Diamond Buyers & Conflict Diamonds - What Do They Mean?

In the turbulent and sometimes violent world of Africa, there are many resources; one of these is a huge supply of diamonds.And because diamonds are a very valuable commodity in a very small size, they are the perfect way to easily move substantial amount of money.A handful of diamonds can be worth thousands of dollars and can be moved with little or no trouble. What and where are Alluvial Diamonds? In West Africa, particularly in Sierra Leone and Liberia, diamonds are found in the alluvial sand and gravel deposits in most of the rivers.Diamonds once formed in the heart of ancient volcanoes now end up in the sands that are washed down towards the ocean. Because they are out in the open, these diamonds can be gathered by hand without the need for heavy equipment. And because diamonds are generally fungible, they can be sold into the diamond market with little trouble as well. The proceeds of these sales are used to purchase military equipment and otherwise finance the activities of rebellious organizations looking for power. What are Conflict Diamonds? This situation is ripe for para-military organizations to coerce the local population to collect the diamonds, and following that, they then sell diamonds into the market to finance their military operations.During the 90’s in Sierra Leone the RUF – Revolutionary United Front – captured children forced them to mine diamonds or act as soldiers, cutting off their hands if they refused or rebelled. Conflict diamonds are also known as “Blood Diamonds” for good reason. Because of the bloody and violent actions involved in the collection of diamonds, and the way that they sell diamonds, these diamonds have attracted the attention of the more civilized parts of the world. What is being done to Stop Conflict diamonds? Since the early part of the 21stcentury, there have been several attempts to stop or at least control the sale of conflict diamonds.Understanding the problem, the African states that supply diamonds to the market were in at the beginning of the process.Everyone who wants to sell diamonds must produce a certificate showing that the diamond is not a conflict diamond. This process, known as the Kimberly Process Certification Schemewas adopted in 2000, and has subsequently been supported by most world governments.There have been some problems with the success of the program, but the US as the largest consumer of diamonds in the world made a significant step to control conflict diamonds by putting the Kimberly Scheme into US law. How does this impact the US Consumer? If you are buying diamonds, look for a certificate that shows your new diamond does not come at the expense of some innocent African, Looking to sell diamonds from your jewelry box? If you have a certificate showing that the diamonds are not conflict diamonds, use it. In the world of diamonds, conflict diamonds are the product of vicious activities that hurt a lot of innocent people.Standing up to those activities can help the victims of those disasters. Luriya is adamant about staying away from conflict diamonds. To view our homepage click here.