History of Dirty Diamonds
Diamonds are made from pure carbon. Formed eons ago, volcanic
explosions forced the diamonds to the surface of the water, where they were
scattered along rivers and into oceans.
The first river-bed diamonds were discovered in
The earliest record of diamond polishing is Indian, and dates back
from the fourteenth century.
Today, 90 percent of diamond jewelry is made from diamonds mined in African
countries with the rest mined in Australia, South America, Canada (which also
faces the dirty diamond conflict), and Russia
The word “diamond” comes from the Greek word “adamas” meaning
unconquerable, in reference to the eternity of love. In 1477, Archduke
Maxmilian of
In 1939 De Beers introduced the criteria for Diamonds entering the
gem quality by a combination of four distinct factors, often called the fours
C’s: cut, color, carat, and clarity.
The rarest diamonds, which come in shades of pink, blue, green,
amber, or red, occur by rare accidents of nature.
The Issues…
Conflict diamonds, also called blood diamonds, are rough
diamonds found in areas of conflict which are controlled by outside forces and factions
opposed to a legitimate and internationally recognized government. These wars
are also fought using child soldiers who are usually given drugs to help
overcome any fear or hesitancy to participate in violent acts.
Blood diamonds are used by rebel groups to finance chaos in
opposition to legitimate governments and violate the rights of many people;
millions of people are left dead or maimed subsequent to the civil wars that
take place in countries such as
Once diamonds are brought to market, discovery of their
origination is difficult and once polished, can no longer be identified, thus
many groups get away with smuggling these diamonds.
The diamond mines create environmental threats from the open pits,
where chemicals, oil, and other dangerous minerals from the mining equipment
spill into the ground-water, spreading and contaminating people living in
villages and camps just outside of the mining area.
Diamond cutters in
While working in the mine, winds blow dust storms, creating so
much dust that sometimes workers cannot see more than a yard ahead. Workers are
given a “nosebag,” which is just a piece of tissue with loops that go around
the ears. These nosebags get black almost immediately; the workers are not
allowed a replacement for a year.
Asbestos is everywhere, at times, diamonds are even found in
asbestos, causing workers to suffer long term
consequences.
Who Pays for Diamonds?
In Sierra Leone, the decade-long civil war left up to 50,000 dead,
half a million refugees, and thousands of amputees.
In
The on-going violence in the
Diamond miners are disproportionately exposed to HIV/AIDS as a
result of all-male mining camps, and the enforcement of no-family rules. Men
contract HIV/AIDS from camp sex-workers, while the women who are married to
these miners have no access to employment, no income outside of their husbands
and no bargaining power for negotiating safe sex, and thus are at extremely
high risk of contracting the virus.
Many diamond-producing governments and forces also use children as
soldiers, laborers in military camps, and sex slaves. These young children are
also given drugs to overcome their fear and reluctance to commit such violence.
Who Profits?
Both government and rebel forces, including the National Union
for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the Revolutionary United Front
(RUF) are able to finance their causes through the exploitation of these
diamonds. Millions of lives are taken in order for these rebel groups to attain
diamonds so that ultimately, they are able to control government actions in
their favor through terrorism.
Manufacturers of small arms gain huge amounts of illegal
diamonds through their trade with rebel groups.
The De Beers diamond cartel has produced diamonds with a market value
up to $7.9 billion, and once the diamonds have been converted into jewelry,
estimates are $54.1 billion.
Who Is
Helping?
The United Nations did not begin to intervene with the issues
taking place in the West African countries until 2001. Actions taken include
economic sanctions on
Motions to control the outrage seemed almost impossible as it was
hard to prove that smuggling was actually taking place
The hip-hop
community and rappers like Kanye West talk about
blood diamonds in his single “Diamonds are Forever,”
in which he exposes the problems concerning the exploitation that takes place
in these countries.
Other organizations around the world are also acting to promote
awareness about conflict diamonds and the brutality associated with them. The
Kimberly Process is one example of the international efforts to end the illicit
trade of conflict diamonds. Through this system governments, diamond
industries, and the civil society interact to make sure that rough diamonds do
not become conflict diamonds
The Canadian government has also attempted to get other countries
involved in the Kimberly Process through imposing Bill C-14 and the Export and
Import of Rough Diamonds Act
Internet Sources
http://www.onesky.ca/diamonds/about.html
http://www.maloofjewelry.com/education/history-of-diamonds.htm
http://www.costellos.com.au/diamonds/index2.html
http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html
http://www.worldpress.org/Africa/2193.cfm