Blood Not Bling

So today I saw the first sign of Valentine's Day . . . conversation hearts for sale on the counter of the gas station.  After an eye roll and a sigh, I point at them and say to my friend S, "Argh.  It's getting close."  She replies, "Argh.  I know," sharing my "enthusiasm".
 
Anyway, what I really want to talk about has everything to do with Valentine's Day--CONFLICT DIAMONDS.  After reading Greg Campbell's book "Blood Diamonds" I cannot just sit by while another Valentine's Day approaches without urging you to NOT BUY DIAMONDS from any dealer in the mall e.g., Kay, Jensen, or even that cute mom and pop down the street or any major diamond retailer unless they can GUARANTEE the diamond is conflict-free (which is nearly impossible).  In fact, it is probably best NOT TO PURCHASE DIAMONDS AT ALL.

 I'm really serious.

Innocent people die because of diamonds.

I know this is a hard idea to swallow, but trust me, it is an "idea" that has been marketed to you for the last 100 years at the cost of thousands of brutal amputations and innocent human lives.

"'Show her that you'll love her for another thousand years.'  This ad illustrates the market perfectly:  Men buy diamonds for women.  Period.  Little do these future grooms know that they're falling into a trap laid more than 100 years ago.  De Beer's founder Cecil Rhodes said that the future of his empire was guaranteed as long as 'men and women continued to fall in love'. . . .There's nothing that can ruin a carefully crafted mystique better than the stink of reality." (Campbell)

You may not be familiar with diamond mining or the fact that 60% of the world's supply of diamonds come from Sierra Leone in Africa.

"Civil wars are nothing new in Africa, but in Sierra Leone in particular the carnage was numbing and the direct involvement of diamonds was a serious threat to the business of romance.  Images of civilians whose arms have been crudely hacked off with rusty blades didn't mesh well with the television commercials featuring hand-shadows . . ..  One diamond industry leader is said to have had nightmares in which the tag line at the end of the such commercials reads:  'Amputation is forever'." (Campbell)

I was recently having dinner with some of my younger gal friends when the topic of diamonds came up.  I was astonished to hear that none of these girls had ever heard about conflict or "blood" diamonds.  They thought it was just another Leonardo DiCaprio movie.  They were floored when I told them about kids wielding AK-47's who were kidnapped, trained to murder and if they refused, were killed themselves.  They also didn't know about rebels who chopped innocent civilians hands off with rusty axes or machetes, often in front of their families, and never with anesthesia.  At least it got them thinking about their "bling" in a new, albeit bloody, light.

Unlike the early 90's, in 2011 the diamond market may be monitored and new regulations may be in place to prevent blood diamonds from reaching the consumer.  The civil wars in Sierra Leone are over (for the most part).  However, this does not ensure that every diamond on the market is conflict free.

"Diamonds are so portable---and their value so enticing---that no system of certificates will ever be able to answer, for certain, whether or not the diamonds in an engagement ring came from perfectly legitimate sources in South Africa or from under the tongue of a rebel called Colonel Poison." (Campbell)

And to top it all off . . . there are links to diamonds funding the terrorists who attacked the United States on 9/11.  Think about it:  Highly portable, untraceable, and easily liquidated.

"'I now believe that to cut off Al Qaeda funds and the laundering activities you have to cut off the diamond pipeline,' said a European investigator quoted in the Washington Post.. . .Somewhere out there is a multimillion-dollar cache of goods . . ..  Whether the diamonds are in a Hamburg safe-deposit box or a cave in the Tora Bora mountains, they are now the terrorists' ace in the hole.  As long as some cells of leadership can survive the American military assault, they will have the means to continue their war well into the future."  (Campbell)

 Fight terrorism.  Don't buy diamonds.

(I should get a bumper sticker made.)

But if you still want to buy diamonds, please don't be afraid to ask your jeweler if the diamond you are purchasing is guaranteed conflict-free (not just if they are following the Kimberly Process).

Luckily, the company Brilliant Earth, is a great source for guaranteed conflict free diamonds from Canada.  In 1999, there was a diamond rush in Canada.  The environment is harsh and cold there, but one thing is certain, there are no civil wars, only hockey, maple syrup and me--if Sarah Palin gets anywhere near the White House in 2012.  Anyway, buy your diamonds from Brilliant Earth . . . if you must buy them at all.

I read in the CNN article below that, "A diamond is worthless if someone had to die to get it."  I think we need to take a hard look at this manufactured, materialistic symbol of love.  It is time we start looking at diamonds and begin seeing blood not bling.

Sincerely,
Nik

PS:
Some good links:
"Diamonds Aren't Forever" (2006 CNN Article)
Brillant Earth (A good source for certified conflict-free diamonds)
Greg Campbell is awesome.
African Conflict Diamonds.  The images used in this blog entry came from this informative site.
Blood Diamond is actually a really good movie about this subject.
So is Lord of War.  It's about arms dealing in South Africa.  So it kinda fits, plus there is a cool scene involving airplane salvage.  It kinda reminded me of ants.