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Home : Here for you : Conflict Free
Oliver Diamonds have a very strict policy of not buying or supplying conflict diamonds.
Conflict diamonds are diamonds that have been illegally traded to fund
conflict in war-torn areas, particularly in central and western Africa.
In 2003,
the United Nations created the Kimberley Process Certification
Scheme which aimed to remove undocumented rough diamonds from the
marketplace.
According to this Kimberley Process, all rough diamonds
had to be accompanied by a diamond certificate with a legally binding
guarantee that it is from
a conflict free source. Companies or diamond
traders that do not comply with the Kimberley Process are breaking the
law.
In 2004, the Canadian Government, as chair of the Kimberley Process,
cited that 99.8% of the world’s rough diamonds have been mined from
sources
not involved in funding conflict. As of November 2006, 74
countries are members of the Kimberley Process.
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10 Conflict Diamond Facts
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1
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Conflict Diamonds have been reduced to less than 1% since the Kimberley Process in 2003.
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2
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Approximately $8.5 billion worth of diamonds a year come from African countries. |
3
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Diamond revenues enables every child in Botswana to receive free education up to the age of 13. |
4
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A diamond may be up to three billion years old. The diamond crystallization process starts at approximately 200 kilometres, or 320 miles beneath the surface and typically rises to the surface in volcanic rock. |
5
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The revenue from diamonds are instrumental in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. |
6
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Today, 74 governments and the legitimate diamond industry are all committed and legally bound to eradicating conflict diamonds. |
7
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The world's largest diamond was the Cullinan. It was found in South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3,106.75 carats uncut. It was cut into the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530.2 carats. |
8
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The word “diamond” comes from the Greek word “adamas” and this means “unconquerable and indestructible”.
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9
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An estimated 65% of the world’s diamonds future diamond supply is expected to come from African countries. |
10
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An estimated 10 million people globally are directly or indirectly supported by the diamond industry. |
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