The issues surrounding conflict diamonds (illicitly traded gemstones used to fund violence and civil war) have changed rapidly since the late 1980's and early 1990's when the topic first began to receive public attention. During this time period, when a major diamond cartel was implicated in buying diamonds from groups banned by the United Nations, the situation was at its worst. Civil wars were raging in both Sierra Leone and Angola and regional violence and instability was exasperated by involvement from countries like Liberia and Zimbabwe. Once human rights groups including Global Witness and Amnesty International began to focus attention on the topic, the situation began to change. The diamond trade began to alter its stance on the subject while simultaneously the seas of political change in Africa ebbed and flowed.

The circumstances that exist today are vastly different from those that existed in the 1990's. Sadly, much of the information you find online relating to conflict diamonds is out of date or worse, grossly misinterpreted. Africa is a dynamic continent with areas that were once immersed in bloodshed but are now beginning a journey toward peace. Concurrently, other regions (that didn't even work into the equation back in the 90's) are sliding towards the precipice of violence. The risk lies in bad and misunderstood information causing real damage to fragile developing countries and their economies.

Currently, the wars are over in Angola and Sierra Leone and both have begun the difficult path toward democracy. Likewise, Liberia's former president Charles Taylor (a major player in contributing to the flow of conflict diamonds) is currently being held at The Hague awaiting trial on war crimes charges. While still many years off, countries like Sierra Leone have the potential to join African success stories like South Africa and Botswana, provided development of industries like diamonds are allowed to grow and offer something back to the people of this beautiful country.

The key to all this is economic development in the continent of Africa. Too many well-meaning individuals and companies dismiss Africa as one giant war zone, deserving of our pity but not credited with being the home to intelligent and hard-working people who want nothing more than self-sufficiency and a rightful place in the world of commerce.

Conflicts still exist in several parts of Africa. (Although most strife is occurring in non-diamond producing nations, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zimbabwe remain areas of great concern.) As such, conflict diamonds do still exist. (Fortunately, the number of illicitly traded diamonds entering the marketplace has significantly declined from its peak almost two decades ago.) Likewise, the systems that were implemented by the diamond industry to regulate the diamond trade in Africa (including the Kimberley Process) are not perfect nor are they foolproof. New issues, like the plight of artisan miners† have begun to be noticed but have not yet received the attention they deserve.

At Leber Jeweler Inc we offer Canadian origin diamonds since they are currently the only diamonds that come with a 100% guarantee of country of origin assuring that they were not sourced from any of the current zones of conflict and that the individuals who mine these stones were paid a fair and living wage. Likewise, we make certain that the diamonds we sell were cut under fair labor conditions. (An increasing number of Canadian-origin diamonds available today are cut in locales that do not uphold acceptable working conditions.) However, we spend a greater part of our time and energies working directly with non-governmental and governmental agencies, trade associations, and members of the jewelry industry on a range of programs so that one day we may proudly offer African-origin diamonds that are both 100% conflict free as well as a key aid to the development of an economically stable and peaceful Africa.