Diamond Conflict

With the Warner Bros. holiday release of "Blood Diamond," local gem purveyor Ronnie Mervis weighs in the issue of conflict diamonds

BY RONNIE MERVIS

Marilyn Monroe famously sang that "diamonds are a girl's best friend" - not a guerilla's best friend. In recent years, however, you might have heard much to the contrary. You might have heard that "conflict diamonds" were fueling rebellion, violence and social exploitation in Africa.

Amid that media flurry, the finer details of the issue were blurred, and diamonds in general got a bad rap. The inimitable beauty, purity and wonder of these stones were obfuscated by hyperbole and, for lack of a better word, paranoia. People wondered if the rings on their fingers symbolized something nefarious.

With the recent release of The Blood Diamond, Leonard DiCaprio's December cinemaplex offering, the topic should make headlines again. While this may make some in the diamond industry nervous, I gladly welcome the opportunity to talk about the subject. As a lover of diamonds and coming from South Africa, the land of legitimate diamonds, I feel a deep connection to the issue.

First, we should define our terms. The diamonds in question come from areas of Central and Western Africa controlled by forces or factions opposed to lawful, internationally recognized governments. Money from their sale is used to fund military action against these governments. In the late 1990s, Sierra Leone was the epicenter of such activity, though rebels in Angola, Liberia, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo were also part of the problem. At that time, maybe about four percent of the world's diamond production was tainted.

"TODAY. THE FLOW OF CONFLICT DIAMONDS HAS DWINDLED TO LESS THAN ONE PERCENT. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'VE BEEN VIRTUALLY ELIMINATED FROM THE MARKET."

Today, the flow of conflict diamonds has dwindled to less than one percent. In other words, they've been virtually eliminated from the market. This was the result of worldwide, coordinated, no-nonsense action taken by leaders in the diamond industry, and endorsed by industry players. This zero-tolerance policy is manifested in the Kimberly Process Certification System, which was developed with the full cooperation of the United Nations, governments from around the globe and numerous non-governmental organizations. Adapted in 2003, this exacting process prevents conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate supply chain. It’s buttressed by a voluntary System of Warranties that any credible seller has adopted. If you’re buying a diamond and have doubts, ask the retailer.

Djimon Hounsou stars as Solomon Vandy in Warner Bros. Pictures' and Virtual Studios' action drama "Blood Diamond," distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.