The moral principles of our trade matter to us as much as they matter to our customers. It's why we strive to stock only ethically-sourced diamonds so that everyone who wears our stunning diamond jewellery, be it diamond rings or necklaces or any other, can be safe in the knowledge that the piece they cherish has been sourced through the most ethic-conscious of ways.
Our ethical ambitions are only a small part of the wider international effort to clean up the diamond industry's image. In 2002, negotiations that had gone on for over two years between governments, the international diamond industry, and civil society organizations resulted in the creation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS).
Over the last decade, the scheme has proved to be a massive success in the drive to improve overall awareness of the plight of those involved at ground level in the diamond trade. It has resulted in a massive overhaul in the common practices of the industry, playing a major part in bringing down the proportion of conflict diamonds that exist in the international diamond trade to around just 1%, compared to a figure of around 15% in the 1990s.
Members of the Kimberly Process scheme now account for approximately 99.8% of the global production of rough diamonds. It is understandably rigorous in its demands of those involved, as their website states: Participants can only legally trade with other participants who have also met the minimum requirements of the scheme, and international shipments of rough diamonds must be accompanied by a KP certificate guaranteeing that they are conflict-free.
Through its tough guidelines, the hope is that diamonds that have dubious ethical origins will be completely absent from the legitimate market in years to come. It is a dream that some years ago might have seemed far from possible, but over a decade, increased demands on all involved have moved the industry along leaps and bounds.
Public awareness has improved too. Some sections of the media often brand younger generations in Westernised countries as materialistic and unaware of the strife that many have to suffer to satisfy the consumer market. However, thanks to successful forays into the political issues that surround diamonds by popular artists that hold sway over younger generations Kanye West's 2005 song Diamonds from Sierra Leone, and the 2006 hit movie Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio, for example the tide of sentiment has turned against unethical diamonds within the legal market, and widened disgust of underground dealings.
As a leading player in today's UK diamond market, supplying a range of jewellery to customers across the country from our Birmingham premises through our online store, we endeavour to uphold the standards being pushed by the Kimberly Process. Our items come with internationally recognised certificates such as GIA, IGI, and HRD. So not only do we deliver the finest products to customers who expect the best of their special purchase, but we deliver confidence and accuracy too.
