Diamond Facts from The World Diamond Council

Diamond Facts from The World Diamond Council
Ensuring your diamond is conflict free, the success of the Kimberley Process

We GUARANTEE that our diamonds are "conflict-free" by purchasing our diamonds from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations resolution, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by our diamond suppliers.

Most people are unaware of the role diamonds play in bringing real benefits to people in the countries around the world where diamonds are sourced. Nowhere is this more evident than in Africa. It is also in Africa that this same resource has been used to fund conflict. In 2000, a coalition of governments, non-governmental organizations and the diamond industry worked together to address this issue. In 2002, they established the Kimberley Process Certification System, a UN-backed process that has virtually eliminated the trade in conflict diamonds. Today, over 99% of the world's supply of diamonds is from sources free of conflict. Diamondfacts.org is dedicated to presenting the facts about conflict diamonds, along with how diamonds are driving economic growth and prosperity in countries around the world.

See information below compiled by The World Diamond Council on Diamond Facts re. Africa and taken from their www. diamondfacts.org site:

Fact #1:	An estimated 5 million people have access to appropriate healthcare globally thanks to revenues from diamonds.

Fact #2:	Conflict diamonds have been reduced from approximately 4% to considerably less than 1% since the implementation of the Kimberley Process in 2003.

Fact #3:	An estimated 10 million people globally are directly or indirectly supported by the diamond industry.

Fact #4:	The diamond mining industry generates over 40% of Namibia's annual export earnings.

Fact #5:	Diamond revenues enable every child in Botswana to receive free education up to the age of 13.

Fact #6:	In July 2000, the global diamond industry announced its zero-tolerance policy towards conflict diamonds and continues to drive this policy.

Fact #7:	Sierra Leone is now at peace and exported approximately $142 million diamonds in 2005.

Fact #8:	Approximately one million people are employed by the diamond industry in India.

Fact #9:	Approximately $8.4 billion worth of diamonds a year come from African countries.

Fact #10:	More than 99% of diamonds are now from conflict free sources and traded under the UN-mandated Kimberley Process.

Fact #11:	The Diamond Development Initiative was established to improve the working conditions of artisanal miners.

Fact #12:	The revenue from diamonds is instrumental in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Fact #13:	Under the Kimberley Process, rough diamonds can only be exported and imported when accompanied by a certificate from the exporting country.

Fact #14:	The charity Jewelers for Children funds a community based care program for orphaned children in South Africa.

Fact #15:	An estimated 65% of the world's diamonds come from African countries.

Fact #16:	Today, 71 governments and the legitimate diamond industry are all committed and legally bound to eradicating conflict diamonds.

Fact #17:	The diamond industry has introduced a system to help give greater assurances to retailers and to provide consumers with the reassurance that their diamond is from a conflict free source.

Fact #18:	Diamonds account for 33% of the GDP (approximately $3 billion) of Botswana. Since diamonds were discovered in Botswana, GDP annual growth rate has averaged 7%.

Fact #19:	Major world leaders - including Nelson Mandela - have cited the importance of diamonds to the lives of African people.

Fact #20:	It is estimated that one million people work in the informal (astisanal) alluvial diamond digging sector.

Fact #21:	Some diamond producing countries are not Kimberley Process compliant.

Fact #22:	In November, 2006, 71 Governments, leading NGOs, and the World Diamond Council agreed on measures to further strengthen the Kimberley Process.

Fact #23:	At the 2006 Kimberley Process Plenary, the industry committed funds and resources to address challenges faced by countries with a high prevalence of artisanal alluvial mining.

ELIMINATING CONFLICT DIAMONDS

To prevent diamonds from areas of conflict entering into the legitimate diamond supply chain, diamonds are monitored at every point of the diamond pipeline, from mining through to retail. These monitoring processes are called the Kimberley Process and System of Warranties. The Kimberley Process is a UN mandated system, and today over 99% of all diamonds are certified through the Kimberley Process to be from conflict free sources. Read on to learn more about the Kimberley Process, the System of Warranties and how the diamond industry, governments and NGOs are continuing to work to eliminate conflict diamonds.




	Strengthening Industry Safeguards At the November 2006 Kimberley Process review meeting held in Gaborone, Botswana, 71 nations, non-governmental organizations, including Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada, and the World Diamond Council met and came to agreement on several important measures designed to strengthen the Kimberley Process. These included: Adoption of 46 recommendations by the working group to strengthen the Kimberely Process. Publishing of global diamond statistics to track diamond movements. Setting up a working group to review the issues and solutions associated with informal alluvial mining. Addressing the serious issues in Ghana over the next three months or suspension from the Kimberley Process will be necessary. Providing customs offices with information and identification methods for the geographic origin of rough diamonds. Providing technical assistance for the government of previously war-torn countries. Accepting New Zealand and Bangladesh into the Kimberely approved countries bringing the total number of participating nations to 71.

Ensuring a Conflict Free Diamond Industry

MINING
After rough diamonds are mined, they are transported to Government Diamond Offices.

ETHICAL DIAMOND EXPORTING (KIMBERLEY PROCESS):
After arriving at the Government Diamond Offices, the source of the diamonds is checked to ensure it is conflict free. The diamonds are then sealed and placed into tamper resistant containers and issued a government-validated Kimberley Process Certificate, each bearing a unique serial number. There are 71 countries that have implemented the principles of the Kimberley Process and have it enshrined in their national law. Only these countries may legitimately export rough diamonds.


	ETHICAL DIAMOND IMPORTING (KIMBERLEY PROCESS):

Diamonds can only legally be imported into one of the 71 Kimberley process countries. Once diamonds are imported, the government customs office, in conformance with its national procedures, checks the certificate and seals on the container. Any rough diamonds without a government-validated Kimberley Certificate or that are unsealed are turned back or impounded by Customs.

MANUFACTURING/TRADING (SYSTEM OF WARRANTIES):
Once a diamond has been legitimately imported it is ready to be traded, cut and polished and set into jewelry. Several companies may be involved in this process. Each time the diamond changes hands it must be accompanied by a warranty on invoices stating that the diamond is not from a conflict source. This is called the System of Warranties. Manufacturers/traders are required to audit these System of Warranties statements on their invoices as part of their annual audit process and to keep records for 5 years.

CONFLICT-FREE RETAIL (SYSTEM OF WARRANTIES):
Retailers are responsible for ensuring that the diamonds they stock and sell carry a warranty that they are conflict free. Retailers are required to audit these Systems of Warranties statements on their invoices as part of their annual audit process and to keep records for 5 years. The System of Warranties does not require the warranty to appear on the consumer's receipt. But by implementing measures for greater supervision, compliance and accountability, through the System of Warranties, within the diamond trade, consumers can be assured that the diamonds they buy are from sources that are free from conflict. Consumers can ask for assurances from their retailers that their diamond is from sources free from conflict.

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