What Does Conflict-Free Diamond Mean?

The definition of conflict-free diamonds, also known as ethically-sourced or responsible diamonds, is diamonds that have been mined, cut, and sold without contributing to human rights abuses, violence, or environmental destruction. They are produced in compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), an international certification system established to prevent the trade in "blood diamonds" or diamonds that are mined in war zones and sold to finance armed conflict against governments.

Under the KPCS, diamond-producing countries are required to submit regular reports on their diamond production and exports, and to put in place internal controls to ensure that their diamonds are conflict-free. Diamonds that are certified as conflict-free are accompanied by a Kimberley Process Certification (KPC) that documents their origin and ensures that they have been mined, cut, and traded in compliance with the KPCS.

It's important to note that not all diamonds are considered conflict-free, even if they have a KPCS certificate. Some may come from mines where local communities are not benefited or treated fairly, where mining practices have negative impacts on the environment, or where human rights abuses and workers exploitation are systematically ignored. It's realistically impossible to trace diamonds to their mine of origin, allowing smuggled rough diamonds to obtain "conflict-free" certification and enter world markets where 84% of the world's rough diamonds and 50% of cut diamonds pass through.

At Magdalene Pivoine, we only source diamonds that are certified as ethically-sourced or responsibly-mined by organizations such as the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) or Fairmined, which have stringent standards for ensuring that diamonds are mined, cut, and traded in an ethical and responsible manner. In addition, we offer wide variety of lab created diamonds.