Battle Diamonds – How Do You Know?

What are battle diamonds?

The United Nations (UN) defines battle diamonds as “… diamonds that originate from areas managed by forces or factions against authentic and internationally acknowledged governments, and are used to fund army motion in opposition to these governments, or in contravention of the choices of the Security Council.”

Most individuals do not know the entire story of battle diamonds and in consequence there are others who’re making an attempt to make use of this example to their profit. Battle diamonds have a historical past that isn’t very fairly however the present state of affairs just isn’t as dire as some would lead you to consider… first a little bit of background.

Diamond tough is small, simply transportable, and instructions excessive costs… due to this focus of wealth it has traditionally made diamonds a very good supply of funds. Some African international locations haven’t been very profitable in making the transition from being a colony to being an unbiased nation, whereas another international locations have made the transition with out main extended upheavals. Diamonds have performed a job in each of a majority of these international locations and the roads that they’ve chosen to travel.

Straightforward riches…
Battle diamonds are alluvial in nature… alluvial diamonds are deposits of diamonds present in lowlands areas, in old river beds, within the beds of streams and shallow rivers. Diamonds are shaped deep within the earth and are available to the floor by the use of volcanic eruptions and the ensuing mountain of cooled lava finally ends up being eroded away by rain. The diamond tough is washed away and leads to alluvial deposits. Most alluvial diamonds are normally discovered between a number of toes to twenty toes beneath the floor. Comparatively little capital and solely fundamental know-how (shovels, sieves, and muscle mass) are required to mine alluvial diamonds. These alluvial diamond mining areas are simply managed by armed thugs.

Diamonds within the tough, with a special consequence…
In distinction to alluvial diamond mining areas, there are kimberlite “diamond pipe” deposits. These are the unique pipes by which diamonds discovered their method to the floor. Mining tough diamonds from these kimberlite pipes may be very technologically superior and due to this fact additionally it is very capital intensive. These diamonds are mined by an open pit methodology and by additionally sinking a shaft subsequent to the pipe with a purpose to dig horizontal tunnels to enter the pipe at higher depths.

The international locations that required one of these sophisticated mining techniques- Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, and Namibia (alluvial ocean mining)… all of them had the foresight to arrange correct infrastructure and so they labored with firms like DeBeers with a purpose to use the revenue from diamonds to construct up there international locations. Diamonds from these areas aren’t within the battle diamonds class.

Nations with simply mined alluvial diamond deposits- Angola, Congo, and Sierra Leone… these locations by no means bothered with correct infrastructure for his or her international locations due to the relative ease in mining and the alluvial diamond mining areas fell into the palms of thugs with AK-47s, machetes, and the need to do no matter they wished to get no matter they wished. This was very true of Sierra Leone throughout their horrible civil conflict that resulted in 2002.

The present standing of battle diamonds.
When the subject of battle diamonds comes up, many individuals equate them to blood diamonds, together with all these horrible photographs of unthinkable inhumanity. Many shoppers are rightfully involved about shopping for a product that they suppose could also be associated to the struggling of harmless individuals. Fortunately, “blood diamonds”, that unhappy chapter of human historical past has come to an finish and presently the quantity of “battle diamonds” solely accounts for 0.02% of yearly worldwide diamond manufacturing… this may make it extraordinarily unlikely that you just’d ever encounter a battle diamond! If you happen to checked out one diamond a day, each single day, it might take 13.7 years earlier than you’ll come throughout a battle diamond… I suppose it is about the identical likelihood of getting struck by lightning 網上鑽石!

Sadly there are some people who find themselves spreading incorrect and dangerous data round about battle diamonds… and so they are likely to fall into two camps–
— They’re individuals who do not know what they’re speaking about however as a substitute they’re simply repeating what they hear from some air head fool from Hollywood.
— Self serving individuals who obtain a profit by making you consider that by listening to them it is possible for you to to utterly cease the state of affairs of battle diamonds all collectively or they are going to aid you keep away from shopping for battle diamonds by following their recommendation!

Hopefully the primary group of individuals can discover right data and alter their ideas about battle diamonds. The second group is extra troubling as a result of they’re finally hurting the Africans that these teams declare they’re making an attempt to assist. These individuals (not for revenue NGOs and for revenue firms) wish to put forth the impression that there’s presently a blood bath occurring in elements of Africa and this example can completely be blamed on battle diamonds. They’ll present you horrible photographs of people that have had their palms lower off and that when you purchase battle diamonds it’s you who’s liable for persevering with this example of close to genocide!

My ideas about battle diamonds…
— It was an important feat that many alternative teams introduced the state of affairs of battle diamonds and extra particularly blood diamonds to light within the late 90s and early 2000s. A whole lot of progress has been made because the finish of civil conflict in Sierra Leone in 2002. The period of Sierra Leone’s blood diamonds is behind us!

— It’s unbelievable that some persons are utilizing photographs of Sierra Leone amputees to advertise shopping for Canadian diamonds, or promote shopping for diamond simulants, or used for fund elevating functions. Anytime you see these photographs remember that these persons are making an attempt to govern you on the similar time that they’re serving to themselves and never serving to the individuals within the images!
— I’ve by no means seen a photograph or a video of, or heard a report a few diamond selecting up a rifle and killing somebody. Folks did all of those horrible issues to different individuals.

— You’ll very seldom hear about battle oil, battle timber, battle columbite-tantalite (coltan), or battle cassiterite (tin ore). These pure assets, together with others, are most likely extra of an issue than battle diamonds ever have been! Battle timber helped fund Pol Pot’s little social experiment in killing practically 2 million fellow Cambodians within the 70s.

Battle oil, battle coltan, and battle cassiterite are present ongoing issues in Africa at present … however I suppose the gasoline that individuals put of their car, the coltan that’s utilized in cell telephones, and the cassiterite used to make tin… I suppose this stuff simply aren’t as attractive as diamonds. Attacking diamonds as being unhealthy additionally attacks wealth as being unhealthy on the similar time… by some means I do not see these self loathing hippies getting too labored up about tin or wooden.