admin answers:

You can watch the movie...it does a great job of simplifying the issue. The movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio is available on Amazon here: Blood Diamond (Widescreen Edition)

In an extremely basic explanation is that there was (and still is) a lot of civil war in Africa where the majority of the world's diamonds are found. Rebel forces would go to small villages and maim the men or kill the women and children. The men deemed fit enough to work were forced into slavery mining for diamonds that the rebels would smuggle across borders and sell to buy more guns and stuff. Thus the diamonds are "covered" in the blood of innocents.

admin answers:

By law, America should not receive these conflict diamonds according to the Kimberly Process. This is an agreement that is backed by the United Nations and requires each of the 69 nations where it is a law to certify that all rough diamond exports are produced through legitimate mining and sales activity.

Your best bet when buying any diamond is to ask for it's certification and proof of the diamond being conflict free. About 40% of the world's diamonds are provided by the De Beers company which ensures that their diamonds are not conflict diamonds. Not all nations adhere to the Kimberly Process and not all diamond suppliers adhere to it either, therefore conflict diamonds still exist. So you do have to be careful when overseas and you think you are getting a good deal on a diamond. Also, at smaller retailers you have to ask who their supplier is and if they adhere to the policy as well.

By the way...Diamonds have a phenomenal mark up due to the great advertising campaign of De Beers. Diamonds are not as rare as people think they are. Although Africa has the largest supply of rough diamonds in the world, there are actually diamond mines in North America, Australia, and Asia as well who provide diamonds to the United States.

admin answers:

Geographical factors in this case would mean how the government, people, and economy of Ivory Coast relate to other national governments and the world economy. So, some geographical factors of the blood diamond trade would be Western (American, European, elite) demand for diamonds, which give the stones a high price, or the historical legacy of colonialism in West Africa that produced unstable governments and underdeveloped economies based on resource extraction for (again) Western, elite consumption.

These geographical factors have created a condition in which 1) the Ivorian government is unstable, and civil war exists as different forces struggle for political power; and, 2) these struggles are financed in large part by the trade of blood diamonds, which is quite lucrative because of elite demand for diamonds. Hope this helps, it's an interesting topic for a project.

admin answers:

The movie was great in explaining this awful situation.

I like shiny objects, but diamonds are not a necessity. Why is it that they cost so much? Who says a tiny rock is worth a million dollars or more?

I've heard that terrorist organizations are funded through the sale of diamonds. Plus it's sexist, too, like Kobe getting out of the dog house with his wife because he bought a huge purple diamond for her...

admin answers:

I believe you can get Pontius Pilate's washing bowl on eBay...

We do need to keep our sense of humor with even such horrible situations that cause blood diamonds to flow...