Diamond Buying Guide: How To Ensure A Diamond Is Conflict Free
If you are interested in buying loose stones for investment purposes or just want to buy one to have it set on a ring, then you might have encountered the term "conflict free diamonds". It might be confusing to first time buyers especially of diamonds; however, a diamond conflict free only means that the stone was ethically sourced out from legitimate sources. Below is a simply guide on what a conflict diamond is and how you can be assured that your stone is legally obtained and problem free.
Conflict - Free Diamond
Diamonds are highly sought not only by jewelers but also other industries because of its properties. Diamonds are hard materials and as such, industries such as those in the manufacturing ones make use of the stone to grind, cut, drill cut or polish. Thus, it is highly in demand. Most prefer to purchase loose stones as they are cheaper and many who want to have a specially designed jewellery set or collection prefer loose stones to have it cut to their heart's desire.
Conflict-free diamonds, as explained above, are mined from legally or authorized mining companies. This is different from the so-called conflict diamond or blood diamond. Blood diamonds are those diamonds that are obtained from war zones or come from mining companies that support buying of arms or those that are in favor of war. Diamonds in Angola, Sierra Leone and other parts of Africa are considered as conflict diamonds because the stones are used to support or fund war efforts in these places. Some diamonds mined in these countries are done using forced labor and often news of torture or violence tainted the mining process.
How to know if your Diamond is Conflict-free?
The best thing that one should do is to ask if the loose stone has any certification that would ensure that the diamond comes from a legal mining company. The diamond industry has launched together with the UN and other NDO's the Kimberley Process Certification System. The System requires all mining companies to ship rough diamonds to members who are registered with the System. All diamonds have its own certificate showing where the stone was mined and other details. Members must keep invoices of the buying and selling of the diamonds to track the stones back to its origin.
There are some jewellery stores that offer ethically sourced diamonds. Ethically sourced or mined diamonds are those stones that are mined following the country's rules and environmental laws. Some countries that source out ethically mined diamonds are Canada, Botswana and Namibia. Aside from these countries, there are other countries such as Russia, which can sell diamonds legally.
Purchasing Your Diamond
Buying loose stones does not necessarily mean that one is purchasing a conflict or blood diamond. Your jeweler will tell you the origin of the stone as well as present a certification that uniquely identifies the stone. If you happen to purchase from a private collector or jeweler, it is essential to talk with them and ask for the certificate as all legally obtained stones have its own certificate.
Conflict - Free Diamond
Diamonds are highly sought not only by jewelers but also other industries because of its properties. Diamonds are hard materials and as such, industries such as those in the manufacturing ones make use of the stone to grind, cut, drill cut or polish. Thus, it is highly in demand. Most prefer to purchase loose stones as they are cheaper and many who want to have a specially designed jewellery set or collection prefer loose stones to have it cut to their heart's desire.
Conflict-free diamonds, as explained above, are mined from legally or authorized mining companies. This is different from the so-called conflict diamond or blood diamond. Blood diamonds are those diamonds that are obtained from war zones or come from mining companies that support buying of arms or those that are in favor of war. Diamonds in Angola, Sierra Leone and other parts of Africa are considered as conflict diamonds because the stones are used to support or fund war efforts in these places. Some diamonds mined in these countries are done using forced labor and often news of torture or violence tainted the mining process.
How to know if your Diamond is Conflict-free?
The best thing that one should do is to ask if the loose stone has any certification that would ensure that the diamond comes from a legal mining company. The diamond industry has launched together with the UN and other NDO's the Kimberley Process Certification System. The System requires all mining companies to ship rough diamonds to members who are registered with the System. All diamonds have its own certificate showing where the stone was mined and other details. Members must keep invoices of the buying and selling of the diamonds to track the stones back to its origin.
There are some jewellery stores that offer ethically sourced diamonds. Ethically sourced or mined diamonds are those stones that are mined following the country's rules and environmental laws. Some countries that source out ethically mined diamonds are Canada, Botswana and Namibia. Aside from these countries, there are other countries such as Russia, which can sell diamonds legally.
Purchasing Your Diamond
Buying loose stones does not necessarily mean that one is purchasing a conflict or blood diamond. Your jeweler will tell you the origin of the stone as well as present a certification that uniquely identifies the stone. If you happen to purchase from a private collector or jeweler, it is essential to talk with them and ask for the certificate as all legally obtained stones have its own certificate.
