Conflict Free Diamonds

The Kimberley Process

Established in 2003, it requires participating countries to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are conflict free, and bars trade with countries outside the scheme. It covers the large majority of the world's rough diamond production.

What it does not cover

Its definition is narrow: it addresses rough diamonds funding rebel movements. It was not built to address working conditions, environmental practice or wider human rights questions in producing regions, and it is fair to say so plainly rather than let the certificate imply more than it claims.

If this is your question

Ask where the stone came from and what documentation follows it, and expect a straight answer. Canadian origin stones are tracked from mine to market and carry their own documentation.

Lab grown diamonds remove the question entirely. They are chemically and optically identical to mined diamonds, created in a controlled environment, and they are the reason this conversation is easier than it was a decade ago.