I just came across a rather disconcerting entry on Wikipedia when I searched for “conflict-free diamond.”
Here is how the entry begins:
Conflict-free diamonds are diamonds of certified origin which are guaranteed not to be obtained through the use of violence, human rights abuses, child labor, or environmental destruction. These diamonds are individually tracked through their full chain of custody to ensure that ethical practices are used in mining, cutting and polishing. (The Conflict-free Diamond Council is sited as the source of the definition.)
Here is a the definition of conflict diamonds that is generally accepted:
Conflict diamonds – rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments. (The source of this definition is the Kimberley Process website.)
Do you see the huge discrepancy here? According to the Kimberley Process, the agency that certifies diamonds as conflict-free, conflict-free has nothing to do with human rights abuses, child labor or environmental destruction. Their definition is much more narrowly defined than what the Conflict-free Diamond Council is saying.
Conflict-free diamonds are not necessarily ethically sourced, but ethically sourced diamonds are always conflict-free.
