Are "Conflict-Free" Labeled Diamonds Really Conflict-Free?

You've heard a lot about blood diamonds — diamonds that come from African countries and fund everything from genocide to slavery — and so you decide to make the ethical choice and buy a "conflict-free" diamond. But recent reports have shown that some countries may be exporting diamonds labeled as "conflict-free" that still fund mass atrocities, forced labor, child labor, and torture. What's a conscientious consumer to do when even the better diamond choice is inaccurately labeled? Are we doomed to live the rest of our lives with nothing more than opals? Despite the current setbacks in diamond labeling, there is hope for the future of conflict-free diamonds.

Conflict diamonds, sometimes called blood diamonds, have only recently penetrated the public consciousness. However, the African mines where the diamonds are harvested have long struggled with labor and human rights abuses within the diamond mining industry. In some areas, militant rebel groups who recruit child soldiers and use rape as a tool of war control mines. In other areas, they are controlled by autocratic governments who have been guilty of everything from election rigging to genocide. After story upon story of major jewelry companies buying and selling diamonds which benefited these nefarious groups, the diamond industry and international community developed the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme to prevent diamonds mined by forced or child labor or which support human rights abuses from reaching the international market.

However, recent reports have shown that the Kimberly Process (KP) is failing in Zimbabwe, and that conflict diamonds are making it into the market labeled as "conflict-free." KP considered banning Zimbabwe from using the label at their recent meeting in November 2009, but ultimately decided to let them continue exporting "conflict-free" labeled diamonds.

Some activists have voiced concerns that by refusing to take a hard line against Zimbabwe's failure to comply with KP standards, the KP is actually legitimizing the sale of blood diamonds on the international market. Others have suggested that KP can do more good by continuing their presence in Zimbabwe and pushing for reform, rather than pulling the plug and abandoning the people striving for a fairer and more peaceful diamond industry there. Either way, it's a tricky situation. And no matter who the winners are, Zimbabwean workers have the most to lose.

So if you can't trust the presence of a "conflict-free" label on a diamond, what should you do? The most important first step is to learn the source of the diamonds you buy; a reputable jeweler should know and tell you. A recent study from Amnesty International found that 83% of customers "rarely or never" ask where the diamonds they shop for come from. And 56% of jewelers don't have any procedure to prevent the retail of conflict diamonds. You can make a huge difference by asking where your diamonds (and gold and other gems, for that matter) come from and demanding that your jeweler takes steps to prevent the sale of conflict diamonds. Increasingly, stores (especially online) are selling Canadian diamonds, which bypasses the political and social issues in Africa all together. Of course, that also takes money out of an economy that really needs investment.

The moral of this story is not to trust a shiny, sparkly exterior — whether of a diamond or a "conflict-free" label. Do your own research, ask where the products you buy come from, and choose to spend your money on products which support your values.

Photo credit: stephendepolo