The whole thing about conflict diamonds is back in the news again. I should note that I have a few diamonds on my finger. That being said, I think the whole diamond industry is riddled with problems. In addition to the issues around conflict diamonds or blood diamonds, as they’re sometimes called, the industry faces giant challenges in terms of how workers are treated, what land is taken from whom for mining purposes, what the mining industry’s impact on the environment is, etc. I realize using actual diamonds is key in several industrial processes, but other than the feeling that a real diamond is better or nicer to have, there’s no real reason not to get something synthetic, honestly. But then the issue becomes what to do with all the people who depend on this industry for their livelihood… Some desperately poor countries get a giant chunk of their money from diamonds, what happens to them if the luxury diamond trade collapses?
Some retailers who sell diamonds are getting better at disclosing whether or not the diamonds they sell are conflict free. The “conflict free” designation itself is problematic, though. The Kimberley Process designation that is currently used is flawed, but I suppose it’s better than nothing. Buying diamonds from countries like Canada circumvents many of the conflict-related problems but it doesn’t remove the environmental and land appropriation issues. It’s complicated. So complicated that I think when I can afford to get my redhead something sparkley, it’ll probably be synthetic.
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