Are all diamonds in the US "blood free"?

[ilovebling]

My friend just sent me this sad sad link on amnesty international about "blood diamonds" http://www.amnestyusa.org/amnestynow/diamonds.html
Made me want to cry and not want diamonds anymore!

but after researching further it seems like most diamonds in the USA are "conflict free" because of a certification called the Kimberly Process - http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/diamond/2001/0706diam.htm
I really hope this is true! I was so upset for awhile until I read more into this.
Does anyone have more insight on this?

 

[pqcollectibles]

Yep the Kimberly process is for real. Bad people find a way to get around it by washing diamonds thru legit countries for a bill of lading from that country. Those diamonds do find their way into the system somewhere, but typically not in the higher end market. Most PS Vendors are dealing in the higher end of the market. The major Vendors here tend to work thru long established channels. People they know personally as suppliers. You can feel fairly confident that diamonds you may consider from reputable Vendors have been purchased from reliable sources that follow the Kimberly process all the way from the mine to the jeweler''s show case.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Is any oil, gold or dollar note you ever touched blood free?

 

[ilovebling]

Date: 2/10/2005 12

1:37 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
Is any oil, gold or dollar note you ever touched blood free?

Possibly not but it''s hard to not buy oil and use money in our society; buying diamonds is a luxury, not a necessity!

Thanks PQ! I''m glad I don''t have to feel guilty about my diamond purchases now.

 

[strmrdr]

If it bugs there is always Canadian diamonds.
They cost slightly more but they havent been in terrorists hands.

 

[Lord Summerisle]

This is John...

John drives an SUV...

This is the gas john puts in his SUV

this is the executive... that bought he fuel that john put in his SUV

these are the countries.....

Ahem...

 

[chantal990]

There''s also the Argyle diamond mine in Australia they are conflict free but they do bleed you dry to pay for them.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 2/10/2005 8:22:36 AM
Author: Lord Summerisle
This is John...


John drives an SUV...


This is the gas john puts in his SUV


this is the executive... that bought he fuel that john put in his SUV


these are the countries.....


Ahem...

For 2003 the countries the US imported the most oil from:

Canada (17%)
Saudi Arabia (14.5%)
Mexico (13%)
Venezuela (11%)

Most of the stuff from Mexico and Venezuela is what is used for most Gasoline.
The saudi oil is used for all 3 depending on grade.
The Canadian oil is mostly used in manufacturing and most US oil is used for industrial and heating use.
Roughly 39% of the total usage was US oil.

Gas costs for a $1.59 price point:
Expense Amount
Production cost 15¢ to 60¢
Producer profit 53¢ to 8¢
Refining cost 13¢
Marketing cost 5¢
Transportation cost 15¢
Retailer cost 6¢
Refiner, marketer,
transp. & retailer profit 10¢
US Taxes 19¢
Average state taxes 23¢
TOTAL $1.59

 

[denverappraiser]

I absolutely agree that the pedigree of diamonds and other materials we consume is an important part of being a good world citizen. There is more to diamonds than simply a pretty pebble and I very much like to see my money go to support the ‘good guys’. Almost much everyone agrees with this sentiment but it’s remarkably difficult to work out the details.
Buying Canadian stones is a popular tactic but Botswana (known as the country that diamonds built) is a stable, growing and successful nation that treats both their citizens and their businesses fairly and is actually serves as a model for the remainder of Africa. By avoiding all African diamonds because of pirates in Sierra Leone, you are withdrawing your support from people who, I think, are quite deserving of your business. It’s like avoiding Canadian products because there are Central American drug lords who do business on the same continent.

By buying online, you are withdrawing a part of your participation in the local community and are enriching an anonymous seller at the expense of your neighbors. By avoiding sales tax, you are skipping your share of support for police, fire and other public services. This doesn’t mean that you should shop at a local store that treats you badly but finding the right balance is important if you’re going to be a socially responsible consumer.

Buying old stones that were mined decades ago is another popular approach and it means that the current crop of African criminals weren’t involved in the production but there may have been other problems. The Australians and the Canadians stole their land from the previous residents after all, and they weren’t very nice about it. The behavior of the British East India Company was less than sterling and the African mining companies have very spotted histories. Just how much history can you get on a stone and do you really want it?

It’s a difficult set of questions. The Kimberly process works pretty well for newly mined diamonds but it’s definitely not without it’s problems. Personally, I think it’s the best thing going and it’s worth supporting. Every stone legally imported into the United States must comply and you can be reasonably confident of the sources if you buy from a legitimate dealer. The US government and the diamond industry as a group are very serious about solving this problem and they’ve made tremendous progress.
Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[Lord Summerisle]

Date: 2/10/2005 7:50:27 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 2/10/2005 8:22:36 AM

Author: Lord Summerisle

This is John...



John drives an SUV...



This is the gas john puts in his SUV



this is the executive... that bought he fuel that john put in his SUV



these are the countries.....



Ahem...

For 2003 the countries the US imported the most oil from:


Canada (17%)

Saudi Arabia (14.5%)

Mexico (13%)

Venezuela (11%)


Most of the stuff from Mexico and Venezuela is what is used for most Gasoline.

The saudi oil is used for all 3 depending on grade.

The Canadian oil is mostly used in manufacturing and most US oil is used for industrial and heating use.

Roughly 39% of the total usage was US oil.


Gas costs for a $1.59 price point:

Expense Amount

Production cost 15¢ to 60¢

Producer profit 53¢ to 8¢

Refining cost 13¢

Marketing cost 5¢

Transportation cost 15¢

Retailer cost 6¢

Refiner, marketer,

transp. & retailer profit 10¢

US Taxes 19¢

Average state taxes 23¢

TOTAL $1.59

sorry... I just found those type of ads amusing really...

in the same way i laughed when i got Season 6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer - and each vid had a ''piracy funds Terrorism'' notice at the start... and i think ''Naw it dinne! It buys that bloke John a couple of pints after a trip to the local car boot sale.''

 

[perry]

Neil, and others, gives a good starting outline on the various issues:

Just what do you mean by "blood free," and how important is it to american society.

Neil mentions that the canadian and austrailan diamond properties were taken from the native populations. The same can be said for the vast majority of America - taken away from the native population.

Those who feel the need to use ilicit drugs. I can't immagine a more bloody commodity in the world.

Almost all american money (bill form) will test positive for illicit drugs because of the volumn of illicit drug trade in america. Does this mean that the use of money itself is not "blood free."

Not all blood is blead directly. Most of the damage is by the bleading your soul and values due to choices many people are forced into by their job or other situations. How many here have had ajob where they were asked to compromise their personal integrity somehow. All too common. I have worked hard to find a job where that is minimized from other jobs, but I can't say that I have found the perfect job on that score yet (which is why I am working to build my own side business).

I am less concerned about the small % of diamonds that are somehow tainted with direct violence during their chain between the ground and the current end customer than I am about the other items in society.

By the way, someone injures themselves, or helps another who is injured, and their diamond jewelry gets covered with blood. does that make it a blood diamond?

 

[innerkitten]

Ilovebling, Yep some probably find there way into the market. You might notice that if you post a question like this on Pricescope that alot of people especially venors and some buyers are going to defend the diamond industry. You might be better off getting the facts on a site like amnesty internatianal. Hope I haven''t insulted anyone but it does seem to be the case.

 

[denverappraiser]

innerkitten,

It''s true that the most informed people on the diamond trade tend to be insiders in the industry and our active consumers. This surprises you?

Here''s the AI position on the matter. They recommend that consumers should patronize jewelers and suppliers who participate in the Kimberly Process. Not only have they not come up with a better plan, they actually claim credit for the KP in their press releases. They quite specificaly do NOT recommend blanketly avoiding the purchase of African diamonds or any other African products because this action damages exactly the people they want to help.

Neil

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Perry,

I didn''t pick on the Canadians and the Australians because they are more guilty of social crimes than most other countries. I chose them because they are diamond producing countries that are regularly presented as ''blood free''.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[oshilig]

I believe it was Nelson Mandella who said that if people stopped buying African diamonds the economies of most southern African countries would collapse. However, it is important to have some level of conciousness when it comes to the origin of your diamond. The Kimberly Process isn''t perfect, but it''s all we''ve got right now, and a good step forward.

 

[innerkitten]

Yes your right diamonds are not a necessity and yes you can always buy Canadian if you want to.
I think the Kimberley process is great and yeah you might want to do some research of your own too.
You will get different answers depending on who you ask.

 

[sparklish]

I agree, getting the best information on blood diamonds is to go straight to the source.

http://www.kimberleyprocess.com/

It has some good FAQs. If your retailer can''t tell you where it''s from, consider looking elsewhere, or, as some suggested, buying Canadian, Australian etc. When we were looking at Canadian stones, they were not more expensive than others. Also many changes in the industry are influenced by the wants of buyers, so asking about it is a good thing.

I''m not sure what the discussion on oil, or the fact that Canadian land was seized from First Nations etc. has to do with the question regarding blood diamonds. While it''s true we''re all consumers and likely have some non-fair trade things in our homes, or perhaps live in a country that was seized from others, it doesn''t mean that we should just give up on social justice. It''s not in for a penny in for a pound. Being conscious about blood diamonds and not buying them can help avoid the terrible torture and atrocities faced in counties like Sierra Leone and is one step towards greater, fairer trade. Better a small step than nothing at all.