This entry has been, if I’m honest, a Pandora’s Box. I’ve peripherally heard of conflict-free diamonds for a couple years and, like so many, watched Hollywood’s statement on the subject in Blood Diamonds.

Still, with just half an hour or so of research behind me, I’m completely overwhelmed by the human and environmental costs of mass diamond mining. I can’t help but also mention that there are equally as destructive practices surrounding the mining of gold, rubies, and emeralds around the world.

For the purposes of this posting, I’ll stick to diamonds, the details surrounding which are complicated. With a long history of fueling civil wars throughout the continent of Africa, the trade and purchase of diamonds is deep and convoluted. Even more murky are the answers to the questions surrounding which retailers support the “blood diamond” trade and how to find truly conflict-free diamonds.

The Conflict-Free Diamond Council is one resource available to discover more. They list a variety of startling and numbing statistics related to the diamond trade in Africa:

:: The Angola Civil War which torn open the land and its inhabitants with land mines, gave 60% control of the land’s diamonds to the rebel group and lasted from 1961-2002. That’s 41 years of war, more than my lifetime.
:: The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed approximately 3.3 million people.
:: The rebel group in Sierra Leone mined up to $125 million of diamonds annually during the 11-year war that tore apart that country. That’s one billion and $375 million dollars worth of diamonds.
:: Approximately 200,000 people died in two civil wars in Liberia.

These statistics are staggering and outline only the known human tolls. Not mentioned is the extensive environmental destruction caused by the actual mining practices and all the families and towns that have been torn apart by both.

One company endorsed by The Conflict-Free Diamond Council is Brillant Earth. Their site offers the chance to read more and “ooo and ahh” at all kinds of beautiful, responsible, pretty pieces.

Clearly, conflict-free diamonds are just as beautiful and equally as versatile. I hope you’ll consider purchasing conflict-free diamonds and do a bit of research into the materials used in the creation of your engagement and/or wedding ring, where they came from and who mined them.