A blood diamond, also commonly known as a conflict diamond, is a diamond that is mined in a war zone typically in Africa, and sold to finance activities that interfere with war efforts, benefit African War lords, etc.
With the 2006 release of the movie Blood Diamond, awareness of the troubles involved with these stones has increased significantly. So how do you know you’re not buying a conflict diamond? In the year 2000, the World Diamond Congress adopted a certification process to verify that diamonds coming in were officially sealed, and anyone found trafficking conflict diamonds would be charged with criminal activity. This is referred to as the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme. While the current trade of rough diamonds has decreased significantly, some conflict diamonds still get through the system, because any country can become a member of the KPCS, even if that country does not fit the requirements.
Thankfully, many countries have enacted policies to prevent conflict diamonds from passing to their consumers. In the United States, both President Clinton and President Bush, in their respective times in the Oval Office, passed orders banning the importation of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone and Liberia. Both places are well-known for conflict diamonds, and Liberia was recognized by the United Nations as a pipeline for conflict diamonds from Sierra Leone.
A conflict-free diamond is one in which profits are not used to fund wars, and are produced and mined under ethical conditions. Certified diamonds that can be traced from the mine to the consumer are conflict-free diamonds.
Many people who are concerned with the purchase of a blood diamond either purchase another stone, such as a sapphire, or they go vintage. A vintage diamond engagement ring is a unique, beautiful, and safe way to avoid the conflict involved with blood diamonds. Also, purchasing on consignment ensures that you are not contributing funds to the markets offering new diamonds, and you can do all of this while saving 30-50% off of retail prices!