In 1947, Frances Gerety coined the slogan, “A diamond is forever,” for the British-South African diamond conglomerate De Beers. For decades, this guided consumers to buy and celebrate diamonds as the ultimate symbol of eternal love and commitment. At the same time, though, this has also spoken to the dark side of the diamond trade.

Long hidden behind the glitzy storefronts and glamorous ad campaigns, a terrible track record of corruption, exploitation, theft, violence, and additional human rights abuses in the diamond industry eventually came to the forefront. The world appeared to take action in 2003 to clean up the global diamond supply chain. Just over 20 years later, we must ask: “Is the world doing enough to root out the rot at the heart of the diamond industry?”

Let’s Start at the Beginning

Blood diamonds, also known as conflict diamonds, are officially defined as diamonds that are mined in active war zones and sold on the market to finance ongoing armed conflicts against legitimate governments that result in massive civilian casualties. In 1998, the non-governmental organization (NGO) Global Witness published the groundbreaking report, A Rough Trade, that exposed how diamond sales were funding Angola’s (1975-2002) civil war that resulted in some 800,000 deaths, another 70,000 suffering debilitating injuries due to landmines, and another 4 million people being displaced from their homes. Global Witness’ 1998 report also exposed the global diamond industry’s failure to prevent these and other blood diamonds from making their way to jewelry stores around the world. 

In 2000, the United Nations General Assembly approved a landmark resolution to establish an international certification system to ensure rough diamonds are not being sourced from militias seeking to violently overthrow legitimate governments. Three years later, the Kimberley Process formally launched. 

Today, 82 countries around the world participate in the Kimberley Process. At first glance, this represents significant progress in removing blood diamonds from the global supply chain. However in recent years, evidence has surfaced showing that blood diamonds/conflict diamonds continue to hide in plain sight, and a major cause for this tragic shortfall is the exceptionally narrow scope of the Kimberley Process.

The Ugly Reality Behind the Beautiful Veneer

Liberia is one of several African nations where diamond mining is a major economic force. When Haymarket Wedding reached out to the Liberian government to speak about the diamond industry and the Kimberley Process, a government official within the Ministry of Mines and Energy provided a statement. In that statement, they declared, “We don’t have any conflict diamonds in West Africa. We are in full compliance with the Kimberley Process policy on rough diamonds, and this is the way to keep conflict diamonds out of the global market supply chain.”

Technically, this may be a true statement due to the Kimberley Process’ shrewdly narrow definition of “conflict diamond.” Yet in the past decade, NGOs like Global Witness, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International have called out the global diamond industry and multiple governments around the world for what they consider the greenwashing of blood diamonds through various loopholes of the Kimberley Process.

Because the Kimberley Process only targets blood diamonds/conflict diamonds sourced from rebel militias, human rights NGOs and activists fear that corrupt and authoritarian governments exploit this loophole to utilize slave labor, child labor, and other workplace abuses to mine diamonds, then take diamond revenues that are supposed to go back into mining communities and instead (mis)use this money to fund anti-democratic crackdowns against their own people. 

“When diamonds are used to finance wars, communities do not benefit.”  

Jaff Bamenjo, Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition

We recently spoke with Jaff Bamenjo, Coordinator for the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition, about how the Kimberley Process works, where it may fall short, and what mining communities and human rights activists want to change to bring about a more effective system to remove all problematic diamonds from the supply chain. Just as the World Diamond Council functions as the diamond industry’s observer organization for the Kimberley Process, the Civil Society Coalition is the official observer organization for a coalition of Africa-based NGOs committed to social and environmental justice for mining communities, as well as the equitable distribution of diamond revenues.

When asked why they do what they do, Bamenjo explained, “Communities where these diamonds are exploited should not be victims. Instead, they should benefit from the resources. When diamonds are used to finance wars, communities do not benefit.”

Bamenjo also addressed head-on what he views as the Kimberley Process’ biggest flaw: “The definition of conflict diamonds as diamonds used by rebels is no longer relevant for us. That is why we keep on pushing the Kimberley Process to reform itself.” He continued, “As it stands, the definition of conflict diamonds is too limited. It doesn’t take into consideration other aspects, like human rights violations and environmental degradation. Inasmuch as the Kimberley Process was needed in 2003 to deprive rebels of revenue to fund their conflicts, it now needs to be revisited and revised to address the evolving nature of conflicts.”

Though West Africa is often seen as ground zero for blood diamonds, it’s not the only region that produces blood diamonds. In fact, Russia now supplies about 30% of the world’s diamonds, and the Russian government is likely using diamond revenue to fund its war against Ukraine. Though the U.S. and the European Union (E.U.) have launched new round of sanctions targeting Russia’s diamond mining and sales operation, a recent Washington Post investigation showed how the Russian government may have already insulated itself from Western sanctions by essentially laundering its diamonds through markets in sanction-free countries like Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and India that openly trade with Russia and the West. 

As Jaff Bamenjo pointed out, “By applying such a conservative definition of conflict diamond, and by declining to open their eyes and ask the necessary questions, is the Kimberley Process actually preventing armed conflicts? We find a problem with that.” He added, “If diamond-producing countries like Russia are found in compliance with the Kimberley Process as it currently stands, their diamonds are certified as ‘conflict-free.’ We find that a paradox.” 

Bamenjo also asked, “What are we doing? Why focus on some conflicts and not others? The Kimberley Process should work to prevent the trade of all conflict diamonds.” He then stressed, “This is why we need a serious conversation on how to reform the Kimberley Process. The focus shouldn’t only be on the rebels, but also on state security, as well as other private security forces.”

From the strong likelihood that Russian diamond sales are funding the Kremlin’s ongoing attacks on civilians throughout Ukraine to reports from Zimbabwe on diamond mining operations continuing to utilize slave labor, child labor, and violence against local villagers to extract diamonds that still enter into the world’s jewelry markets, it appears that despite the best intentions of those who advocated for the creation of the original Kimberley Process, the current process may not be enough to fully eradicate blood diamonds from the global supply chain.

Leading NGOs like the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition are calling for changes to the Kimberley Process, such as establishing a more comprehensive definition of “conflict diamond” and implementing stronger oversight programs, in order to deliver real, positive, lasting change for the people who are harmed the most by the ongoing trade of conflict diamonds.

As activists continue to lobby governments and companies to take further actions, consumers don’t have to feel powerless… And consumers don’t have to stop buying diamond jewelry altogether. Rather, according to Jaff Bamenjo, “I come from a diamond producing country where artisanal mining is the livelihood for so many people. If responsibly sourced, the purchase of natural diamonds can be a force for good. We should all focus on eliminating all the bad things that happen within the diamond supply chain.”

So, What Can We Do About It?

When you’re ready to buy some special diamond jewelry for a certain special someone, you can take steps to avoid jewelry made with blood diamonds and other problematic materials. For starters, consider brands like Hume Atelier, Brilliant Earth, Cartier, Tiffany, and De Beers Forevermark that have a strong track record on ethical sourcing and social/environmental responsibility. Also, keep in mind that diamond-producing countries like Botswana, Namibia, and Canada have strong labor, environmental, and profit-sharing standards in place to ensure that diamond mining actually benefits mining communities, whereas “hot” conflict zones like Angola, Zimbabwe, and Russia tend to produce a lot of blood diamonds. 

If nothing else, remember to ask questions while shopping. If the jewelry store you’re visiting can’t or won’t answer questions on what they carry, where their diamonds (and other materials) come from, and whether they can provide certification receipts proving their jewelry is responsibly sourced and crafted, then it’s probably not a good idea to buy from them. 

As Jaff Bamenjo noted, “Consumers are very instrumental. Consumers are the ones who can determine the future of the Kimberley Process because, for now, they provide the most effective enforcement mechanism.” Indeed, you can exercise the power of your purse strings to make a difference in the fight against blood diamonds. 

Andrew Davey is a writer who has spent a long time in “hard news” journalism, but who has also pursued interests in food and drinks, travel, entertainment, and wellness. Andrew particularly enjoys long walks along the beach, discovering new hiking trails, trying new restaurants, and discovering fun new places. https://linktr.ee/atdnext