Are diamonds cruel?

Even though many brutal civil wars have now ended, violence in diamond mines remains a serious problem. Many diamonds are still stained by severe human rights abuses such as forced labor, beatings, torture, and murder.

Are all diamonds unethical?

Diamonds should represent memories and promises, but unfortunately many diamonds were mined in unsafe conditions or conflict zones. It can be very difficult to make sure your diamond is in fact ethical and conflict-free.

Why are diamonds so unethical?

While diamonds have long been associated with some of the happiest days of one's life, they can also be the source of so much suffering for others. From human rights abuses and blood diamonds to habitat destruction and water pollution, the truth is that diamond mining is a messy business.

Are diamonds mined by slaves?

After civil war broke out in central and western Africa, diamond profits were used to fund wars, weapons, slavery and anti-government rebellions. Children and families were forced into slavery to mine diamonds, and the gemstone funded extreme violence and war among communities, destroying stability and peace.

Are there ethical diamonds?

There are only a few reliable sources for truly Conflict Free Diamonds or Ethically Sourced Diamonds. Australia, Canada and Botswana Africa are the most well known and prolific. The Australian Mines are the Argyle Mine owned by The Rio Tinto Mining Company, and the Ellendale owned by Goodrich Resources.

The Truth About Diamonds

Are diamonds bad for the environment?

The biggest environmental issues associated with diamond mining are soil erosion, deforestation, loss of habitat for wildlife and in extreme cases has been known to cause entire ecosystems to collapse.

Are Tiffany diamonds blood diamonds?

Tiffany & Co. only offers conflict-free diamonds. We have taken rigorous steps to assure that conflict diamonds do not enter our inventory. As global leaders in sustainable luxury, Tiffany & Co. is committed to sourcing natural and precious materials in an ethical and sustainable manner.

Why do they cut off hands in blood diamond?

Seizing the right arms of their chosen victims, the young pair bring their blades crashing down, severing hands as a warning to the whole village not to challenge their authority. Such horrifying scenes were once common during Sierra Leone's 11-year civil war.

Is child labor used to mine diamonds?

Because children are considered an easy source of cheap labor, they are regularly employed in the diamond mining industry. In some areas of Africa, children make up more than a small part of the workforce.

Are diamonds made from child labor?

Approximately 20 percent of diamonds are mined via artisanal, or small-scale, mining operations. [43] This type of diamond production is most likely to feature forced and/or child labor.

Why are diamonds worthless?

Diamonds are intrinsically worthless: Former De Beers chairman (and billionaire) Nicky Oppenheimer once succinctly explained, “diamonds are intrinsically worthless.” Diamonds aren't forever: They actually decay, faster than most rocks. Diamonds can bring injury: Yes, the diamond trade creates jobs.

Are any diamonds conflict free?

Lab grown diamonds, also known as man made, lab created, or cultured diamonds, are 100% real diamonds and they are chemically, physically, and optically identical to earth-mined diamonds. However, unlike earth-mined diamonds, they are guaranteed conflict free.

Do blood diamonds still exist?

It shows that the production of conflict diamonds still exists in Sierra Leone. According to the 2005 Country Reports on Human Right Practices of Africa from the United States, serious human rights issues still exist in Sierra Leone, even though the 11-year civil conflict had officially ended by 2002.

Are all diamonds blood diamonds?

However, there's sometimes a hidden, darker side to many of these dazzling gems. Before purchasing a diamond, it's imperative that you ensure it's conflict-free. Diamonds that are not conflict-free are known as blood diamonds, which means they are illegally sold in order to finance devastating wars and terrorism.

Are lab created diamonds ethical?

You probably already know some of these benefits, like how much more affordable lab-grown diamonds are, but today we're shining the spotlight on the category of ethics. From human capital to the environment through to your personal investment, everything about lab-grown diamonds is more ethical than mined diamonds.

What percent of diamonds are conflict-free?

Today, experts say that over 99 percent of diamonds on the market are conflict-free.

Does De Beers sell blood diamonds?

Since 2000, some independent diamond dealers have not only claimed to sell diamond bunches that they bought from rebel groups to De Beers, but also that De Beers was aware of the origin of the diamonds. Currently on their website, De Beers boasts that 100% of their diamonds are conflict free.

How do slaves extract the diamonds?

They are often forced to use primitive, back-breaking methods such as digging into mud or gravel along river banks with their bare hands. The collected material is then separated using hand-held sieves.

How much does a diamond miner make?

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $116,500 and as low as $17,500, the majority of Work From Home Diamond Mines salaries currently range between $33,500 (25th percentile) to $75,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $100,000 annually across the United States.

How many diamonds can you make from a person?

According to wikipedia, humans are 18% carbon by mass. So a 70 kg human is made up of roughly 16 kg carbon. Assuming a lossless process where every atom of carbon is used in the resulting diamond this would result with a 4500 cm^3 diamond.

Why does Africa have so many diamonds?

Diamonds in Africa were formed somewhere between 600 million and 3 billion years ago when titanic-force pressure and heat caused carbon 1,200 miles (1,931 km) below the Earth's surface to crystallize. As recently as a million years ago, erupting molten rock brought the diamonds closer to the Earth's surface.

What diamond did Beyoncé wear?

What Is the Tiffany Diamond and Why Are People Mad at Beyoncé for Wearing It? The Tiffany Yellow Diamond is one of the largest yellow diamonds ever unearthed, and it has become a huge fashion symbol since its 1878 discovery in South Africa.

Is Beyoncé wearing a blood diamond?

Another added: 'Not y'all celebrating the fact Beyonce is the first Black woman to wear a Tiffany blood diamond following in the footsteps of Audrey Hepburn and Lady Gaga. 'That rock needs to left alone in a museum explaining its history while paying ongoing reparations, not paraded around. '

How much is Beyoncé blood diamond worth?

Beyonce 'disappointed and angry' after unknowingly wearing $30M Tiffany 'blood diamond' - as her mother Tina Knowles hits back at 'righteous activists' online criticizing the superstar.