Are Diamonds a Girl's Best Friend?
Photo Credit: Bridget Flohe, Unsplash, 2017
Tiffany & Co. was likely surprised by the backlash to their new campaign with Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Paying tribute to Audrey Hepburn's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" promotional photos, the campaign showcases Beyoncé wearing the iconic yellow Tiffany Diamond that was "discovered" in 1877 in South Africa. Since the announcement, conversations about "blood diamonds" have taken flight on social media. What are "blood diamonds" and does the Kimberley Process ensure that consumers are not purchasing them?
Rough diamonds, rough trade.
While the 2006 movie "Blood Diamond" was not based on a true story, the plot introduced people to the harsh and complex realities of diamond mining in Africa. The illegal diamond trade has directly funded violent wars and the entire supply chain, legal and otherwise, has historically been rife with forced labor and abuse. For those reasons, diamonds associated with violence and human rights atrocities have become colloquially known as "blood diamonds" or "conflict diamonds." The intense poverty that plagues some of Africa's diamond-rich countries creates an environment where each generation is trapped in occupations like gem mining, which offers paltry wages. TIME Magazine interviewed a young teenager who works in a mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that produces some of the world's top diamonds. Like many boys his age, he has no other choice but to leave school to support his struggling family. Despite the wealth of natural resources like diamonds, his town lacks paved roads. Miners die so often in tunnel collapses their deaths hardly make the news.
Enter: Kimberley Process.
Established in 2002 to manage the trade of rough diamonds, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is still widely misunderstood. The key to analyzing the successes and limitations of the process is first noting the difference between the public's perception of blood diamonds and KPCS's more narrow definition. According to the Kimberley Process, conflict diamonds "are rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance armed conflicts aimed at undermining legitimate governments." This process does not certify that diamond mines are safe or that workers, including minors, receive fair wages and are treated humanely. KPCS was designed to ensure that rebels cannot use the profits from rough diamonds to overthrow their governments. KPCS is an important step, but the definition, and therefore certification scheme, is extremely narrow.
Trust but verify.
The Kimberley Process currently has 56 participants that represent 82 nations, which include diamond producers, importers, and exporters along with the World Diamond Council and key civil society groups. Together, Kimberley Process members "are responsible for stemming 99.8% of the global production of conflict diamonds." This is an impressive figure considering that most of the process is built on trust between members to establish transparent policies. Enforcement is limited and managed by the Kimberley Process chair and their internal monitoring group. Right now, the Kimberley Process is aware of fake certificates coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Malaysia, and Ghana. Consumers will have to simply trust that members of the diamond supply chain who participate in the process do not purchase rough diamonds from corrupt or fraudulent brokers. Global Witness was instrumental in creating the Kimberley Process but resigned its role as an observer in 2011 because of the narrow definition and enforcement loopholes.
Please purchase conflict-free, ethically sourced diamonds. If diamonds are a “girl’s best friend,” let's go beyond the Kimberley Process when making personal buying decisions. Determining the origin of diamonds after they have been exported and cut can be extremely difficult for consumers. If you do purchase diamonds, please consider companies like Brilliant Earth that are dedicated to ensuring their gems are both conflict-free and ethically sourced. Tiffany & Co. is also strict about sourcing and sustainability, so they purchase directly from mines whenever possible in addition to only working with countries within the Kimberley Process. Some manufacturers are also now offering lab grown diamonds.