According to data from the Kimberley Process, the international watchdog set up to stop the trade of conflict diamonds, these gems account today for less than 1% of the total traded worldwide. Yet their definition remains limited to “rough diamonds illegally traded by rebel movements or their allies to finance armed conflicts aimed at undermining legitimate governments.”
Some countries, such as Australia, have pushed lately to expand the concept so that it better enforces human rights protection and ethical mining everywhere, and not just in rebels-torn countries.
Brilliant Earth has put together this infographic, explaining the current status of this issue and what can be done to choose certified conflict-free diamonds.
(Click on it to expand)
6 Comments
Wardiamonds
False and misleading information from Brilliant Earth. The Kimberley Process does not certify diamonds are conflict-free. The term conflict-free does not appear anywhere in the KP regulations, it is part of a the bogus System of Warranties introduced by the World Diamond Council to create the illusion that the KP regulations include cut and polished diamonds when in fact the KP only covers rough diamonds. “Ethically sourced” diamonds offer no guarantee that a diamond is not a blood diamond that generates revenue used to fund human rights violations after sourcing. Cut and polished diamonds, that may have been ethically sourced, are a major source of revenue for the regime in Israel which stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Brilliant Earth are know to source some of their diamonds in Israel and cannot, therefore, claim their diamonds are “untouched by violence and human rights abuses.
me
So what can be done exactly? Buying diamonds to Brilliant Earth? HA HA HA ! Is it information?
drsar
BE’s claims that its diamonds that are imported from or via Israel
are not “conflict diamonds”. BE deliberately stresses the positive impact of
revenues derived from diamonds has on jobs, education, environment and healthcare.
Israeli diamonds are indeed blood diamonds as they fund war crimes and crimes
against humanity in Palestine. Revenues from Israeli blood diamonds enable
Israel to maintain its apartheid laws and practices against Palestinians. Funds
from Israel’s blood diamonds finance the appalling conditions imposed by apartheid
Israel on Gaza: The destruction of schools, hospitals, agricultural crops and
land as well as the murder, maiming and terrorizing of thousands of men women
and children. The ongoing Israeli siege of Gaza deprives 1.7 million people of
the most basic dignities and rights that we all take for granted and turn the
whole area into the largest open prison in the world. Israeli diamonds are
blood diamonds and the trade in them must end forthwith.
Alon_A
In light of the other comments, this infographic seems like a pretty blatant case of whitewashing. Does
mining.com consider “journalism” to include reproducing information provided by a vested commercial interest without interrogating it? No reason to consider the possibility it might have a certain bias?
nuakhti
I don’t know why mining.com allows messages from anti-Semites.
Why do those so ‘concerned’ with ‘israeli blood diamonds’ not give a damn about other diamonds that they could describe as conflict diamonds:
Why don’t they campaign against Russian diamonds (after, all, don’t the Chechnyans count)?
Why don’t they campaign against Indian diamonds (after, all, don’t the Kashmiris count)?
Why don’t they campaign against US or UK diamonds (after, all, don’t the Afghans and Iraqis count)?
Why don’t they campaign against Lebanese diamonds (after, all, don’t the slave trade victims in Sierra Leone count)?
Unfortunately, none of the above victims do count since these campaigners are only interested when they can target Jews.
Paul Renken
How is it exactly that malaria born illness is somehow related to the Kimberley Process in this piece? Brilliant Earth, stay focused on the topic.