How to buy blood-free diamonds

Whatever you think about Hollywood making dramas out of crises, Blood Diamond, released last week, has put the spotlight on the bloody provenance of conflict diamonds. Millions have lost their lives in uprisings funded by the sale of these stones – and they’re not always easy to avoid. Conflict diamonds are shipped across borders where they enter legitimate trade as conflict-free.

While the World Diamond Council works to mitigate the film’s negative impact on the industry (by pointing out that 99.8 per cent of diamonds come from countries free from conflict), retailers are also responding.

Wedding planner Nafisa Mark of Nafisa Events has teamed up with diamond specialist DeJoria to raise awareness amongst brides-to-be of the issues around blood diamonds. ‘Brides don’t want a love token tarnished by war,’ says Nafisa, who encourages clients to ask jewellers where their diamonds come from.

It’s a step in the right direction, confirms Amnesty Campaigns Manager Nick Dearden: ‘Consumers, particularly within the wedding market, have a vital role to play in ensuring that diamonds do not fund deadly conflict in Africa.’ A shopper’s guide ‘Are you looking for the perfect diamond?’ is published by Amnesty and Global Witness; for more information, see DiamondFacts.org.