A “blood diamond” (also known as conflict diamond, war diamond, dirty diamond, hot diamond, or converted diamond) is mined or produced in unethical conditions, including in war zones to finance insurgencies.
In 2003, the UN-backed Kimberley Process began requiring participating countries to certify that their exported diamonds were conflict-free. According to the World Diamond Council, this program has been very successful, with 99% of the world’s diamond supply certified as conflict-free. Some other estimates are not as optimistic, but the Kimberly Process does seem to work—the amount of blood diamonds in the market is estimated to have dropped from 15% before the Kimberly Process was introduced to less than 5% today.
Some retailers also offer “conflict neutral” diamonds. The retailer or the consumer makes a donation to a relevant charity, with the expectation that the good works promoted by that donation help balance against the negative works in the diamond industry.
An alternative to purchasing a new diamond is to “recycle” a diamond—purchase or be gifted someone else’s older diamond. While there is always the chance that the diamond was originally mined as a blood diamond, at least reusing it does not add to the funding of recent conflicts. A reused family stone carries the additional bonus of sentimental value.
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