I know Noble House was trying to set up the kinds of facilities in Sierra Leone that we have in Canada, where local people are fairly paid and given training in diamond processing so that the people there profit from their mineral wealth.
Don't know if that's working or not, but I do believe that only companies that work in country and are physically present can make a difference at the mine level. If Noble House is really doing this in a country like SL then let's support them as well!
Post subject: Re: Global Witness quits Kimberley Process
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 3:07 pm
Platinum Member
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
Barbra Voltaire wrote:
You know what I say? Buy Canadian and Russian. Problem solved.
Yeah, there's probably zero chance that diamonds from the proscribed sources will ever find their way into those distribution systems, especially the Russian.
Post subject: Re: Global Witness quits Kimberley Process
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 3:59 pm
Site Admin
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Perhaps I'm naive, but I don't presume that every country exploring and mining diamonds is hopelessly corrupt and every company manufacturing diamond products is run by scandalous, barbarous, blood lusting scoundrels and sociopaths serving a twisted political agenda.
But it is widely accepted that the Kimberly process has not been successful.
Canada became a diamond producer in October 1998 when the Ekati diamond mine opened northeast of Yellowknife. By April 1999, the mine had produced one million carats. By 2003, Canada had become the world’s third largest diamond producer on a value basis after Botswana and Russia.
In reference to Russian diamond production, ZAO ALROSA is Russia's largest diamond company. Alrosa is engaged in the exploration, mining, manufacture and sale of diamonds. The company's operations are located primarily in the Sakha Republic/Yakutsk region.
Alrosa accounts for approximately 25% of the world's rough diamond supply and 97% of Russia's rough diamond production.
Is it possible Alrosa's diamonds are salted with stones from other places? Is it possible Canada's diamonds are salted with stones from other places?
Post subject: Re: Global Witness quits Kimberley Process
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 4:59 pm
Gemology Online Veteran
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:48 am Posts: 584 Location: Odenton, Maryland
Where's my Like/+1 button for Barbra's comment?
You make the best choices you can, given that you can't control (or even bear witness to) the entire mine-to-market process. If it's too troubling that "respectable" diamond sources could be salted, then I guess it's time to stick to colored stones.
Post subject: Re: Global Witness quits Kimberley Process
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 6:34 pm
Platinum Member
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 2:02 pm Posts: 2646
You may as well throw 10,000 grains of rice in a bucket and pick out the ones that were picked by cane whipped paddy workers. As far as retail workers go it's "Rice-A-Roni." (The San Francisco treat)
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