Blood diamonds will flood back into the worldwide market unless a way is found to bring Zimbabwe back under global control at a key meeting next week, according to one of the world’s biggest diamond tycoons.
Willie Nagel, founding father of the Kimberley Process – a group made up of government, human rights and diamond-industry officials to prevent the trading of diamonds that could be used for financing wars – has warned that Zimbabwe is not adhering to the “clean trade” system.
Over the past year, I have written about this issue several times. There has been widespread criticism of the Kimberley Process beyond just their failure to reject Zimbabwe diamonds. The reality is that blood diamonds (conflict diamonds) are entering the market. Consumers who share my concern should be sure to receive documentation about the origin of the diamond they purchase. Kimberley Process certification no longer provides peace of mind.
