Bonveda's Blog

Allison Ryan

If you are a conscious shopper, you will ask more questions when shopping for diamonds that just about the details of the stone. You should inquire if the stones you are admiring with the possibility of purchasing are non-conflict diamonds. The answer you receive should satisfy your mind that these diamonds have not come from a country where the sale of diamonds is used to cause bloodshed and terror for others.

Non-conflict diamonds do not look any different from other diamonds so there is no way you can identify them by looks alone. The appraisal report, whether it is of EGL loose diamonds or from another gemological appraisal facility will not be able to give you the answer either. Conflict diamonds, also called blood diamonds, should be a cause for concern because they come from countries in Africa where they are used to provide financing for wars and military action against innocent people. In some cases, child labor is used in the mining process.

When you make sure that the diamond jewelry you buy contains non-conflict diamonds, you can do your part by putting an end to this type of activity. Even though you may pay a high price for the diamonds, in this respect the purchase will be one of best value diamonds. Jewelers who are confident that they are not selling conflict diamonds will be happy to answer any of your questions.

The UN along with countries in the developed world used the Kimberley Certification Process to identify non-conflict diamonds. This means that rough diamonds exported from countries in Africa that are using the sale of the diamonds to further the economic activities of the country will provide a government certificate attesting to this fact. Diamonds cannot be legally shipped across borders without being accompanied by this certification.

Jewelers who deal in buying rough diamonds will have the Kimberley certificate ready to show you when you ask about the origin of the diamond. A local retail jewelry store may not have this certificate, but can direct you to the supplier to whom you can direct your questions. However, any legitimate jewelry store should be able to answer “Yes” as soon as you ask whether the stone in question is a non conflict diamond.

If when you ask a jeweler about the origin of the diamonds for sale and receive a black stare when you mention the Kimberley Certificate or the chain of warranties of the World Diamond Council, then you would be well-advised to walk away from the sale no matter how good of a deal you think it may be.

Upon purchasing a diamond, you should receive certification that the diamonds were purchased from one of the countries approved by the UN. You should also receive an appraisal report on the diamond which provides you with the details of the four C’s. New laws that have come into force in the past decade require jewelers to provide documentation about diamonds that they sell to their customers.

It is important to do your homework when buying a diamond in addition to determining that it is a non-conflict diamond. Without an understanding of how best value diamonds are appraised, such as with EGL loose diamonds, you may not be able to understand the appraisal report that you receive. Carat refers to the weight of the diamond, but the report will also provide details of the length, width and depth, no matter how tiny the stone may be.

Clarity refers to the quality of the sparkle and shine you will see from the diamond each time it catches the light. The cut can be one of five different types and basically refers to the shape of the diamond. The color may not be pure white, but could be a pale shade of yellow. All of these factors help determine the value of the diamonds that you buy.

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