DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

GOLD COLOURED DIAMONDS

The saying Diamonds are forever had not come from nothing. It is the hardest stone and therefore last forever.

Appr. 130 million carat (26000 kg) ore diamonds are mined annual, which totals up to US$ 9 billions. Half of the production comes from Africa but the other deposits are in Canada, India, Russia, Brazil and Australia. The diamond supply is controlled by limited powerful Businesses.

Only a fraction of the diamond ore is considered as actual diamonds. The ore is crashed with care avoiding destroying large diamonds and sorted by density. It is done by X Ray fluorescence. Before this technique it was done with grease belts. Diamonds stuck to grease belts but not the other material ore.

The mining for diamonds was first done in south India. According to historical records diamonds were found in south India. India led the world production in the early 9th century BC till the mid 18th century AD but the resources were exhausted by the late 18th century. Then Brazil came onto the world market. The first diamond was found in Brazil in 1725.

The production and distribution of diamonds is consolidated in a few trading centres. The most important one is in Antwerp. 80% of rough diamonds and from that 50% of cut and 50% of rough diamonds are handled there. New York is selling 80%. De Beers with the large demand holds a dominate position since 1888.

Political unstable central and western Africa, where the Diamond market got into the wrong hands, uses the money to finance their armies and various other activities. The diamonds are called conflict or blood diamonds. Major diamond trader still doing business with them and therefore encourages bloodshed as well as human rights abuse. The UN, diamond industries and diamond trading nations introduce the Kimberley Process in 2002. It is to prevent conflict diamonds were not intermixed with other diamonds. The diamond producing countries have to prove that the money will not be used for criminal or revolutionary activities.

Well let’s hope that one day they will succeed. I doubt it but for the sake of the people who have to suffer, I most sincerely hope so. I'll never forget the film 'Blood Diamond' it really high lighted the suffering and brought it to the attention of everyone what goes really on.