current event #4- The Myth of Conflict Free Diamonds

McDonough, K. (2013). The myth of conflict-free diamonds. Salon, Retrieved from      http://www.salon.com/2013/01/07/the_myth_of_conflict_free_diamonds/

     One of the details to a green wedding lies in "the rock". After the initial engagement announcement the engagemet ring is what what friends and family swoon over. Conflict-free diamonds are one way for a bride and groom to take part in putting together an eco-friendly wedding day. When a couple starts the marriage in a sustainable atmosphere they are destined to uphold those standards. Now, with all of the optimism of starting a green life with with your new spouse out of the way, is finding a conflict-free diamond something that is actually attainable? I'm here to tell you that, unfortunately, getting your hands on one of these stones is harder than you would like to think.
     According to Salon.com's article, "The Myth of Conflict-free Diamonds," due to a lack of trade regulation, differentiating between clean and dirty diamonds has become nearly impossible. Numbers don't lie and according to a piece in Foreign Policy, the odds of having a conflict stone on the market today is 1 in 4. What happens is, the mined diamonds are shipped in from places in the world like Central Asia, Africa, and other heavy mining spots. A majority of these diamonds are then sent to Surat, India where they are to be polished and cut for retail markets. A problem occurs when both illegal and legal diamonds mix in Surat, leaving traces of origin nearly untraceable. When the diamonds hit the end of the road in Mumbai, they are shipped out to sell with documentation of being clean even though that is most likely not the case. Since differentiating between clean and dirty gems has become so difficult, today's dealers have stopped asking altogether.
     Even if conflict-free diamonds do pass through Surat, the labor endured there could be classified as intolerable. The boys working in these factories spend 100-hour work weeks squinting and inhaling tiny diamond particles. Payback for hard work in the diamond factory means early loss of vision and "diamond lung." Tuberculosis and respiratory disease is developed in tens of thousands of workers annually, and the workers are tossed out on the street when their work is no longer up to par. So whether your diamond is conflict-free or not, chances are that little diamond caused harm somewhere in some way.
     Maybe the only way to have a truly conflict-free stone is to go synthetic. While buying a diamond that is grown in a lab is not the most ideal option for brides-to-be, it may be the safest route. I personally have always been accustomed to the idea of one day having a beautiful and natural diamond on my left ring finger. With further thought and consideration, we must think deeply about our purchases and the possibly harmful paths they took on the way into our possession.

By: Jessica Howard