Conflict diamonds where to buy

But we emphatically disagree. Diamond mining is incredibly damaging to the environment. They are also finding the introduction of calcium and many other toxic chemicals from the mining process had a major effect on all aquatic life and all sections of the food chain. On land, native animal populations, such as grizzly bears and caribou, have seen a decline in numbers since the mine was established. The tribe can not afford to spend that amount of money and worries about future access to the community.

The most important thing you can do is research where to get a truly ethical jewelry. If conscious consumers demand that companies align with their values then maybe we can move the needle on the blood diamond trade.

Ask about the country of origin for the diamond, and remember that no diamond coming from the earth can be considered truly conflict free. Learn about eco-friendly lab grown diamonds. Your terms may vary and are subject to credit approval. Select 4 sample styles from our home try-on collection. Your package will ship and arrive within business days. Try on the rings, take photos and show them off to your friends and family.

There is no obligation to purchase. On the 7th day of your trial, ship your home try-on box back to us for free. You can build your chosen ring online at any time.

Easy as that! Free U. Visit Us Contact Journal. View All Articles. Next Article. The Kimberley Process. Issues in Meringue, Zimbabwe. Artisanal Miners.

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The 80 countries that participate in the Kimberley Process agree to trade rough diamonds only with those other countries which have adopted the process. As a result of the Kimberly Process, diamonds are now among the most monitored and audited of any natural resource in the world. The extensive certification process prevents conflict diamonds from entering the supply chain by isolating non-participating countries from the world diamond market.

By depriving illegitimate forces of what was once a significant source of funding, the Kimberley Process has become an important factor in restoring civil order and economic stability to developing nations.

Reducing the flow of conflict diamonds from illegitimate sources has also increased the flow of legitimate diamonds from smaller, developing countries which otherwise might have been overlooked in the diamond trade. Conflict-free diamonds are now a source of prosperity, especially in Africa:.

We have a whole chain. You understand? If you want, I can send you the picture right away. You pay 3, euros They come here, to Lebanon, and then go to Cameroon and then bring the pink to your place, in Belgium, wherever you are. You have to say yes or no now, you can't make me wait Apart from the pink, I have a gorgeous batch of white and yellow five-carat gems and more coming right out of the Central Africa Republic. If you want to enter the game, it has to be now. They were in Brussels yesterday; now they're home in Bordeaux.

They're French, Belgians, of African descent. An array of illicit items being sold on Facebook— Photo: via Facebook. Sader sounds at ease and relaxed, if somewhat in a hurry to complete the transaction. This is despite the fact that he is offering to traffic diamonds that are forbidden for export; gems that bypass the Kimberley Process, the international regulation for certifying rough diamonds that made it possible, in June , to lift part of the embargo on the Central African Republic.

This easing of the rules applies only to certain zones. But Sader does not care and posts his gems on Facebook. Like many other diamond traffickers in the Central African Republic, embargo or not, "with our without Kimberley," Sader buys and exports stones found in the soil of the country, which has been at war for the past four years.

The illegal exploitation of this resource has helped finance armed groups. According to UN experts, , carats have illegally left the Central African Republic between May and the end of Sader has offices in Antwerp, Belgium, and in Sierra Leone, but Facebook has become his new vitrine for attracting buyers and traders, and sometimes for meeting future partners who could be interested in "putting down , euros' to work with him in international diamond trafficking.

Of the seven dealers Global Witness contacted, including five Central Africans, only two said they abided fully by the Kimberley Process, according to a recently published report, " A Game of Stones. Facebook has repeatedly emerged as a popular platform for African criminals. In Nigeria, you can buy barrels of oil of questionable provenance, but probably coming from stock stolen by armed groups from the Niger Delta or the region's many refineries, on closed Facebook groups.

In Libya, arms dealers offer any caliber of weapon on Facebook, like RPGs, handguns, automatic weapons and even ground-to-air missiles, according to a study by the Swiss-based Small Arms Survey.

These digital showrooms keep cyber-diamond-dealers ahead of the game. The selling techniques for Central African gems have taken governments and international organizations by surprise, but the routes themselves have not really changed, as one dealer explains:. There's often a rebel chief there, he welcomes the traffickers Then the stones are sent to Cameroon by land or air.

Some traffickers offer logistical services between the two countries. Global Witness, who conducted investigations in Cameroon in , recalls being assured, "We'll send people by motorbike, for example, to Berberati a city in the West less than kilometers from the border to pick up the diamonds and then deliver them to you.