How to appreciate a jewel


What is a Conflict Diamond?

Who hasn't heard of the slogan "Aalmost any market. If you mine diamonds
diamond lasts forever"? Diamondsand sell them to other countries - of
have always occupied a very high statuswhich there is definitely no shortage -
in the world of jewelry. Fueled byyou can get a large amount of money for
tradition and intense marketingthem. Where does the profit from these
campaigns, diamonds have achievedsales go?
incomparable status. Starry eyed youngYou guessed it - to finance wars and
men present gorgeous diamond rings toother forms of armed conflict in the
their girlfriends. Married couplesaffected areas. The manner of mining and
exchange diamond studded jewelry overselling blood diamonds is usually done
the years as symbols to their undyingin secret. You can just imagine what the
love. Celebrities and personalities donreaction of the (average) buyer would be
fabulous diamond jewelry whenever theyif he learned that he was financing a
go out in public. There is absolutely nowar somewhere in Africa with his
doubt as to how valuable and soughttransaction. Thus, people involved in
after diamonds are.the conflict diamond business do not
As with most things in life, there isreally advertise what they are doing.
always something bad mixed with theAlthough these activities have been
good. A diamond may be a woman's bestgoing on for quite some time, it was
friend but a diamond can also be theonly in 2000 that the international
bane of some people's existence - and Icommunity formally recognized the
am not talking about the man's pocketgravity of the situation. In December of
here. The term conflict diamonds, orthat year, the United Nations General
blood diamonds as others call it, becameAssembly recognized the role of rough
quite well-known to the average persondiamonds in furthering the conflicts in
in 2002 when the James Bond moviespecific areas in Africa. The General
"Die Another Day" wasAssembly came up with a resolution
released. This contribution to theaiming to severe the connection between
legendary James Bond saga revolvedthe illegal sales of diamonds and wars
around the idea of smuggling bloodin concerned areas.
diamonds.With this resolution in place, countries
So what is a conflict diamond? The UNthat buy diamonds from Africa became
formally defines a conflict diamond as amore aware of the illicit trade.
"diamond that originates from areasInternational sanctions were then put in
controlled by forces or factions opposedplace. In addition to these sanctions,
to legitimate and internationallyindividual countries set up their own
recognized governments, and are used tomethods and processes to curb the
fund military action in opposition topractice of trading conflict diamonds.
those governments, or in contraventionThe idea is that if no one will buy,
of the decisions of the Securitythen no one will sell. People who take
Council." In short, a conflictadvantage of conflict diamonds would
diamond is any diamond that is minedhave no market and thus the practice
from an area in which there is war, orwould stop.
armed conflict. The idea is thatWe all know however, that in the real
diamonds are very much in demand andworld, things are never as simple as
that they fetch such a high price inthey usually seem to be.



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