This past decade has shown an increased concern on the part of jewelry buyers about the practice of unethical diamond production.

Kimberly Process Certification

The UN in 2002 created the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme in an attempt to discourage the then-pervasive practice of socially irresponsible diamond mining. This certification process stipulates the regulations and requirements that must be met in order to prove a diamond has been produced by socially responsible methods. If a diamond can meet these requirements, it receives a Kimberly Process Certificate. When buying a diamond, you should expect the jewelry store to produce this certificate. If there is no certificate, then you should be suspicious of the origins of that diamond.

Check the Certificate

Don’t be afraid to ask about the history of the diamond then you are interested in. The jeweler should be able to trace the diamond’s history and guarantee that it was produced in a conflict-free manner. In order to verify the truth of the jewelers story, also ask to see the System of Warranties statement. Visit a website like diamondfacts.org ahead of time in order to know that these statements should look like.

Canada and Beyond

Although Canada’s diamond-producing reputation is unsurpassed, there are other countries that produce guaranteed conflict-free diamonds as well. What’s important is that the diamond includes uninterrupted documentation all the way from the mine to the store. More and more countries all over the world, including Africa, have discovered that the best way to make money these days is to produce Kimberly-certified diamonds.

Be a Smart Shopper

There are jewelry retailers such as Brilliant Earth whose specialty is eco friendly jewelry, including the conflict-free diamonds. As an added bonus, they donate five percent of profits to communities that have been damaged by irresponsible mining practices. There are also very famous stores like Tiffany’s and Co. that carry only diamonds that are produced by suppliers whose methods are socially conscious.