It shows that the production of conflict diamonds still exists in Sierra Leone. According to the 2005 Country Reports on Human Right Practices of Africa from the United States, serious human rights issues still exist in Sierra Leone, even though the 11-year civil conflict had officially ended by 2002.
Although many of these conflicts have now ended, the issue of conflict diamonds remains prevalent: the diamond industry is still often marked by appalling violence. Some governments and mining companies also have and continue to contribute to these atrocities (even in countries that are not at war).
However, there's sometimes a hidden, darker side to many of these dazzling gems. Before purchasing a diamond, it's imperative that you ensure it's conflict-free. Diamonds that are not conflict-free are known as blood diamonds, which means they are illegally sold in order to finance devastating wars and terrorism.
What percentage of diamonds are blood diamonds? According to the diamond business, conflict diamonds account for 4% of all rough diamond traffic. However, according to some estimates, the percentage of conflict diamonds in the whole trade could reach 15%.
Diamonds have funded brutal wars in countries such as Angola, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, resulting in the death and displacement of millions of people. There is a reason they are dubbed 'Blood Diamonds'.
The Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), however, maintains blood diamonds do not exist in the world. "There are no blood diamonds in the industry, Gujarat or India.
This conflict lasted over 10 years and lead to over 50,000 deaths and the displacement of over 2 million people and many whom were injured.
Red diamonds are the rarest and some of the most expensive in the world. Also known as Fancy Reds, they come in a variety of shades ranging from orange-red to brownish red. Majority of the world's red diamonds come from the Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia.
Worldwide reserves are estimated to be some 1.2 billion carats. Russia has the largest reserves, estimated at some 650 million carats.
Red Diamonds
Still, their rarity and their intense, crimson color make them the most expensive per carat of all the colored diamonds, and on average will cost over $1 million per carat. The largest red diamond ever sold, weighing 5.11 carats, was bought for $8 million, at $1.6 million per carat.
In addition, Islam prohibits Muslims from possessing diamonds and colored gemstones (as well as gold, silver, pearls, and so on) in any forbidden form, such as statues, icons, dinnerware and vessels (for gold and silver), and men's jewelry (excepting a silver ring or sword hilt) (see Is There Zakat on Jewelry?).
Blood diamonds (also called conflict diamonds, brown diamonds, hot diamonds, or red diamonds) are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an invading army's war efforts, terrorism, or a warlord's activity.
Pink diamonds fall under the category of Type I or Type IIa diamonds. tend to have an irregular shape. The Argyle Mine, the world's current main source for pink diamonds, has developed their own pink diamond color classification system separate from that of the GIA.
Although all natural fancy coloured diamonds are extremely rare, none are more so than the red diamond. Found mostly in Africa, Australia and Brazil, red diamonds are so rare that only around twenty to thirty true red diamonds are known to exist and most are less than half a carat in size.
Beyoncé is only the fourth person to ever wear the coveted jewel – and the only black woman to have done so. Women who wore it before her include American socialite Mary Whitehouse in 1957, Audrey Hepburn in 1961, and more recently Lady Gaga at the 2019 Oscars ceremony.
The Koh-i-Noor, which is said to be cursed, has not been worn by a British monarch since the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. It last emerged from its glass case in the Tower of London for the funeral of the Queen Mother, when it was placed on her coffin.
From ancient times, India was the source of nearly all the world's known diamonds, and until the discovery of diamonds in South Africa in 1896, India was the only place where diamonds were mined. India has not been a major diamond-producing country since the 1900s, but diamond mining continues.
De Beers S.A., South African company that is the world's largest producer and distributor of diamonds.
The magnificent Cullinan Diamond – the largest diamond ever found- is incorporated into the Crown Jewels. The stone was discovered near Pretoria in modern -day South Africa in 1905, and is named after the chairman of the mining company, Thomas Cullinan.
Kohinoor, often written Koh-i-Nur, is the most expensive diamond in the world. The diamond, also known as the Mountain of Light diamond, weighs an incredible 105.6 carats and is one of the largest cut diamonds ever discovered.
The only diamond that has never been sold, never been priced. The Kohinoor has been that it has never been purchased or exchanged in peace. It has always been taken by force. The British were only the latest among the many who did so in the very long history of this diamond.
The gem called the Koh-i-Noor, which was taken from Shah Sooja-ool-moolk by Maharajah Ranjeet Singh, shall be surrendered by the Maharajah of Lahore to the Queen of England [sic].
It's extremely violent, with frequent scenes of war and abusive labor practices (villagers' hands are chopped off and mineworkers are shot dead for disobeying orders).
Though Blood Diamond revolves around fictional characters, the events are based on real experiences of individuals in Sierra Leone during the civil war. The film depicts village attacks by rebel groups, the enslavement of Sierra Leoneans, the use of child soldiers, and illicit markets that are often ignored.
Proceeds from diamond sales were used to buy arms and war matériel for the rebel groups, some of which conducted extremely violent campaigns that brought great suffering to civilians. Once a conflict diamond had entered the processing stream and been cut and polished, it was virtually identical to any other diamond.