As the ultimate expressions of love and commitment, diamonds should be wholly free from violence, worker exploitation, and environmental devastation. Unfortunately, retailers offering “conflict free diamonds” are only providing a minimal guarantee that their diamonds do not contribute to bloody civil wars in Africa. At Brilliant Earth, we go beyond the usual conflict free guarantee to offer diamonds that are untainted by shocking human rights abuses such as torture and child labor. Our careful sourcing methods also allow us to guarantee that our diamonds meet the highest labor and environmental standards.

 “Conflict diamonds,” according to the most widely-used definition, are diamonds that finance rebel movements against recognized national governments. Many retailers offer “conflict free diamonds,” providing only a limited promise that their diamonds do not finance these violent rebel groups. However, large numbers of diamonds labeled as "conflict free" are tainted by problems such as torture, rape, extrajudicial killings, child labor, extreme poverty, corruption, and environmental devastation. A guarantee that a diamond is “conflict free” is not enough to ensure that it is free of violence or that it has been ethically sourced.

At Brilliant Earth, we guarantee that each of our diamonds has been mined ethically and with respect for people and the environment. Our diamonds qualify as conflict free diamonds. But beyond being conflict free, our diamonds are wholly free from all types of violence, such as torture and rape committed by government militaries. Workers are paid fair wages, child labor is completely absent, local communities benefit economically, and care is taken to protect the environment.

 

We can provide this guarantee because we know exactly where each of our diamonds is mined and the conditions in place at those mines. We also carefully track all of our diamonds from mine to market to ensure that they are mined, cut, and polished in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Our tracking ability ensures that our diamonds enter an uninterrupted chain of custody and that our supply chain is not corrupted by irresponsible and unethical practices. Our careful sourcing methods also allow us to be confident that no diamond treatments or alterations have been used.

 

Our Ethical Sources

All of Brilliant Earth’s Canadian diamonds originate from two mines in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Our Canadian diamonds are mined in accordance with Canada's strict labor and environmental laws, which are among the most rigorous in the world. Canada’s highly-regulated mines are independently certified as ISO 14001 compliant, and operate with minimal impact on fish, caribou, and other wildlife. Canadian mines also have demonstrated a strong commitment to partnering with local indigenous peoples. Our Canadian diamonds are carefully tracked through cutting, polishing, and transport.

 

At Brilliant Earth, we also offer ethically-sourced African diamonds from Namibia and Botswana. In both these countries, diamonds are helping to foster broadly-shared economic development. Our Namibian diamonds are mined and finished in Namibia, providing high-skilled job opportunities for Namibia's people. Our Botswanan diamonds are enabling investments in education, health care, and infrastructure. Both our Namibian and Botswanan diamonds are mined using sound environmental management practices. They are carefully tracked to ensure they originate from ethical and environmentally responsible sources.

 

Flaws in Kimberley Process Certification

Many retailers make vague claims that their diamonds are conflict free. These retailers generally rely upon the Kimberley Process, a woefully inadequate system, which only certifies that a diamond is "conflict free," or that has not financed rebel groups in war-torn countries. The Kimberley Process completely ignores concerns such as child labor, torture, rape, extreme poverty, environmental harm, and violence perpetrated by governments,

 

For a guarantee of ethical sourcing to be credible, retailers should be able to certify, in writing, that their diamonds have been mined and finished without violence, worker exploitation, and environmental devastation. Retailers should also be able to track the path taken by their diamonds from mine to final delivery. Read our ethical diamond buying guide for more information on what to look for in a guarantee regarding ethical sourcing.