Where do conflict free diamonds come from?
Look for diamonds originating from Canada.
Many conflict free diamonds today originate from Canada and are verifiable through an independent body, such as CanadaMark, the Canadian Diamond Code of Conduct, or the Government of the Northwest Territories. The origins of Canadian diamonds are fully transparent from mine to delivery. Most of the world's supply of diamonds remain largely unverified in origin, and without regard for environmental and labor standards. A Canadian origin with accompanying certification guarantees conflict free status and peace of mind to know your diamond is mined with environmentally responsible and fair labor practices.
Look for ethical origin diamonds originating from Namibia.
While the majority of diamonds verified to be responsibly harvested originate from Canada, we are also beginning to source ethical origin African diamonds that are mined, cut, and polished in Namibia. These diamonds have been carefully traced to ensure environmentally responsible and fair labor practices throughout their chain of custody. These diamonds also help to promote sustainable development in the impoverished southwest African country of Namibia. While a fair trade industry is beginning to emerge in West Africa, certification standards are still in the process of being developed.
Potential Pitfall: Avoid retailers who claim conflict diamonds are a small problem or have been mostly eliminated.
One often repeated claim is that conflict diamonds have fallen to around one percent of the global trade. Again, this relies on Kimberley Process data that addresses only nations in an official state of civil conflict. Environmental and labor-related concerns are wholly ignored, as is state sanctioned violence.
Conflict free diamonds are free from violence and human rights abuses.
