Diamonds

Whether a diamond is mined in South Africa, India, Russia or Canada, it is the same stone in beauty and potential quality. However, today's diamond buyer is rightfully concerned about much more than just the physical properties of a diamond.

The conditions under which the diamond was mined and processed can vary a great deal from one location to the next. In many parts of the world, political unrest and slave labor lead to many people being mistreated in the diamond industry. Concerned customers want to know that the diamonds they purchase have been obtained through ethical means.

Modern technology allows diamonds to be better tracked from the mine all the way through the cutting and polishing stages. This tracking gives the jeweler and ultimately the customer the ability to know the diamond's history and to feel confident about the purchase.

The tracking is often in the form of laser encoding that is so small and is placed in such a way that it does not impact the diamond's appearance and quality. The laser tag also serves as an identifying label that can be used to track the diamond if it is ever stolen or lost.

Today the country of Canada is emerging as a major player in the diamond industry. Diamond deposits are now being mined in the Northwest Territories of Canada. This is great news for diamond buyers because Canadian diamonds are conflict free. There is no political unrest or civil war in Canada that could lead to the abuse of the diamond trade.

Canadian diamonds also allow North American customers to feel better about purchasing diamonds that are more locally produced.

But buyers still need to ask questions about Canadian diamonds. In some cases the Canadian mine owners are still using cutting and polishing facilities in other parts of the world where slave and child labor is used.

The finished diamonds are returned to Canada and then enter the world market labeled as Canadian. To address this problem, Canadian mine owners are being encouraged to utilize local finishing companies, many of which employ Aboriginals from economically depressed regions.

The Canadian government is also playing a more active role in the diamond mining industry than governments in other parts of the world. Laws are in place to protect the environment from the negative impact that can result from unregulated mining.

Some Canadian diamonds are marketed under the names Polar Bear and Polar Ice. These diamonds are certified to be entirely Canadian from start to finish. They are mined, cut and polished all within the Northwest Territories. The tracking is carefully monitored by the government. Not all jewelers are carrying Canadian diamonds so it is important to ask about the country of origin as well as the location of the cutting and polishing of any diamond. Something so beautiful shouldn't be tarnished with abuse.