Conflict Free Diamonds

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. Conflict Free Diamonds Plus, ensure that your jeweler sources from conflict-free ethical sources before you buy.