Sourcing Diamonds

The diamonds we use in jewelry were formed deep under the surface of the earth under great heat and pressure.  Diamonds are made of carbon, the same element in a graphite pencil or the charcoal you use to barbeque chicken on your backyard grill. The carbon that turned into diamonds was subjected to a pressure of about 725,000 pounds per square inch and temperature of about 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. And the carbon remained in these conditions for millions of years!

How did diamonds get to the surface? Volcanic activity can carry liquid rock from the depths where diamonds are formed and deliver it near the surface or even out of the volcano in an eruption. The long “cooking time” and then a relatively rapid transit to the surface are both believed to be the final result, the extremely tight bonding of carbon atoms that turns black carbon into clear, hard, and shiny diamonds.

If you want to look for diamonds you look where there have been what are called “deep source” volcanic eruptions. The kimberlite and lamproite pipes (named for the types of volcanic rock) that remain are where diamonds are found.

Diamonds are found all over the world but the best and most productive mines are in Africa, Russia, Canada, Australia, India, and Brazil.

An important issue in sourcing diamonds is that some of the areas where diamonds can be mined are politically and socially unstable. Armed gangs and rebel control some mines. They use local people essentially as slave labor. Then they sell the rough diamonds to support their terroristic activities.

Conflict Diamonds

When the profits from mining diamonds go to wage war or otherwise cause civil uprisings, then these diamonds are known as conflict diamonds. Another common name is blood diamond. The areas where these diamonds come from are often rich in minerals and other substances such as the unique elements used to make cell phone chips. Thus the same “conflict” issue may apply to commodities other than diamonds. Although conflict diamonds account for less than 0.1% of diamonds produced, this is still a lot of diamonds. In a business that produces $13 billion in rough diamonds a year, this is still $13 million in diamonds.

The areas where conflict or blood diamonds have been mined include Angola, Sierra Leon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and Liberia.

In nations like Botswana, the diamond industry has brought about a wonderful improvement in the standard of living and helps support a free and Democratic government. In general, the nations produce high-quality diamonds abide by ethical and democratic practices. Diamond mining creates jobs and supports communities.

We believe that it is our responsibility to always do our business in an ethical manner. Doing so helps build and sustain communities and improve lives. The trade in conflict diamonds ruins lives and communities.

We also believe in going the extra mile. We work with diamond suppliers who practice fair trade with their sources. Cruelty-free diamonds are ones where animals and the environment are not harmed in mining or processing operations. It is our intent that the engagement rings we sell, that symbolize love, do not leave a trail of blood and tears behind them.

The Kimberley Process to Fight Conflict Diamonds

In the year 2000, the international diamond community established the Kimberley Process. This is a no-tolerance policy to combat the purchase, processing, or sale of conflict diamonds. The Kimberley Process requires that every rough diamond that is mined is certified. Seventy-four governments have adopted this policy to combat the conflict diamond trade.

The result of this process is that nations such as Botswana, Namibia, Russia, South Africa, Canada, and Australia certify the origin of each diamond. And then they invest their money in infrastructure such as roads, schools, and hospitals instead of weapons of destruction.

We work directly with the manufactures we buy from in order to guarantee that all diamonds we buy are certified under the Kimberley Process and are not connected to armed conflict or civil rights abuses.

Our relationships with our suppliers go back generations. We only work with reputable companies who share our beliefs and work to ensure conflict-free sourcing of diamonds.

Our Policy Regarding Conflict Diamonds

In dealing the issue of conflict or blood diamonds we have a policy. We always follow best practices of international business and commerce in diamonds and we are specialists in fair trade practices.

War Financing with Conflict Diamonds

We work directly with our suppliers to buy diamonds from mines outside of zones of conflict. War is the opposite of the love and commitment that our diamonds are meant to represent. We only buy diamonds that are certified through the Kimberley Process to make sure that no rough diamond comes from a conflict area.

Abuses of Human Rights

It is not enough that diamonds are mined outside of war zones. It is an essential element of our policy that miners use safe and ethical practices in the search for and recovery of diamonds. We restrict our diamond purchases to nations that are known for their democratic systems of government and fair labor laws. And we only deal with suppliers who follow the laws of their nations.

Protecting the Environment

There is potential for great and lasting environmental damage when miners need to remove up to 250 tons of rock in order to find one carat of diamond. Our policy is to work with miners and manufacturers who avoid environment damage via their use of technology and good mining practices.

Labor Fairness

The businesses of mining and manufacturing diamonds are pillars of their communities. They provide good jobs and their taxes result in stable community infrastructure. We only work with suppliers who follow fair labor practices and, when available, allow union representation to protect employee rights.

Community Benefit and Development

For the community, the end result of diamond mining and manufacturing is that in remote parts of the world the people and their communities see the benefits. The miners we work with believe in sharing the wealth by donating profits to community improvement and personal development.

Verification of Rough Diamond Origin

Every single one of our diamonds is verified as to its origin. This is not done through the GIA but through our longstanding relationships with our suppliers. If you want to know the origin of your diamond, just ask the gemologist and we will find out.

Where on Earth Do They Mine Diamonds?

At the beginning of this discussion, we noted that diamonds are found in volcanic rock called kimberlite and lamproite pipes. For a long time, South Africa produced most of the diamonds in the world and the South African DeBeers Company largely controlled the business. That is no longer the case as diamond deposits have been discovered and are being mined all across the globe. There are also more small diamond mining companies. This has improved the diamond business and often resulted in better diamond prices for the consumer. Today these countries produce diamonds.

Russia is the biggest single producer but there are more diamonds produced in Africa by Botswana, Angola, South Africa, and Namibia.

Diamonds from Russia

Russia is new to the diamond mining and manufacturing business. They only began in the years after World War II and much of their focus was on producing diamonds for industrial use. There are regions in Siberia in Eastern Russia that have geological formations like those found in South Africa. And those areas produce diamonds. Russia began to export diamonds in the 1960s and today Russia is the leading producer of all individual nations. They mine a dozen open pit sites. They are said to have a reserve of a billion carats or more. Thus Russia is likely to remain the leading exporter in the world for a long time. We know when a diamond is or Russian origin through our relationships with our suppliers.

Diamonds from Canada

Canada is even newer to the world of diamond mining than Russia. They only began diamond production in the 1990s. The Northern reaches of Canada are like Northern Siberia, barren but rich in natural resources. Canadian diamond mines are in the Arctic regions of Canada and some mines even extend miles beneath the bottoms of lakes or beneath the Arctic Ocean! Despite being a new arrival on the diamond scene, Canada is the world’s third largest producer of diamonds by dollar value. Canada may well have more rich diamond deposits in areas not yet explored. As such it is possible that Canada could significantly increase its production over current levels.

USA Diamonds

Despite being the biggest consumer of diamonds in the world, the USA has only one mine producing diamonds and that mine in Arkansas produces a few hundred carats a year. If you want to find your own rough cut diamond you can go to Murfreesboro in Pike County in the state of Arkansas. The mine is called the Crater of Diamonds. It is a park open to tourists who pay a fee to look for diamonds, which they can keep when they find any.

Diamonds from Africa

Fifteen nations across Africa produce diamonds. Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are far and away the leading producers. But Zimbabwe, Ghana, Congo, Liberia, Lesotho, CAR, Tanzania, Togo and Sierra Leone also produce diamonds. Because some of these areas produce conflict diamonds we avoid them.

The Difference in Price by Origin of the Diamond

Diamonds from different mines across the globe may have better or worse qualities than others. However, the price of the diamond has nothing to do with its nation of origin. Diamonds are graded by cut, color, clarity, and carat. Any diamond from any region of the world can rank at the top of each grade and be a high carat diamond as well.

So, make sure you are not buying a conflict diamond by working with us. And then learn about cut, color, clarity, and carat. Finally, learn about diamond pricing and how you can get the best diamond for your hard-earned dollar. We constantly check to make sure that our suppliers follow ethical sourcing practices when we add high-quality diamonds at fair prices to our stock of 100,000 or more.