Today, 99 percent of all diamonds sold are from sources that are conflict free!

Blood diamonds also called Conflict diamonds is the name given to diamonds from Western and Central Africa due to the conflict beginning at the late 1990's. The world seen glimpses of what was happening there a little

on the local news channels and a little more on the cable news channels. But, The World became aware of rebel armies were illegally using diamonds to fund their conflict against legitimate internationally recognized goverments. This was a massive human rights crisis and many goverments set forth to put an end to this crisis. Children were armed with AK-47 military type weapons and they helped the rebels.

The rebels sell the diamonds to terrorists to fund their operations. Many Peoples hands were chopped off by the RUF units and these victims were sent to spread the message to fear the RUF for the terror they bring. The "peacekeepers" were inept in their defense of Sierra Leone. Nigerian soldiers serving a African peacekeeping force killed any civilians even suspected of helping, supporting or aiding RUF in any way. They also tortured children that they suspected of ties to the RUF. Hospital patients were slaughtered in Freetown trying to clean out the town of rebels. It is no stretch to say that Sierra Leone became a sinkhole of death, torture, and terror.

Finally, the World recognizes the crisis of massive human rights in Africa as a major world problem that has to be dealt with. The UN (United nations) along with non-govermental agencies and the help of the Worlds diamond

industry set in place laws and standards to eliminate the conflict diamonds by change. One is called the Kimberly Process to ban the sale of conflict diamonds by strictly enforced measures set forth. The WDC (World

Diamond Council) was formed, the WDC's mission to stop trade in conflict or blood diamonds by working with goverment and non-govermental organizations.

In the Kimberly process all rough diamonds are sealed in containers that are certified conflict free and tamper proof with forgery resistant documents and a special related serial number. And every time the container crosses

a international border each one must be re-certified. This of course only applies to participating countries, in these countries this is now the law and has strict penalties enforced. Now, today, Because of the Kimberly

Process it is said that 99 percent of all diamonds sold are from sources that are conflict free, which is amazing looking at what was happening in the 1990'S in Africa.

The movie "Blood Diamonds" staring Leonardo DiCaprio is primarily about Leonardo's character on a quest to find a hidden rough diamond. But the movie does show some of the reality of the real story of human rights

violations and the second largest refugee camp in the World which is over one million people, and tells the largest refugee camp is also in Africa. The movie briefly shows some of the violent and tortured terrified

people living through that time of RUF and rebel terror.

Article by JBlanton JewelryandEtc.com