No "Blood" or "Conflict" diamonds

The release of the film “The Blood Diamond” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly has sparked a renewed interest and confusion among consumers about the subject of conflict diamonds.  e-Weddingbands feels it is important that every customer can trust the source of each and every one of the diamonds we sell.  Rest assured that none of the diamonds we offer are tainted in this manner.

What are “Blood” or “Conflict” Diamonds?  Diamonds which are illegally traded to fund warfare in Africa may be called “conflict” or “blood” diamonds.  During the late 1990’s, it was estimated that a small fraction – perhaps 4% of the world’s rough diamond production – was stolen by rebels to fund violence against legitimate African governments.  The diamond industry has been working for years with organizations like Amnesty International, the United Nations and the governments of 68 countries to stop this tragic situation.  They created the legally binding UN-mandated Kimberley Process to regulate the flow of rough diamonds across international borders and within producer countries.  The Kimberley Process in concert with the System of Warranties, the US Clean Diamonds Act and the Patriot Act has been highly effective in stamping out conflict diamonds.  The task is almost done.  Today, an estimated 99.8% of global diamonds are guaranteed conflict-free, but the industry will not rest until every conflict diamond is eradicated.

Diamond mining literally provides the strongest economic hope for Africa, as many human rights leaders have said.  Diamonds are the lifeline for African countries, stimulating economic development, improved health care, better education and job creation.  Millions of people – many of them in the third world – support their families via jobs in the diamond industry.

You can buy our jewelry with confidence because we don’t sell conflict diamonds.  We only buy from suppliers who comply with the Kimberley Process, so we can trace every diamond we carry.  The Kimberley Process guarantees only legally-sourced diamonds can be made into jewelry.  The System of Warranties ensures documentation at every step from mines to stores.  The US Patriot Act of 2001 and Clean Diamond Act of 2003, both enforced by US government further protect our supply of diamonds. 

We know every diamond we sell helps diamond-mining countries build stable societies.  Diamonds create hope for the developing world.  They provide livelihood for millions of people worldwide and are especially crucial to the survival of many countries in Africa.