So, there have been many campaigns about blood/conflict diamonds vs diamonds that are certified. Is there really any difference?
Not as far as the quality of the diamonds...only the background of how they were obtained and the horrible conditions that some had to endure in order that few became very rich. I am not a big admirer of diamonds so it's of little interest to me other than that some people have been abused in the name of profit for a few.
I was just reading an essay last night online about how the whole concept of certified diamonds was simply a scheme by debeers to control the wealth of diamonds. I didnt know about it though, and wanted for information
It's extremely hard to determine whether or not the diamonds you get are conflict free. Most of the time, the clean ones and the dirty ones are mixed up in the process... By NOT buying diamonds at all and DEMAND they ALL be conflict free, it's the only way you can guarantee they aren't blood diamonds. I don't like diamonds anyway....
there is a company out of Canada that offers green diamonds (and the stones might be Canadian in origin, too) as another one who does not value a precious stone all that much, it never was an issue for me. Glad to see that movie waking people up ...after the conflict... diamond sales are UP because of the movie...
Well perhaps De beers will have some competition. They actually managed to gain control of the diamond mines in Canada. But if man can manufacture these gems, why rape the earth and abuse people to get to them? http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/diamond.html
i've never understood why anyone feels they have to have something just because it is something there is only so much of to go arround. i cannot think of one useful and creative thing that requires natural diamonds nor the use of them. now gold is reddily mallable and a good conductor of electricity, and there's been plenty of blood spilled and cultures devistated over that too, but diamonds, i just don't get it. grits of artificial diamonds, somewhat more economic to produce, are quite useful for cutting and shaping otherwise intractable substances, but why natural ones. truely avarice is insane. and what the hell is wrong with the kind of world we could have without it? are people truely that fearful that someday we might have a world that will give us less to complain about? i must be ignorant, simple and stupid, because i for one sure don't 'get it'. =^^= .../\...
Well, you know how the average human is...if it's there we HAVE to use it up until it's gone... It's the American way, at least
Diamonds are gross. Gold is disgusting. Do you have any idea how much damage is done to the holy mother earth so that stupid people can adorn themselves with it? I find it difficult to care who was harmed or killed to get a couple of rocks out of Africa when millions of acres have been strip mined to get them out of the earth. People come and go, we only have one planet.
How about you flaunt your wealth by doing a little dance in front of the mirror in the morning and stop wearing gold and gems and furs and stupid shit like that? It makes the rich look stupid.
Why is it that it took a movie to make you all aware of the gross civil rights that have been impinged on my moneyed interests. These have been going on for years.
Conflict Diamonds make up about a percent of the market where they made up 20% in the 90's. While I wouldn't buy diamonds at all, and especially nothing from De beers, the campaign against them has been overwhelmingly successful. Conflict free labeled diamonds often come from places like Canada. I hate to be cynical enough to call it a marketing scheme, but there you go.
It is really disgusting - I remember once in a museum there was a massive rock mound encased by glass..not sure how big exactly, but massive. Next to it, it said something to the degree of "this is half the amount of material needed to be destroyed to produce one gold ring," I think you get the idea and I'm sure you were aware of this
