NEW YORK — This holiday season some diamond retailers say they are seeing heightened consumer concern about conflict diamonds, the gems mined in war zones that are sold to finance conflict and civil war.
Sales of so-called conflict diamonds have helped finance wars that killed millions in Angola, Congo, Sierra Leone and Liberia over the past several decades, and efforts to address the problem have been made within the diamond industry.
But human-rights groups are now taking the issue straight to consumers, and with today's release of Warner Bros. Pictures' film "Blood Diamond," diamond retailers are preparing to face more scrutiny than ever.
Many large retailers, like Tiffany & Co. and Zale Corp., say they have enacted policies to help stem the flow of conflict diamonds. And during the all-important holiday season, when at least half of annual jewelry sales are recorded, retailers want their customers to feel they can shop guilt-free.
People are also reading…
They are being assisted by a $15 million marketing campaign launched ahead of the holidays by the World Diamond Council. The organization wants potential diamond buyers to understand the movie's premise takes place before the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, enacted by governments, nongovernmental organizations and the industry in 2002 to track diamonds from mine to display case, certifying each stone's origin. The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly, takes place during the Sierra Leone civil war in the 1990s.
The industry group took out full-page ads in national newspapers, created the Web site Diamondfacts.org to disseminate information, and provided retailers with training pamphlets on the topic.
David Sternblitz, vice president and treasurer for Zale Corp., said Zale abides by the Kimberley Process, buying stones only from the 45 nations that participate in Kimberley, which account for 99.8 percent of global production of rough diamonds.
"This is something that hasn't been new to us," Sternblitz says. "Since the Kimberley Process in 2002, we've required all suppliers to warranty to us that diamonds are coming from conflict-free areas."
Tiffany & Co. also says it buys diamonds from legitimate miners and doesn't purchase diamonds for cash or in circumstances in which the source is questionable.
Smaller retailers are aware of the growing interest, too.
"At least one customer a day asks us about it," said Jennie Fiske, who manages The Clay Pot, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based jewelry retailer. "Over the years, it's become more and more well-known."
Fiske says she's been aware of the issue since 2000 and reassures customers that it's highly unlikely they are getting a conflict gem, since her suppliers buy diamonds through legitimate sources.
Tucson became involved in the debate over "conflict" gemstones in 2002, amid concerns that sales of tanzanite, a blue gem from Tanzania, were financing terrorists.
During the 2002 Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase, industry leaders and Tanzanian government officials met in Tucson and later announced what became known as the Tucson Tanzanite Protocol, a system of government and industry warranties certifying that tanzanite stones come from legitimate sources.