Ask to see any retailer’s official written
policy.
At a bare minimum, every diamond retailer should have an official written
policy on conflict diamonds available for public view.
Ask for information
about the official store policy on conflict diamonds
from a staff member.
If they don’t have any information, beware! Staff should be fully aware
of company policies and government regulations forbidding the sale of conflict
diamonds.
A
survey by Amnesty International in February 2007 showed that the
majority
of top-selling US retail jewelers do not have adequate policies in place to
combat blood diamonds. A trade report by
Rapaport Magazine in September 2007 sent a journalist undercover to Las
Vegas and Manhattan jewelry stores asking general questions, including
questions about their conflict diamond policies. Here are a few of their
shocking responses—none of which should be considered acceptable:
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