Diamonds and Conflict

Diamonds have fascinated mankind since the dawn of recorded history. Diamonds have a unique combination of properties that have made them the world's most precious and sought-after gems. First of all, diamonds are extremely hard, making them useful in all sorts of industrial applications from sharpening to cutting. Second, they are beautiful to look at, and breathtaking to behold.

So how did these beautiful, almost magical stones come to be associated with conflict, bloodshed and genocide?

The answer to this riddle is an accident of geology and history. Diamonds occur naturally in many places around the world, but today almost half the world's diamonds come from central and southern Africa - areas that have been embroiled for many years in strife and conflict.

The African country of Sierra Leone is probably the best-known example of a troubled area that is rich in diamonds, and it should come as no surprise that it is a notorious source of conflict diamonds. Put simply, conflict diamonds, also known as blood diamonds or war diamonds, are diamonds that are sold to provide money for paramilitary groups and insurgents to continue their bloody campaigns of violence and intimidation.

In future entries, we will look at why and how this situation has happened, who benefits from it, who is being hurt by it, and what it means to you. Until then, if you are in the market for a diamond, you owe it to your conscience and to the millions of innocent people hurt in the crossfire to look for conflict-free diamonds.