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You CAN Buy Diamonds and Be Eco-Friendly – But Make Sure They’re The Right Ones!     This is a Guest Post From Bashford Jewelry

Blood Diamonds. Who hasn’t heard the phrase or mention of the atrocities inflicted because of the troubling nature of this industry? Knowing this, it is easy to dismiss outright the use of diamonds in your jewelry. But, did you know that there are legitimate conflict-free diamonds available?  Let’s look at what conflict-free diamonds really are – and how you as a consumer can identify them. What are Conflict Diamonds? Buy Wedding Ring To understand what conflict-free diamonds are and how to identify them, you first must understand the idea behind conflict-diamonds. According to the Kimberley Process “conflict diamonds, also known as ‘blood’ diamonds, are rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance armed conflicts aimed at undermining legitimate governments”. For many years, blood diamonds have been a staple of the diamond industry. Conflict mines are managed by rebel groups or corrupt governments, and under their reign, millions of innocent citizens have lost their lives – either in the mining of diamonds or due to the conflict that the industry caused.  Blood diamonds – image via Getty Images But, unfortunately, the Kimberley Process is also very limiting in what it may allow. It doesn’t account for human rights abuses and ecological damage from the mining of diamonds. And that’s a problem.

The Ecological and Human Damage of Improper Diamond Mining Diamond mining can be extremely destructive and disruptive to the environment. Not to mention the harsh conditions under which some miners have to work to extract these precious stones.  Photo via Amnesty International So, when ethical brands want to source their diamonds, they look not just at what the Kimberley Process says, but also:

• The Human Impact. Millions of people have lost their lives to the pursuit of diamonds. Whether because of the mining practices or conflict, the atrocities meted out in unregulated industries is concerning, in addition to child labor and low wages.
• Ecological Damage. Improper extraction can lead to destruction or degradation of the environment. Sometimes the impact of diamond mining is so grave that when the mines are closed, the land has to be abandoned. The land cannot be reclaimed for any activity, and this is a serious threat to the ecological system.

 This used to be pristine rainforest. Photo via Time Magazine Why Conflict-Free Diamonds are so Important Even today you can find conflict diamonds in the market, either freshly mined or being circulated from previous use. Because of this, it is important that you can identify conflict-free and ethically sourced diamond jewelry. Conflict-free diamonds are significant because it means that people aren’t being exploited or killed for them. Conflict-free diamonds therefore, are essential for your peace of mind. You can enjoy your diamonds knowing that they did not cost someone their lives or irreparable damage the environment for you to wear.  Plus, knowing how to recognize these diamonds show that you are ethically conscious about your environment and fellow man. How To Identify Conflict-Free Diamonds  Conflict-free diamonds adhere to certain traits. One of them is traceability – they can be traced from source to a retailer. This means that your jeweler should be able to prove where your diamonds originated, and the process that was followed to get to you. This is important because conflict diamonds can be slipped into the production cycle, especially where the items are cut and polished for use. At Bashford Jewelry, we (like other ethical brands in the industry) have also expanded our concept of conflict-free to include environmentally-friendly. For us, this means a limited impact on the environment. Mining for diamonds is naturally disruptive to the environment. But, this does not mean that it has to be destructive. And for this very fact, that’s why most conflict-free conscious diamond users work with diamonds out of Canada.  Example of a CanadaMark inscription on a diamond And that leads us to one of the easier ways to distinguish a conflict-free diamond from the rest – looking for the CanadaMark™ symbol. CanadaMark™ diamonds are mined under highly regulated conditions, including environmental requirements. Mining takes places in a way that the land can be recovered and used for other purposes after the mines are closed. For us, this is important because as an ethically conscious brand, we could not sit by and use diamonds from a process that abuses human rights and damages the environment. Conclusion So, not all diamonds are conflict diamonds. But, not all diamonds labeled conflict-free are actually so. Make sure you or your jeweler can trace your diamond’s origin. Plus, ensure that your jeweler sources from conflict-free ethical sources before you buy. You CAN Buy Diamonds and Be Eco-Friendly – But Make Sure They’re The Right Ones!     This is a Guest Post From Bashford Jewelry

Blood Diamonds. Who hasn’t heard the phrase or mention of the atrocities inflicted because of the troubling nature of this industry? Knowing this, it is easy to dismiss outright the use of diamonds in your jewelry. But, did you know that there are legitimate conflict-free diamonds available?  Let’s look at what conflict-free diamonds really are – and how you as a consumer can identify them. What are Conflict Diamonds? To understand what conflict-free diamonds are and how to identify them, you first must understand the idea behind conflict-diamonds. According to the Kimberley Process “conflict diamonds, also known as ‘blood’ diamonds, are rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance armed conflicts aimed at undermining legitimate governments”. For many years, blood diamonds have been a staple of the diamond industry. Conflict mines are managed by rebel groups or corrupt governments, and under their reign, millions of innocent citizens have lost their lives – either in the mining of diamonds or due to the conflict that the industry caused.  Blood diamonds – image via Getty Images But, unfortunately, the Kimberley Process is also very limiting in what it may allow. It doesn’t account for human rights abuses and ecological damage from the mining of diamonds. And that’s a problem.

The Ecological and Human Damage of Improper Diamond Mining Diamond mining can be extremely destructive and disruptive to the environment. Not to mention the harsh conditions under which some miners have to work to extract these precious stones.  Photo via Amnesty International So, when ethical brands want to source their diamonds, they look not just at what the Kimberley Process says, but also:

• The Human Impact. Millions of people have lost their lives to the pursuit of diamonds. Whether because of the mining practices or conflict, the atrocities meted out in unregulated industries is concerning, in addition to child labor and low wages.
• Ecological Damage. Improper extraction can lead to destruction or degradation of the environment. Sometimes the impact of diamond mining is so grave that when the mines are closed, the land has to be abandoned. The land cannot be reclaimed for any activity, and this is a serious threat to the ecological system.

 This used to be pristine rainforest. Photo via Time Magazine Why Conflict-Free Diamonds are so Important Even today you can find conflict diamonds in the market, either freshly mined or being circulated from previous use. Because of this, it is important that you can identify conflict-free and ethically sourced diamond jewelry. Conflict-free diamonds are significant because it means that people aren’t being exploited or killed for them. Conflict-free diamonds therefore, are essential for your peace of mind. You can enjoy your diamonds knowing that they did not cost someone their lives or irreparable damage the environment for you to wear.  Plus, knowing how to recognize these diamonds show that you are ethically conscious about your environment and fellow man. How To Identify Conflict-Free Diamonds  Conflict-free diamonds adhere to certain traits. One of them is traceability – they can be traced from source to a retailer. This means that your jeweler should be able to prove where your diamonds originated, and the process that was followed to get to you. This is important because conflict diamonds can be slipped into the production cycle, especially where the items are cut and polished for use. At Bashford Jewelry, we (like other ethical brands in the industry) have also expanded our concept of conflict-free to include environmentally-friendly. For us, this means a limited impact on the environment. Mining for diamonds is naturally disruptive to the environment. But, this does not mean that it has to be destructive. And for this very fact, that’s why most conflict-free conscious diamond users work with diamonds out of Canada.  Example of a CanadaMark inscription on a diamond And that leads us to one of the easier ways to distinguish a conflict-free diamond from the rest – looking for the CanadaMark™ symbol. CanadaMark™ diamonds are mined under highly regulated conditions, including environmental requirements. Mining takes places in a way that the land can be recovered and used for other purposes after the mines are closed. For us, this is important because as an ethically conscious brand, we could not sit by and use diamonds from a process that abuses human rights and damages the environment. Conclusion So, not all diamonds are conflict diamonds. But, not all diamonds labeled conflict-free are actually so. Make sure you or your jeweler can trace your diamond’s origin. Plus, ensure that your jeweler sources from conflict-free ethical sources before you buy.