.
A conflict diamond is defined as an illegally traded diamond mined at some point within the last 50 years.
Established by the United Nations in the year 2003, The Kimberly Process was designed to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the mainstream diamond market. It enables legitimate traders to certify their diamonds as ‘conflict free’. Even so, these illegal diamonds still slip through the net, with some estimating that up to 15% of diamonds sold in mainstream markets are conflict diamonds. It’s also important to note that the Kimberly Process doesn’t exclude diamonds mined in a way that damages communities, the environment or the miners themselves.
How to buy an ethical diamond
1. Find out the source. Ask your jeweller where the diamonds were mined.
2. Ask for details about the diamonds.
3. Don’t buy diamonds that come from countries notorious for human rights abuses in their mining industry. Check Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch if you’re not sure.
4. You might end up paying a bit more, but buy diamonds in countries where standards are rigorously enforced – Canada, for example.
5. Support the miners in Namibia and Botswana, and other countries where miner’s rights and environmental standards are strictly enforced. Income from mining creates jobs and will help these developing countries.
6. Buy from a reputable dealer who will guarantee that each diamond one was mined with stringent criteria on responsible and ethical sourcing.
7. Buy from jewellers who make a commitment to ethical sourcing.
Guest Speaker, Kim Rix, GG (GIA) to talk about Buying Diamonds.
Follow the link to get more information about the evening event, being hosted by The Network.
See you there!
Kim Rix GG (GIA)
Gemstone Detective
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