What are Conflict Diamonds?



If you’ve looked into purchasing diamonds for yourself, you might have come across the term ‘conflict diamonds’ — also known as ‘blood diamonds’ — and if you have come across either of those terms, you might be wondering what exactly are conflict/blood diamonds, why they are bad, and how likely it is to come across such a stone when you are purchasing a diamond for yourself.

If you want all of those questions (and more) answered, read on.

What Are Conflict Diamonds?

Put in the simplest of terms, conflict diamonds are diamonds that are illegally traded to raise funds for conflicts in war-torn areas, historically most commonly around central and western Africa. These diamonds are usually found in “rough” form, meaning that they have only recently been mined and extracted and have not been cut yet.

The United Nation (UN) defines conflict diamonds as “…diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council.”

These diamonds are also often referred to as “blood diamonds”. While conflict diamonds were a key plot point of the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day, the term ‘blood diamond’ was popularized by the 2006 political war thriller Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, and Djimon Hounsou.

The movie traces the journey of a large pink diamond found in Sierra Leone in the 1990s by a fisherman who is kidnapped and forced to work in a rebel-controlled diamond mine. After charting the many atrocities witnessed by the diamond, the film ends on a conference that refers to a historic meeting that took place in Kimberley, South Africa, in 2000 (we’ll talk more on that later.) The movie can also be credited with publicizing the controversy surrounding conflict diamonds and led to worldwide awareness of the Western African involvement in the diamond trade

While the story of the movie is fiction, it is unfortunately based on facts. Conflict diamonds came into the world’s attention in the late 1990s, during the extremely brutal conflict that took place in Sierra Leone. During that period, conservative estimates show that conflict diamonds represented approximately 4% of the world’s diamond production. Other estimates state a figure that goes as high as 15% of the total trade.

Where Are Conflict Diamonds From?

It goes without saying that conflict diamonds, by nature, originate from countries that have ongoing conflicts. The fighting that fueled trade in conflict diamonds has been relegated to a few Central and West African countries. Many of these countries have diamonds that are easier to mine and thus more readily available to smuggle. These include countries such as Angola, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Republic of Congo (also known as Congo Brazzaville), and Zimbabwe.

While strict measures have reduced the flow of conflict diamonds to less than 1% today, these countries were the primary sources for conflict diamonds when they were at their peak. In these countries, diamonds were mined in war zones and sold, usually clandestinely, in order to finance an insurgent or invading army’s war efforts. 

Why Are Conflict Diamonds Bad?

This is not something that needs to be spelled out, but just for clarification: conflict diamonds are bad. Whereas diamonds are supposed to be symbols of love, commitment, and joyful new beginnings, conflict diamonds are the complete opposite. These stones are the causes of civil wars, violence, worker exploitation, environmental degradation, and unspeakable human suffering.

While the issue of conflict diamonds has been greatly reduced, they still remain a problem. Just seven years ago, in 2013, a civil war erupted in the Central African Republic, with both sides fighting over the country’s diamond resources. This conflict led to the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of more than a million. That is not counting the fact that around 3.7 million lives have been lost directly due to conflicts that have been fueled by diamonds. Millions still are dealing with the fallout of these wars, with friends and family lost, scars to last generations, and lives that are forever disrupted.

So, yes, conflict diamonds are bad, and the trade of diamonds originating as a result of conflicts are both a dishonor to the memories of those who lost their lives to these wars and an indirect support of human rights abuses. Should go without saying: but if you are ever in doubt about a diamond you are purchasing, don’t. Always stick to qualified sellers.

The Kimberly Process And What We Are Doing To Stop Conflict Diamonds

As we’ve already mentioned, the flow of conflict diamonds occurred mostly from Sierra Leone, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Ivory Coast. This has led to the United Nations and other groups working together to stop conflict diamonds entering the worldwide diamond trade.

In 1998, Global Witness joined with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Partnership Africa Canada to focus worldwide attention on the use of diamonds to fund war and terror. In July 2000, diamond industry leaders formed the World Diamond Council to develop policies and procedures to help the United Nation combat the trade in so-called conflict or “blood” diamonds. This effort led to a gathering of diamond producers in Kimberley, South Africa — the meeting we mentioned earlier — a gathering that resulted in the development and introduction of the UN-sanctioned Kimberley Process (KP).

The Kimberly Process requires that each nation certify that all rough diamond exports are produced through legitimate mining and sales activity. Any and all rough diamonds exported from these nations will be accompanied by certificates that state that the diamonds in question were produced, sold, and exported through legitimate channels. The certification process accounts for all rough diamonds, through every step of their movement, from mine to retail sale. Anyone who is buying a cut diamond is encouraged to make sure that they have documents that show that their diamond originated from a conflict-free source.

The Kimberley Process Certification System was formally adopted in 2003 and is intended to guard against conflict diamonds entering the legitimate diamond supply chain. By 2012 there were 54 signatories to the KP, with the EU’s member states counting as one. Combined, they oversee approximately 99% of the global production of rough diamonds. Though not an official part of the process, the NGOs that started it all continue to monitor its effectiveness all along the diamond market pipeline. They observe global diamond traffic, looking for breaches in the process. They push governments for greater involvement and survey retailers to gauge the nature and degree of their support for the Kimberley Process (KP).

It is a testament to the world governments’ dedication to stopping the trade of conflict diamonds that 74 governments have enshrined into their national law the Kimberley Process Certification System, and now more than 99% of the world’s diamonds are from conflict free sources. However, even one conflict diamond is one too many. The diamond industry continues to work with governments, NGOs and the UN to straighten the Kimberley Process and the System of warranties.

Is The Kimberly Process Working?

While the Kimberly Process has been established, much like any other large-scale systems, it has its criticisms. Like any other system with hundreds of moving parts, the Kimberly Process has not been able to achieve 100% effectiveness.

Human nature means that officials at the lowest levels of the process can and are still often bribed to hide the true source of diamonds and overall government corruption can further muddy the waters. However, the Kimberly Process is doing it’s best to ensure transparency and maintain legitimacy over time.

In 2004, the Republic of Congo was removed from the scheme because it couldn’t prove the origin of it’s gems and only later reinstated in 2007. In 2005, trade in diamonds from Côte d’Ivoire was prohibited as Ivorian diamonds and cocoa are considered conflict resources. In 2008, Venezuela voluntarily removed itself from the KPCS, after it had been in non-compliance for several years. 

Sadly, Global Witness, one of the key NGOs that had supported the Kimberly Process abandoned the scheme in 2011, stating that the Kimberley Process has ultimately failed to stem the flow of conflict diamonds. While that is true, completely eliminating conflict diamonds (and other conflict resources) is a herculean task that will take a long time to achieve. However, there is good news…

Conflict-Free Diamonds

Even though conflict diamonds have not completely been eliminated, they are not something that the common consumer needs to worry about if they intend to purchase a diamond for themselves. According to the World Diamond Council, 99% of all diamonds are now conflict-free.

Both due to the Kimberly Process and the vigilance of those participating in the scheme, conflict diamonds entering the international gem markets have gone down significantly. Today 81 governments and several non-government organizations abide by the Kimberly Process and nations who agree to participate in the Kimberly process are not permitted to trade with nonmember Nations.

Buying Diamonds Legitimately

If you are interested in purchasing a diamond, reaching out to an established jeweler or diamond seller will ensure that you are purchasing a conflict-free diamond. In fact, you can use our Buy a Diamond page to get your diamonds from reputable, reliable sources who sell nothing but conflict-free diamonds.

Supporting such sellers also supports the legitimate diamond trade, which provides jobs for over 10 million workers and brings prosperity to areas where this activity occurs. While rebels and warmongers have sold conflict diamonds to further their causes, peaceful countries which export diamonds use the income to further the country’s infrastructure and benefits for the people.

If you have any further doubts or questions about buying a diamond, regarding its origin or anything else, feel free to contact us and we would be glad to help.