Blood Diamond Controversy

In various regions of the world, acts of war are being financed by the blood diamond trade. Also known as a conflict or war diamond, a blood diamond is one that is mined, usually by forceful means, and used to finance war, insurgency, and terrorist activities. In order to decrease the ability for groups to use blood diamonds to finance their activities, a joint effort between various parties involved in the diamond industry produced the Kimberley Process. This certification program was the collaborative effort of diamond miners, government agencies, and diamond distributors. It created a chain of custody for all diamonds entering the retail market. For a diamond to be certified under the Kimberley Process, the distributor had to be able to trace the exact origins of the diamond, from its discovery in the mine up to its arrival at the retailer, ensuring that no part of the money produced by the mining or sale of the diamond was used to finance any controversial military activities. While there are still groups able to get uncertified diamonds onto the market, the number of conflict diamonds has decreased significantly since the Kimberley Process was enacted in 2002. One of the best ways to ensure you are doing your part to further reduce the ability for unsanctioned groups to profit off the sale of blood diamonds is to verify you are purchasing your new diamond from a reputable dealer, such as Purely Diamonds, known for their wide selection of exclusively conflict free diamonds.