Wedding Blog
I’m a regular reader of weddingbee, and it’s been a very helpful resource.
When I first got engaged, I didn’t know much about diamonds. So when I started reading up on it, I found out about blood or conflict diamonds and I kept asking my fiance about where he got my ring and if he knew anything about conflict diamonds. He eased my concerns by saying that he got it from a very reputable jeweler, and did some research and found out that Vera Wang gets diamonds through a specific distributor who actually has a foundation that gives back to the countries where their diamonds are found.
Now with all the posts of engagement rings, I was wondering if people asked questions about conflict free diamonds. I am still confused about it because there are sites with conflicting information. Some sites say there’s only 1% of diamonds that are not conflict free and that the Kimberley Process has really kept an eye on the diamond trade. Others say that DeBeers has a control over the entire industry and they’re the ones citing the 1%.
Is there really a guarantee on the diamond that is purchased that it is conflict free? Do people consider that when buying their engagement ring? Sites have said you should ask your jewelers about their policy — do people do that? And even if they do, how certain can we be of their truthfulness…is there a place you can confirm that information?
With Leonardo Dicaprio’s new movie coming out, I think it will raise alot of questions. But I really don’t know where to find reliable information. I was hoping that Weddingbee would be able to help!
Thanks!
-vi
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Share this post: Open Question: Conflict Diamonds
(Hello from a first time commenter!) Don’t forget, you can get Canadian diamonds as well. Being Canadian, this was something that was really important to me… and the diamond has a little polar bear engraved onto it… cute!
I’ve done some research on this topic because I also didn’t want a conflict diamond. The Kimberely process isn’t a 100% guarantee, and the process of appraising Canadian diamonds leaves a lot of room for conflict diamonds to be slipped in. For me, I decided the best way to be sure is to either find an antique diamond, use a created diamond from reputable places like greenkarat.com, or to choose something other than a diamond. i’m going with option #3 - a sapphire!
I skirted the whole issue by using recycled materials for my ring (both the gold and diamonds). I also opted out of a giant diamond and instead used small diamonds from old pieces of jewelry. I think this option might feel a little less glamorous to many brides-to-be, but for me, knowing I didn’t add additional suffering in the world, having something with history to it, and wearing a ring that doesn’t stick out and bump things for the rest of my life was worth a little sacrifice of glamour. You can see a picture of my very non-traditional engagement ring at http://wren.crain.googlepages.com/IMG_2084.JPG
Partially because of this, I decided I didn’t want a diamond. It’s not required, you know. My fiance chose a beautiful vintage aquamarine set in platinum. I’ve always wanted an aquamarine anyway. He gave me a silver and blue CZ “placeholder” ring at the proposal and then showed me the ring he had chosen. I had looked around a bit at vintage rings, because I knew a proposal was coming, but the one he chose was the most beautiful one I had seen. So that’s what we got! It does have diamonds around the aquamarine, but they’re sixty or seventy years old.
If you do want a diamond, and are concerned about conflict diamonds, you could always go vintage! Many older cuts aren’t as sparkly as modern ones, but for the same money as a modern stone, your fiance could probably get a larger or better grade vintage diamond.
i’m glad this topic was brought up here. perhaps it’s a vast assumption on my part, but i get the impression that many bride-to-bes get so crazy about the rock they get to show off on their hand that they tend to forget and ignore all of the shadiness behind the rock that sits on your left 4th finger.
i commend all of the women that have made the decision to forego blood diamonds. it breaks my heart to think of all of the killing, slave labor and wars that occur so that we can show off some bling on our hands.
i do hope that this makes some ladies out there rethink about what they are showing off…
Beautiful ring, Wren! And you’re right…don’t worry about the traditional-looking rings if that’s not what interests you. You’re the one who will be wearing it, after all! 
I don’t know very much about this issue and I really wish I was more educated. 
I think a lot of people don’t even know what is going on.
I have a three stone diamond ring — one diamond has been passed down through three generations on his side, and my mom supplied him with a diamond that was hers, so I think the third diamond is the only one I need to worry about.
Unfortunately it seems that right now there is no 100% garuntee that a diamond is conflict free. There were recently diamonds smuggled that were kimberley certified, even though they were not conflict free. However, if you buy canadian it seems the risk is very small, and if you buy an antique or estate diamond from before the 1990’s it’s definitely ok. You can learn more from
http://www.amnestyusa.org/diamonds/index.do
There are also some online dealers that claim to have a better certification process such as http://www.brilliantearth.com
Recently there have been efforts to enforce the process in various African countries, so it looks like things are improving.
Hello Ladies,
My fiancÆ’©…husband now, totally went out of his way to make sure that he did not purchase a conflict/blood diamond. The jewelry he purchased my ring from guarantee 100% that the diamond was not a blood/conflict diamond. They were nice enough to show my husband the certification and all the paper work for the importation of the diamond. I know exactly were my diamond comes from. ;o)
Knowing that we did not contribute to the suffering of people who mine for diamonds made me very happy ;o)
Berenice
My FI and I were aware of the issue of conflict diamonds and were looking into Canadian diamonds as well, but heard it was iffy in terms of being conflict-free…but my awesome FI was able to find a conflict-free diamond from Israel~
I think it would be a great step for people to raise their concerns about conflict diamonds…so that more jewelers would recognize that our priority lies in whether the gems are conflict-free or not.
Maybe someone can make a post about non-diamond engagement rings? I never really thought about not having a diamond but it seems like an interesting and unique idea!
well, the most famous engagement ring in the world was a sapphire: prince charles to lady diana spencer.
I did not want a diamond for many of those reasons. My fiance actually wanted me to have a diamond in a very big way. We happily agreed on this ring from Becky Kelso.
I want a ruby… so no conflict there!
That is a very very good topic!
I like Candice’s idea about non-diamond Engagement Rings.
Amy–beautiful! Another aquamarine bride. I love Becky Kelso’s designs. I looked at her rings when I was considering engagement rings, but then I saw mine, and had to have it. This is mine:
http://www.trocadero.com/bradford/items/424853/item424853.html
I might need to get something else from Becky Kelso though! 
Earrings, a pendant…I love the many pointed prongs she uses.
I’ve heard that De Beers (evil!) owns a fair share of Canadian diamond mines, so it’s very likely conflict diamonds get mixed in (but I’m not sure if this is accurate). And it seems that accurate, objective info on conflict diamonds is hard to find.
Pencils-
Yours is very elegant. I also looked a rings with a similar yet different flare from Cathy Waterman.
I’ve actually worked in the industry a little bit, and even though there is still progress to make, the Kimberley Process has really cut down the occurrences of conflict diamonds which now make up less than 1% of diamonds - I think that’s really a step in the right direction. It’s a tough issue to fix because of the civil unrest in some of these countries, but I do think the Kimberley Process is making a huge impact on the issue, and I really believe people should keep themselves open to buying diamonds as progress continues to be made.
I also have a Canadian diamond. I actually would’ve preferred a sapphire, but my fiance really wanted a diamond. Sometimes the certification of non-Canadian diamonds lists the origin of the diamond as the country it was CUT, not the country it was MINED. It’s a shady process. The entire diamond business is shady. Aside from all of the human rights issues and war funding, they also control the supply to drive up prices. DeBeers is based in Africa. That process is illegal in the US, but DeBeers doesn’t have to follow US rules.
As a jeweler I thought my comments might be of some help. With the pre- release publicity surrounding the movie ¢¢â€š¬…”Blood Diamonds¢¢â€š¬? we have seen, in our store at least, an increased concern about the issue with our customers.
The Kimberly Process is not perfect. It is correct that the diamond industry (which DeBeers is a very large part of) currently says that 99% of the worlds diamonds are conflict free. Critics of DeBeers and the diamond industry in general say that number is low. I tend to think that while you can argue that 1% may be a very optimistic number, the industry critic’s numbers are probably high. The fact of the matter is that conflict diamonds are traded illegally and it is likely impossible to get an absolutely accurate number.
At this point there is no absolute guarantee that a diamond is conflict free. The chances, however, of a diamond that is purchased through a reputable jeweler, who adheres to the Kimberly Process as well as the System of Warranties, is rather remote.
It is absolutely OK to ask a jeweler what their policy is regarding conflict diamonds as well as the supporting documentation. The weak point in the system is that it relies on every one who handles the diamonds to truthfully sign a document stating that they are conflict free before they are sold. Since most people in the diamond industry are as concerned about, if not more so, the issue as anyone else, the system has made very real significant improvements in reducing the amount of conflict diamonds in the market.
Canadian diamonds can be an excellent alternative especially when they have complete documentation listing the source. The thing to remember is not all companies that say they are Canadian deal exclusively with Canadian diamonds.
Vintage diamonds are another great choice. You can often get a lot for your money. You need to pay attention to the condition of the mounting or be prepared to have the diamond remounted. A lot of the vintage jewelry out there is worn out and can not handle regular wear for any length of time.
And finely going untraditional can be a great way to make a unique statement. Sapphires and Rubies make great engagement rings as well as numerous other gems. You do need to talk to a knowable, reputable jeweler for advice. Not all gems, emerald being an example, are durable enough for an engagement ring.
I hope this post has been some help. If anyone has any questions please feel free to go to my new blog http://www.askdavewestthejewelryexpert.com .
So many people have absolutely no idea what is going on in the world around them. Read some of these comments:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/hmbascom/art/280110-1-blood-diamond#comment-822750
Something no one has mentioned is the devestating effects diamond mining has on the environment- they strip mine for those things. They are just rocks, ladies. And the more you wear them, the more other girls want them. Sapphires and Aquamarine and Rubies are a much more ethical and reasonable (price wise) choice.
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