"BLOOD DIAMONDS"

  A BUYER'S GUIDE

SOON, A NEW MOVIE, "BLOOD DIAMOND", WILL BE OPENING IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE.  THIS MOVIE CONCERNS THE SIERRA LEONE CIVIL WAR WHICH TOOK PLACE FROM 1999 UNTIL 2002.  GIA RECENTLY AND DEBEERS HAVE JOINED FORCES IN ENLIGHTENING JEWELERS AND DIAMOND BUYERS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE IMPACT THIS MOVIE MAY HAVE ON THE GEM INDUSTRY.

"BLOOD DIAMONDS" WERE SO NAMED BECAUSE THE MONEY FROM THE SALE OF THESE DIAMONDS WENT TO FUNDING THE CONFLICT RAGING IN SIERRA LEONE.  THIS CIVIL WAR ENDED IN 2002, AND MASSIVE STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY, TO TAKE ACTION IN MAINTAINING THAT NO  DIAMONDS MINED WOULD BE SOLD TO FUND ANY CONFLICT AGAIN.  THIS AGREEMENT, UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF "THE KIMBERLY PROCESS", A WATCHDOG ORGANIZATION,  HAS MADE CERTAIN THAT  MONEY FROM DIAMOND SALES WOULD GO TO REBUILDING THE COMMUNITY, AND ALLOWING THE COUNTRY TO BRING A SECURE FUTURE TO IT'S CITIZENS.

THANKS TO THE KIMBERLY PROCESS, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO FINDING AND PROSECUTING ANY ILLEGAL DIAMOND INDUSTRY,  HAS NARROWED DOWN THE CONFLICT DIAMOND SALES SIGNIFICANTLY.  HOWEVER, WE AS CONSUMERS, MUST BE VIGILANT IN OUR PURCHASING OF DIAMONDS, ENSURING THAT WE ONLY BUY "CONFLICT FREE" GEMS.  RESPONSIBLE SELLERS DISPLAY DISCLAIMERS STATING THAT THEIR DIAMONDS ARE CONFLICT FREE, AND WERE PURCHASED FROM SUPPLIERS WHO MEET CRITERIA SET FORTH BY THE KIMBERLY PROCESS.