Maybe one of you highfalutin or romantic types can answer this for me...
Sooo while looking for "conflict-free" diamond(s) I ran into something called the "Kimberly Process" which is supposed to insure that diamonds are not the proverbial "blood diamonds". Some websites make a grand show of saying their diamonds are "conflict-free" and others make no mention of it. Some websites say quietly that all their diamonds are "conflict-free", but then make provisions for you to shop strictly for those.
And then I came across a jeweler who had information regarding the Kimberly Process, and that claimed that 98% of all diamonds coming into the US since 2003 are now these Kimberly diamonds.
So duh, I'm confused. Are all (or 98%) of diamonds I'd come across "conflict-free"? Are some retailers inflating their prices and ego by claiming they strictly sell these social justice minded diamonds?
Skip diamonds altogether! They're one of the most abundant rocks on the planet, the price is inflated to create hype, and if the ring is a symbol of your love - then it would be best represented by an object that did not cause poverty, death, and destruction to generations of people. Of course, I've only met one other girl that shares my opinion and made sure that our wedding/engagement rings contain no diamonds... There is a lot of pressure by society to define the commitment of a relationship by the size of the stone. Blind consumerism is status quo, and most women feel entitled to all that it offers. No jeweler is going to advertise that "only 5 people were killed in the harvesting of this rock." "The Kimberly Process" is a load of b.s. advertising campaign to make people believe that fair mining takes place so they can pay a bit more and sleep well at night.
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