Ruby Diamonds

If you are in the market for a beautiful piece of diamond jewelry, such as an engagement ring, it is vital that you pause to consider where that beautiful diamond comes from. Although diamonds have for long been loved and admired for their unique beauty, people have not known anything about where they actually come from. Now that is changing, as more and more people have access to information. You may have heard of conflict diamonds and perhaps you would like to avoid buying any; however, finding out if they are conflict diamonds is actually more difficult than you might think.

Conflict diamonds, which are also known as blood diamonds, are sold in order to fund different wars. The money that is made from the sale of these blood diamonds is used for such things as buying weapons or paying the soldiers. Usually these are terrorist groups and rebels against governments, especially in some African countries, where thousands of innocent civilians have been injured, tortured and killed in actions financed by selling diamonds to the Western world.

One of the countries that has suffered severely "thanks" to the trade in blood diamonds is Angola, which became independent from Portugal in the mid 1970's. At that time, a number of different groups were fighting to gain control of the country and one of them was the National Union for the Total Control of Angola (UNITA). In order to fund themselves and finance the war, UNITA sold diamonds internationally. But Angola is not the only affected country. A route that enables diamonds to be taken out of Liberia as well as the war torn country of Sierra Leone, cuts its way through Cote d'Ivoire. Even countries that have no diamond mining industry, such as The Republic of Congo, are affected. Congo exports many diamonds and yet they provide no information as to where the gems are from.

In order to curb the sale of conflict diamonds in the world's diamond market, countries are looking for effective means to accomplish that objective. So far, the most thorough idea is the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. The Kimberley Process is seeking a way to completely irradicate blood diamonds in the market place. In doing so the rebel groups would not receive their much needed funding and countless thousands of innocent people will be spared as a result. The process, the uncut diamonds that come from peaceful zones must go through, determines their country of origin. Due to its effectiveness it is quite understandable why it received approval by the United Nations.

There are seventy-four countries represented in the Kimberley Process and forty-eight of those are actively involved. This group of 48 includes all the major countries involved in the production, or the import and export of the gems. Because this is an excellent way of keeping conflict diamonds out of the diamond market, it is a very important and necessary process; however, the bad news is that there is still quite a way to go, because determining where the stones are from or how to accomplish that, is a highly debated issue.

It is truly essential that when you are faced with the issue of a diamond's origins, that you attempt to find out the truth as to whether it might be a conflict diamond. Although this is oftentimes far more easily said than done, it is still vital that you be persistent about the matter. Some companies will say almost anything to discourage the consumers from pressing the matter, even going so far as to claim that it is impossible for anyone to know where the diamond originated.

But if you are determined not to purchase a blood diamond, there are certain things that you can do that might help. Firstly, ask the jeweler to tell you where the diamonds originated. However, because there are many dishonest people out there you need more than just their word on the matter, and so, secondly, request proof that the diamonds are not conflict diamonds. If the jewelry company you are dealing with cannot provide you with written copies of their policy when it comes to blood diamonds, or statements from their suppliers, then this should definitely be viewed with suspicion on your part.

Make sure that you can purchase your diamond with a clear conscience. It might take some work, but it is certainly possible and extremely important. Always remember: when you buy a blood diamond you may pay with dollars or pounds, but by doing that you make innocent people pay with their blood.