Three problems with natural diamonds
① Mining problem
As you can imagine, natural diamonds are dug up from various diamond mines. Even the most abundant mines only produce about 1 gram of rough diamonds, which is one millionth of a ton of rock. Since they are then cut, it's easy to imagine how only a small fraction of them are used in jewelry.
In fact, it is said that mining one carat of natural diamond requires digging up approximately 250 tons of soil, releasing approximately 70 kg of carbon dioxide and over 2,000 ounces of other air pollutants.
② Human rights issues
Diamond mining, a symbol of wealth, involves a variety of human rights violations, including child labor, bonded labor to repay debts, forced labor, abuse at mining sites, violence, and sexual violence.
The movie "Blood Diamond" describes these issues in detail, so if you're interested, I recommend you check it out.
A 2009 investigation into the Marange diamond mines in Zimbabwe by the international human rights NGO Human Rights Watch revealed that the Zimbabwean military, which was supposed to have been sent to stop illegal diamond mining and smuggling, was profiting from these activities and abusing local residents. Residents were forced to mine without pay, and violence was perpetrated against those who resisted. Sexual violence against women living in mining areas and child labor were also reported.
Such human rights violations are not unique to Zimbabwe; they are commonly seen in countries under unstable governments after civil wars, countries with underdeveloped laws and systems related to diamond mining and export, and countries with corrupt politics. However, the Kimberley Process is not capable of regulating the above-mentioned problems due to its systemic nature. Unless the international community comes together to create new initiatives and systems to prohibit the export and sale of diamonds from such mines and make these initiatives functional, it will be impossible to eliminate human rights violations related to diamonds.
3) Conflict issues
During the 1980s and 1990s, when fierce civil wars were raging across Africa, these human rights violations at mining sites were extremely severe, as rebel forces used diamonds as a source of funding for weapons.The situation is said to have improved since the United Nations adopted the Kimberley Process in 2002, which bans the export of rough diamonds, which are a source of funding for conflict, but human rights violations at mining sites continue to occur today .
According to Global Witness, an international NGO that investigates and campaigns to prevent conflicts and corruption, environmental destruction, and human rights violations related to natural resources, profits from the Marange diamond mines are funding the authoritarian Mugabe regime and accelerating human rights violations against the people. Multinational corporations are also involved in the process from mining in the Marange mines to exporting the diamonds.
The rise of ethical jewelry
In recent years, it has been repeatedly pointed out in Europe and the United States that there are so many issues behind buying natural diamonds, which has led to the development of ethical jewelry.
Among these, moissanite has been attracting considerable attention. It is the most brilliant synthetic gemstone currently on Earth, and because it is a synthetic gemstone, it has a clean background and is therefore possible to create sustainable jewelry that is kind to the earth.
Choose ethical moissanite jewelry and help create a sustainable world for future generations.
Citations and References:
1. Diamond for peace
2.Louis Goreux, 2001, “Conflict Diamonds,” The World Bank,
http://www.worldbank.org/afr/wps/wp13.pdf
3. For more information on the Kimberley Process, see the chapter on Conflict Diamonds .
4.Human Rights Watch, 2009, “Diamonds in the Rough: Human Rights Abuses in the Marange Diamond Fields of Zimbabwe,”
http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/zimbabwe0609web.pdf
http://www.hrw.org/ja/news/2010/05/21-0
5.Global Witness, 2012, “Diamonds: A Good Deal doe Zimbabwe?”
http://www.globalwitness.org/sites/default/files/library/A_GOOD_DEAL_FOR_ZIMBABWE.pdf
