Blood diamonds

RESEARCH REPORT

Rishabh sagoo| EL4 | 4/28/2020

2472414
Word count:
Table of Contents
Abstract

1. Introduction
1.1. Background information
1.2. Colonization
1.2.1. Dependency Theory
1.3. Purpose of the report
1.4. Overview
1.5. Methodology
2. Causes
2.1. A precious stone
2.2. “Diamonds are forever”
2.3. Rise of the giants

3. Consequences
3.1. Ethical considerations
3.2. Social impacts
3.3 Political impacts

4. Conclusion
5. Solutions
5.1 Stamping out blood diamonds forever
5.2 Modern techniques

6. Recommendations
7. Reference list

PAGE 1
Abstract

Africa is a part of the world ravaged by years of turmoil.Armed conflicts attracted

widespread prominence in the 1990s, owing to the alleged funding base for
rebellion forces to pursue carnage.Diamonds sold in illegal markets for arms
used during civil conflict became recognized as 'conflict diamonds.'This report
explores the manner in which conflict diamonds were created and continues to
destroy the lives of many africans.Companies and policymakers transfiguring
rocks into diamonds by selling and determining the limits of 'licit' exchange.

PAGE 2
Introduction (1.0)

Background information (1.1)

Diamonds have a lengthy history as perfect things of affection. In the primary century
AD, the Roman conservationist Pliny stated: “Diamond is the most valuable, not
only of precious stones, but of all things in this world.” (Diamond History and Lore,
2020)

A diamond undergoes a long process before it ends up on the jewelers showcase.

Diamonds formed roughly 3 million years ago deep within the earth's crust under intense
conditions such as extreme heat and pressure, causing the carbon atoms to crystallize.
Hence, they expand which causes the magma to erupt shooting the diamonds to the
surface of the earth. The diamonds are then forced out of the surface by nature or man
which are then cleaved, polished and cut until its inherent beauty blossoms. (Diamond
Education | WR Chance, 2020)

The love of diamonds in the world had begun in India, where diamonds were gathered
from rivers and streams in the region. Many scholars believe that as early as the 4th
century BC India dealt in diamonds. Money from the nation produced small amounts for
an extremely restricted market: very wealthy sections of India. Much the same, everything
slowly improved. Throughout the caravans heading to the imperial markets of Venice,
Indian gems made their way, along with other luxury goods, to Western Europe. By the
1400s diamonds were trendy pieces for the wealthy of Europe.Later on , Brazil appeared as
a significant source in the early 1700s, when Indian stocks of diamonds started to decrease.
In the pans of gold miners’ diamonds were uncovered as they sifted across the gravels of
nearby rivers. During this time, Brazil controlled the diamond industry for more than 150
years, until it had done its maximum capacity.

Though sources shifted, the demand for diamonds underwent its own evolution. By the
late 1700s the traditional capitalist classes — the main buyers of diamonds — were in
crisis. Economic upheavals such as the French Revolution contributed to improvements in
income distribution.(Goldshein,2011)

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After this increase in income,the 1800s introduced rising wealth to the United states and
Western Europe. Not long after, the first great South African diamond mines were
discovered by explorers in the late 1800s only as the market for diamonds grew.
(Goldshein,2011)

Even Though the diamond industry saw great strides the tale of the global diamond
industry starts on the African continent, with the diamond discovery in Kimberley, South
Africa, in 1866. Entrepreneur Cecil Rhodes was established 22 years later, in 1888, by the
infamous De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited.By 1900, De Beers operated an
approximate 90 per cent of the world's supply of rough diamonds from its mines in South
Africa.

As a result,several parts of the diamond industry were influenced by South African

sources. This became particularly valid as diamond mining shifted to a deeper
underground from the land. The new sources compelled the production of more effective
mining methods because of the tremendous costs and the comparatively small yields
involved. They had developed the need for better marketing. They also introduced
advancements in cutting and polishing — advancements that improved productivity,
lowered prices, and enhanced finished stonesbeauty.Annual rough diamond output in the
1870's was just below a million carats. The number had been about three million carats by
the 1920's. Fifty years on, average output reached 50 million carats and hit 100 million
carats a year in the 1990's (Yury Spektorov, 2012).

.Moreover, by the end of the 1970s, South Africa, Zaire (now called the Democratic
Republic of Congo), and the former Soviet Union became the most successful rough
diamond suppliers in the world. Production of higher-quality diamonds from Russia and
South Africa stayed fairly stable throughout the 1980s, but Zaire's lower-quality diamond
output was more than duplicated.(Summer,2020)

In 1982 Botswana opened a highly efficient new mine to world output. A prolific producer
of high-quality diamonds, Botswana's output was enhanced by the Jwaneng mine so much
that the nation climbed to third in the world in overall diamond recovery, and second in

PAGE 4
diamond value. As a result,De Beers negotiated with the government of Botswana to buy
output from the mine and Botswana set out to establish its own diamond-cutting industry.

World diamond
mining grew
dramatically, with
the discovery of
sources in Australia
in 1985 and
significant new
mines in northern
Canada in 2000.

The graph shows that after 1990, the demand undoubtedly shifted as much as it did in the
years following South Africa's 1866 discovery of diamonds and the creation of De Beers.
The 1990s introduced innovative new outlets, which allowed some cutting centers to
expand dramatically at the expense of South African gold production. All of which
occurred when the global market massively fluctuated.

Furthermore,De Beers needed to adjust as one of the big players in the sector.However,
the company significantly diminished its position as custodian of the supply of diamonds.
Instead of flowing into the market from De Beers in a single-channel direction, diamonds
began to flow across several channels to the market. Regardless of the direction they
follow, diamonds often migrate into cutting centres from mines, and eventually to retail
customers, this continues to be the case with most diamonds. (Hughes, 2006)

The splendor of Diamond has been admired for centuries but until the twentieth century,
there was not much empirical knowledge regarding it. Since then, understanding of
diamonds has developed slowly, with chemists, physicists, geologists, mineralogists and

PAGE 5
oceanographers studying. Scientists have learned a lot over the past 50 years alone about
how diamonds shape, and how they are delivered to the surface of the planet. The
awareness has rendered forecasting locations for new discoveries of diamonds simpler.

Phenomenon of colonization (1.2)

Africa and the Exploitation of Europeans in Africa occurred even before Europeans
showed up. The leaders also had thousands of slaves in Mali and Songhai. Villages
attacked each other to catch and auction these prisoners. A slave could often struggle to
gain his or her independence. However the Europeans implemented a form of slavery in
the 1400s which destroyed African lives and civilization.(Anon., 1980)

European merchants invaded and seized African settlements. Many Africans abducted in
conflicts had been offered by other Africans to European merchants. About 10 to 12 million
Africans were driven into slavery
from 1520 until 1860.Across North
and South America they were
assigned to faraway colonies in
Europe.Even other civilians were
abducted , but perished before
arrival, either from sickness or
hunger. As well as trapping and
trading the Africans, others were
killed in attacks.Around two-thirds
of those captured were people aged 18 to 30. This had left less individuals to guide the
communities and families. African cities and towns had inadequate jobs. Family
relationships were torn apart.

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Theory of dependency (1.2.1)

Dependency Theory became famous in the 1960s as a reaction to Raul Prebisch's work.
Prebisch noted the growth of rich nations' prosperity tended to be at the cost of the
weaker nations.

In its severe nature, the theory of dependence is based on a Marxist vision of the universe,
which sees imperialism in terms of the expansion of consumer capitalism, and abuse of
inexpensive labor and energy in exchange for the industrialized world's outdated
technology. The prevailing opinion of the theorists of dependence is that there is a
prevailing global capitalist structure based on a distribution of labor between wealthy
'central' countries and poor 'peripheral' countries. Over time the core countries would
perpetuate their superiority over a region that is gradually marginalized. (Ferraro, 1996)

Purpose of the report (1.3)

The purpose of this report is to describe the origins of blood diamonds and further
explaining the dominance of diamonds in the gem industry and consequences the
precious stone has on various communities and economies.

Overview(1.4)

This report is designed to inform people about the origins of blood diamonds and
suffering of masses associated with diamond trade. These details regarding the trade of
diamonds will perhaps turn our attention to the darker realities of the whole social
structure founded on abuse, racism, slavery and the oppression of others to establish a
luxurious lifestyle in the western world.

Methodology(1.5)

The work carried out was focused on scholarly references on google scholar, numerous
publications and the digital library of colleges .The information gathered from these
sources were then analyzed to authenticate their validity and biases .This was done by
viewing the ownerships of these journals and articles in relation to blood diamonds. Also,

PAGE 7
the validity was further reinforced by reading reviews on these sources .The available
information and facts from these sources were used to analyse the historical, present and
future context of blood diamonds . They also give further insight to many of the problems
associated with blood diamonds .This method of research is appropriate because it is
unbiased and gives insight into the reality that blood diamonds are facing.

Causes(2.1)

A precious stone(2.1)

In the western world many people gleefully accept the opportunities that they have
available in their everyday lives for granted. They don't pay much attention to the cruelty
and misery that is needed to harvest such materials for their use at the detriment of the
citizens they belong to. Take an example of the U.S. war against the Iraqi people that
continues to rage on, the American people keep pouring petrol into their vehicles
carelessly without caring about the horrific warfare being orchestrated in the Middle East
so that they continue to consume virtually infinite amounts of energy. The same refers to
diamonds, the gleaming crystals of solidified carbon possessed by millions.As a matter of
fact certified diamonds are blood diamonds too. Each and every diamond is a conflict
diamond. The cruel Western empire proxy wars over diamond mines in West Africa have
been horrifying. However, these wars are just another chapter in the last hundred years of
colonial terror as the diamond trade, controlled by the De Beers cartel, has portrayed it.
(KALOMBO/TSHIKAPA, n.d.)

The diamond's history is immersed in the oppression, racism, imperialism and violence
that has created and maintained the Western imperialist structure. Westerners are
receivers of this genocidal scheme.Today, African soil diamonds are worth billions of
dollars, a fortune that is largely clustered in the United states , Europe, Israel and South
Africa's white population. (Iqani, 2016)

PAGE 8
The desire for wealth like commodities has increased,as a result, the price of diamonds is
still increasing, but the resale value is very small, irrespective of how much you first pay
for them.

Diamonds were found in India during the third century BC and used for religious and
artistic purposes. Owing to their toughness diamonds were placed as an engraving device
on the end of an iron blade in China. Many societies have historically regarded diamonds
as having mystical powers.Once diamonds were discovered everything changed in Africa.

Given the ravages of slave trading, European men already governed 90 percent of Africa in
1875.Ten years down the line they formally ended the colonial period. In 1884-5, the heads
of European governments gathered at a meeting in Berlin for the express purpose of
cutting away every inch of the African globe, without a single African participant. The goal
of this meeting was to disperse all of Africa out to Europeans in order to extract all
available wealth – human beings, money, property, cattle, rubber, iron, ivory, forestry,
fishing, farming and, needless to say, diamonds. (International Scientific Committee for
the drafting of a General History of Africa [680],, 1985)

The meeting had been a push by the Colonial powers to seek to minimise tension within
Europe and between the European countries themselves by exchanging Africa's large
seized gold. Every European nation needed a slice of Africa to increase its standard of life,
not just for the already rich, but also for the peasants, who have been in a state of revolt
for some of the confiscated riches of poverty and colonisation for the past 40 years.
(Iweriebor, n.d.)

Also the Catholic pope, the European spiritual power, offered the Berlin Convention its
implicit support and proposals to colonise the whole of Africa. All the colonists had to do
was to defeat the mighty African resistance and then slaughter, subjugate and enslave the
surviving Africans. Hundreds and thousands of white men contributed to this mission
with passion.(Iweriebor, n.d.)

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“Diamonds are forever”(2.3)

The explanation diamonds are the gem of preference is as a result of a highly effective
promotional campaign by one of the world's largest diamond firms.

Diamond production in the early 1900s had been small. Though it was common custom to
offer engagement rings, they were not necessarily diamond. Diamonds became extremely
common with engagement rings by 1938 but then the interest plummeted with the Great
Depression. However, diamonds were not commonplace back then — according to the
BBC, just 10 percent of engagement rings contained diamonds

That transformed during 1947 when De Beers unveiled a diamond engagement

advertisement campaign with the message "a diamond is forever." As investigative
journalist Edward Jay Epstein reported in The Atlantic's popular 1982 20,000-word exposé,

the initiative was remarkable in scale.

(Foo,2019)

The De Beers movement lasted four

decades and transformed the way the
community felt about diamonds.The
organisation also developed extensive
psychological frameworks for preparing
the advertising strategy. It tried to make
diamonds emblematic of the everlasting
relationship in love, with their artistic
beauty and unbreakable
chemistry."While diamonds that
potentially be broken, chipped,
discoloured or incinerated into rubble,
the idea of immortality beautifully
represented the mystic attributes that
the advertisement firm chose to assign to diamonds," Epstein wrote.The promotional
campaign involved inserting "a diamond is eternal" in media ads and planning for

PAGE 10
lecturers to go to high school and learn about the importance of diamonds. Epstein wrote
by 1946. De Beers sponsored a weekly programme named "Hollywood Icons" that
"supported 125 leading newspapers with images of the diamonds owned by hollywood
stars." They also urged actors and socialites to sport diamonds everywhere they go,
impressing the stone as an aspirational target on the public imagination. (Kolowich, 2014)

Rise of the giants(2.4)

Between 1939 and 1979, according to The Atlantic, De Beers' promotional expenditure
went up from $200,000 to $10 million a year. It had been worth it. Its wholesale diamond
revenues in the United States soared from $23 million to $2.1 billion during the same time
span. The desire to purchase diamonds has been growing overseas. (FRIEDMAN, 2015)

When Western power rose throughout the 20th century, so did the marketing drive by De
Beers. For example, traditional Japanese weddings would not involve wedding rings. Yet
De Beers vigorously promoted them during the American takeover of Japan, marketing
them as a meaner than conventional Western ideals."Before the programme started, not
even 5 percent of Japanese women engaged were granted a diamond engagement ring in
1967," Epstein reported. "Over 60 per cent of Japanese brides wear diamonds by 1981. The
1,500-year Japanese custom had been dramatically revamped in only fourteen years."
Previously, diamond rings were not synonymous with marriages in Japan.Provided some
sort of promissory bond for marriage, it is a concept that has been around for centuries in
many various cultures and faiths.

The notion of offering a gem-studded ring reportedly originates from Austrian Archduke
Maximilian, who is reported to have given a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy in
1477.But presidency on giving engagement rings before the De Beers campaign is
small.During the time of Maximilian, nobles also introduced different approaches to
jewellery. An Engagement proposal in the 1940's. In Europe it was popular to use various
gems. In 1840, Prince Albert presented an emerald ring to Queen Victoria that depicted a
serpent. But diamonds soared in England after 1887, when hundreds of pieces of diamond

PAGE 11
jewellery were produced to mark Victoria's 50th year on the throne, Racked added.This
custom in America has not often reflected as it does now, either. In the 1840's, people also
gave men engagement rings. (Society, 1934)

Norms on diamond sales began to shift.Diamond rings are virtually commonplace today.
According to the Jewelry Industry Research Center, 75 percent of brides wear one.Yet
enthusiasm in younger Americans tends to be declining, according to The Economist.
They are sort of oppressive, and appear archaic in an age of greater parity between the
sexes.More specifically, the cost of diamonds really is high. Younger households earn an
amount of $10,000 fewer and have accrued only as much savings as Baby Boomers did
while they were young. (Sullivan, 2013)

Consequences

Ethical considerations(3.1)

There is a credential scheme in the global diamond industry which aims to bring
confidence of ethics into the supply chain. Yet this qualification programme, just like
related programmes in the apparel sector, isn't quite thorough enough. What this implies
in reality is that there are plenty of diamonds without the quality to get the glitter of
ethics. In the global diamond sector, the main certification system is the Kimberley
Process, which is a joint effort between diamond generating nations, diamond dealers and
business, the UN and the alliance of civil society. Countries who sign up to the agreement
tend not to deal in uncertified raw diamonds under the programme.This is intended to
root out the illegitimate diamond trade in blood.( Hall,2012)

Conflict diamonds are extracted from mines in areas of turmoil, where the revenues of
which intensify violence and alleged human rights violations in these armed conflict and
violent rebellion areas. Such mines' trade in raw diamonds is used to purchase arms that
are used in other continuing violent conflicts. These weapons are often used to terrorize
indigenous communities and intimidate them into mining or supporting their militant
insurgent groups.Blood diamonds are used in various wars and war crimes, including
Sierra Leone's brutal civil war, where former Liberian President Charles Taylor helped
finance the separatist rebellion with diamond mining profits. Charles Taylor has also been

PAGE 12
tried by the International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague for war crimes and is
subsequently completing a 50 year term.

Of necessity trying to root out the blood diamond trade is a positive idea. To do just that,
the Kimberley Process was established. The issue is that, according to a 2015 Amnesty
International study, the procedure as a whole is compromised by structural flaws which
ensure that getting your diamonds accredited by the Kimberley Framework is no certainty
that your diamonds will be exempt from crimes against humanity. Lucy Graham, an
Amnesty International Business and Human Rights expert, says "Diamond firms are
hiding behind the veneer of civility provided by the Kimberley Process, rather than take
accountability for what is occurring in their distribution networks."(Graham,2018)

One of the drawbacks with the Kimberley method is its very limited interpretation of
conflict diamonds, which focuses on war zones where diamond mining is dominated by
militant groups to support their rebellion against legitimate regimes(Baker,2016). In fact,
this implies that there may be a variety of abuse, suppression of human rights, and child
slavery in the diamond distribution network, and it also has to fulfil the Kimberley Process
criteria. It is that diamond mining supports 'lawful' regimes, particularly though human
rights abuses and abuse are reported to certain regimes.

In Zimbabwe, for instance, diamond mines do not follow the criteria for conflict
diamonds, but such diamonds are still synonymous with serious human rights violations.
Police and private security guards hired by the multinational diamond mining corporation
have aggressively placed restrictions on illicit mining that they claim happens unlawfully
on their mining ground, according to work carried out by Human rights
organizations(Baker,2016). What this implies in reality is that an foreign firm is utilising
abuse against members of the local population, including young adults, who seek to make
a livelihood through illegal mineral extraction.

Social impacts(3.2)

Child labour plays a significant part in the diamond mining industry. The typical age of
children coerced into child labour typically starts at the age of twelve and will operate up
to 16 hours a day. They also suffer from infected tips and blisters on their fingertips, along

PAGE 13
with more serious illnesses including starvation, fatigue, headaches, and malaria. Data on
child labour in African countries like Liberia is challenging to locate as it is so well
covered. Though lately, the progress of child labour in these countries has made the public
more conscious about what is going on. Latest news storeys reveal that thousands of kids
work at these mines. Many of them are employed to help and care for their families, while
others are simply children or "poor kids"
coerced into employment. The circumstances
are not fun, and look a lot like slavery.In fact,
children are also shipped out without choice
to participate in such conflicts sponsored by
the fighting diamonds(Esi Eshun,2016). A party
named Al-Qaeda is one terrorist organisation
that has seen a significant donor to the blood
diamond trade. They were a militant
organisation that was smuggling and
purchasing gems under the radar all over Liberia. The funding was also used to supply the
Al-Qaeda with arms, including purchasing guns for the battle. Purchasing and reselling Al
Qaeda-involved war diamonds also helped finance their clandestine activities.Al-Qaeda
remains heavily present after enabling such diamonds to be sold and bought.(Hoyt,2008)

Political impacts (3.3)

There are various impacts of diamond trade on african nations , Angola reflects this .While
Angola had only achieved independence from Portugal, from 1974 to 2001 the People's
Movement for the Liberation of Angola, the Democratic Union for the Full Independence
of Angola and the National Liberation Front of Angola battled for control in a civil war.
The Democratic Union for Angola's Full Freedom, in 1992, denied the outcome of the first
Angolan referendum.UNITA, with Jonas Savimbi as its head, marketed blood diamonds
(diamonds found in volatile conflict zones) to fund a battle against the nation. The UN
also prohibited Angola from purchasing blood diamonds. But there was little, if any,
compliance by member states and control by UNITA over several of Angola's diamond-

PAGE 14
producing areas permitted the movement to fund its illicit diamond operations.The study
states at one point that UNITA was Angola's single-largest diamond manufacturer. UNITA
sought to export diamonds and in exchange the fighting began in Angola and its army.
UNITA violated a peace pact in 1998, then resorted to violence.

Conclusion

The problem of competing diamonds poses big though not insurmountable obstacles to
diamond trading. This is not an issue that can go away on its own and needs a
constructive approach on the exchange. The main task is to work together with
commerce, policymakers and NGOs to enforce foreign legislation that regulate rough
diamond traffic. The diamond industry now has an ability to introduce internal
restrictions that would restrict industry in conflict diamonds. Hopefully, our industry's
constructive and pragmatic approach on this topic over the last year would enable us to
take meaningful steps in the weeks ahead.Effective steps that will deter violence
trafficking and stolen gems, and help create a better future for African citizens.
(Bieri,2009)

Recommendations and solutions

Recommendations

1.All countries shipping rough diamonds shall have an official government department
recording export shipments in an authoritative inventory of diamonds (IDD). The details
shall contain a special nation export identification code; carat code; stone amount greater
than two carats; shipping value and time. In fact, the diamonds have to be enclosed in an
legally enclosed tamper proof package which will hold an officially approved certificate
comprising all the details recorded in the international diamond database.(Brown,2000)

PAGE 15
2.All countries importing rough diamonds need to have an official government body
responsible for monitoring rough diamond imports. No raw diamonds are to be shipped
unless they are in a locked tamper proof container from the export region, and the details
on the export shipment in the foreign diamond database fits the approved documents
provided. The importing party must insert the date and party of shipment into the
multinational database on diamonds.(Brown,2000)

3. An International Diamond Authority shall be formed which shall include

representatives of government, trade, and NGOs. Such an authority may track the rough
management programme, inspect countries importing and exporting rough diamonds,
regulate access to the foreign diamond database and have the power to allow or refuse
rough export rights to any government.(Brown,2000)

4.All countries which import commercial amounts of polished diamonds shall do so only
from countries which have introduced the aforementioned rough management scheme.
(Brown,2000)

Solutions

Stamping out blood diamonds forever

The dispute diamonds problem first came to the notice of the World Diamond Congress
at the July 1999 presidential meetings in Moscow. Although the WDC released specific
resolutions calling on its leaders not to deal in dispute diamonds there was a feeling the
diamond industry might do very little to address the problem. The primary concern was
that conflict diamonds are distinct from non-conflict diamonds and there was little way to
monitor their leakage from the exchange. The mindset was, "We want to help but what
are we going to do?"

PAGE 16
Fortunately, new ideas have been produced during the last year. There are also proactive
steps that can be done by the diamond industry that can help mitigate dispute diamonds
issues. Furthermore, if the diamond industry, government and NGOs work together we
will address the issue of dispute diamonds efficiently by enforcing restrictions on the
distribution of rough diamonds. That will insure that dispute diamonds did not join the
delivery chain for diamonds. We have to consider the reality we can fix the issue and move
on.(Bieri, 2009)

From the diamond trading viewpoint, the fundamental solution to the dispute diamond
issue falls down to a two-step phase. One: Dispute diamond identification; two: monitor
diamond movement so dispute diamonds do not join the legal delivery system of
diamonds. But this comes down to defining and regulating.

Identifying. Although the diamond industry can not explicitly recognise dispute diamonds
(i.e. they are imported and appear like non-conflict diamonds), the alternative is to
classify diamonds that are non-conflict. In other terms, guarantee that only non-dispute
diamonds join the diamond delivery network and therefore you are avoiding conflict
diamonds by necessity. The way to achieve so is by making all countries (i.e. governments)
that sell legal raw diamonds seal them in tamper proof containers and report the carat
weight and value shipping in an foreign database of diamonds (Fried,2019) .

Control. Customs officials clearly have power over exports and imports of all raw
diamonds by ensuring that each shipment is sealed and recorded in the international
diamond database. Unless it is not in the inventory the government would not be allowed
to purchase it.

The underlying issue with the approach of detection and regulation is that this method
can not be enforced by the diamond sector alone. The only way that it will operate is if
government customs regulators impose restrictions on rough diamond exports and
imports. To put it plainly, the diamond sector has no regulatory authority to regulate
exports and imports of raw diamonds.(Brown,2000)

PAGE 17
Modern techniques

Technology has allowed us to mark the diamond forever, and can therefore be laser-
engraved into the stone itself. The reference number is laser etched on the diamond belt
allowing an incision around 100 microns, but it will not be noticeable to the naked eye and
would need to be apparent through a ten-magnification lens or microscope.The engraving
is just 2 microns thick so that the quality of the diamond is not impaired,(Williams,
2018).Laser development has now ensured that we can design diamonds with laser etched
notes to loved ones, or important dates that mean diamonds are permanent.Until now,
the technique has been prohibitively costly, however organizations such as LASIT recently
established laser engraving technique such that all sorts of products may be etched or
branded. Modern technology is becoming more and more available, the trade in illicit
diamonds seems to be heading the very same direction as it is in ivory, only with
dedicated thieves working in an ever-decreasing sector. (Williams, 2018)

Recommendations of solutions (4.0)

Throughout recent years there have been common protests against the procurement of
fighting diamonds as a consequence of US-backed conflicts throughout Western Africa.
Rap albums, movie stars and cyberspace posts inform us of these contaminated blocks. No
awake, democratic American would be purchasing a diamond like this.Such initiatives
recommend that anybody who buys diamond jewellery should be vigilant in selecting only
such diamonds approved by the authorised, legitimate Kimberley Process Certification
Scheme (KPCS). This system is expected to shield Africa from diamonds extracted by the
perpetrators of West Africa's bloody wars marked by violence, mutilation, migration, and
brazen slaughter over the past 15 years.

PAGE 18
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