What is the Kimberley Process?
The Kimberley Process is an international certification scheme that certifies and regulates the rough diamond trade. Countries can opt in to participate in the Kimberley Process, to ensure the diamonds they are trading are regulated. The Process outlines a set of minimum requirements that participants must meet, so that mined diamonds traded in those countries are confirmed to be conflict-free.
The process began in 2000, when South African countries with a legitimate diamond trade started tracing the origins of diamonds, to remove conflict diamonds from trade. From these actions, the Kimberley Process as we know it today was born.
What is a conflict-free diamond?
Conflict diamonds – also known as ‘blood diamonds’ – are what the Kimblery Process aims to stop being traded. These diamonds are used by rebel parties to fund overthrowing legitimate governments and terrorist organisations. This practice can lead to thousands of innocent civilians and children being terrorised, mutilated and even killed in the process.
The Kimberley Process ensures diamonds are conflict-free, and ethical. When purchasing a diamond through a route that adheres to the Kimberley Process, you can be assured your diamond is ‘conflict-free’.
Does The Diamond Store adhere to the Kimberley Process?
The Diamond Store only deals with conflict-free natural mined diamonds, and only works with sight holders who guarantee this. You can be sure that any natural diamond purchased from us is ethical and conflict-free. We use multiple different methods to ensure this, and – additionally – are part of the National jewellers Association, and abide by its strict code of ethics. If you’d like to know about The Diamond Store’s stance on conflict-free diamonds in more detail, please read more here.
How else can you be sure a diamond is ethical?
Aside from only purchasing diamonds from legitimate sources that abide by the Kimberley Process, you can consider purchasing a lab-grown diamond, instead of a mined diamond. Lab-grown diamonds are physically identical to their mined counterparts – but they are grown in a lab, using state-of-the-art technology. This means they are more environmentally friendly and are guaranteed to be socially ethical. Lab diamonds are not mined, and therefore do not have the chance to pass through an unethical trade process.
Want to speak to someone about your diamond’s origins?
If you’re thinking about purchasing a natural diamond from The Diamond Store and would like to talk to someone about its origins, or anything else related to the ethics of our mined diamonds, get in touch with our friendly team, here.
