Tag Archives: Diamonds

Buyer Beware

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Do you drink coffee, tea or hot chocolate? If so, pay close attention to what country harvested your beans or leaves, says the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB). According to an ILAB report released September 10 (PDF), over 120 goods from 58 countries — ranging from coffee and cotton to diamonds and gold — may have been produced through child labor and/or forced labor.

The September 10 report, required by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2005 and commonly known as the TVPRA List, is intended to help individuals, companies and governments “translate their economic power into a force for good that ultimately will eliminate abusive child labor and forced labor,” Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said in a statement released the same day.

“Child labor and forced labor are inexcusable abuses of human rights,” and reports such as the TVPRA List “show that they continue to be a problem in 21st century society. We must do everything in our power to end these shameful practices,” Solis said. “While the United States is fundamentally opposed to the exploitation of any worker, the plight of children and adults working in forced labor is especially severe. These individuals are among the world’s most vulnerable, and we have a moral duty to help and protect them.”

“It is also important to note that these are global challenges. All countries — including the United States — face situations of labor abuses,” she added.

So the next time you want a hot drink, a cheap T-shirt or a piece of jewelry, you might want to ask who made it before you buy it. I know I will.

The Fifth "C"

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[image src="http://photos.state.gov/libraries/amgov/3234/week_4/052909-061207018096-300.jpg" caption="A woman tries on a diamond ring." align="right"]
When my husband and I looked at diamond engagement rings 15 years ago, jewelers told us to keep in mind the four “Cs” – cut, color, clarity and carat weight – when choosing stones. At that time, no one mentioned a fifth “C” – conflict. If someone had, I wouldn’t be wondering now if our jewelry purchase helped fund human rights abuses or a coup effort somewhere in the world.

Conflict diamonds, also known as blood diamonds, come from areas controlled by rebel movements or their allies and are used to finance military actions against legitimate governments. According to analysts, money from the sale of blood diamonds helped fuel Sierra Leone’s civil war, which killed or maimed thousands. Physically, there is no difference between a conflict diamond and a regular one; the issue is the diamond’s provenance.

In 2000, several countries meeting in Kimberley, South Africa, proposed a certification process to monitor and control the trade in rough diamonds. The Kimberley Process, formally launched in 2002, seeks to stop the flow of conflict diamonds to international markets while simultaneously protecting the legitimate diamond industry. Through the Clean Diamond Trade Act of 2003 (PDF, 44 KB), the United States now prohibits the U.S. import or export of rough diamonds that have not been certified as “clean” through the Kimberley Process.

Although the Kimberley Process came into being too late to help my husband and me 15 years ago, I think it is now a useful tool to help protect people from unwittingly contributing to war and violence. But when will there be a similar certification process for other gemstones? And what about protections for gold and silver?