Conflict diamonds or blood diamonds are those that are mined under terrible conditions involving bloodshed. Such as child labor, environmental pollution, labor exploitation, corruption, forced labor, etc., are common when it comes to the mining of such stones. They are usually mined in war-prone areas, and used to fund anti-social activities. Even though selling and buying blood diamonds are banned in most of the countries including the United States, there are some nations who still deal with these unethical stones. Hence, you must make sure that the diamonds that you choose for your engagement ring is conflict-free. After all, who will love to mark the beginning of their beautiful relationship with their partner with blood diamonds?
The chances of encountering conflict diamonds would be more when you try to buy loose diamonds online. Thankfully, there are some brilliant to stay away from such diamonds irrespective of whether you are shopping at an online or physical store. Some of those points are given below.
Always Choose Reputable Diamond Brands
Make sure to choose the best diamond brands while shopping for your diamonds. Note that a reputable diamond seller would never deal with blood diamonds, since this would affect his credibility and ultimately, his business. Moreover, inquire about the details of the diamond that you choose – your vendor must be able to tell the details of every single step from mining to sale. Otherwise, it is better to move on.
Go for the Details
While talking or chatting with your jeweler, make sure that he or she is not giving you just lame answers. Vendors too commonly say they only sell Kimberly certified loose diamonds. Note that you must not settle for this answer right off, because a Kimberly certificate does not rule out issues such as child labor, labor exploitation by government forces, etc. Furthermore, you need to make sure that your diamonds are GIA certified, so that you can be doubly sure about the authenticity of your gemstones.
Do not choose Diamonds Which were Mined in War-Prone Countries
It is not necessary that every diamond mined in a war-prone area is bad. Still, as a general rule, it is best to stay away from such gemstones. For this, avoid purchasing diamonds that are mined at places such as Zimbabwe, Angola, Laos, etc., since these countries are mainly known for human right exploitation and labor abuses. Rather than that, you should go for the diamonds that are mined in places such as Canada, Botswana, Namibia, etc.