The Kimberley Agreement, also known as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is an international initiative established in 2003 to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds, also known as blood diamonds. Conflict diamonds are diamonds that are mined and sold by rebel groups to finance wars or other violent conflicts against legitimate governments.
The Kimberley Agreement requires all diamond-exporting countries to certify that their diamond exports are conflict-free. The certification process involves the issuance of a Kimberley Process Certificate for every shipment of diamonds, which verifies that the diamonds were mined in compliance with the Kimberley Agreement.
The Kimberley Agreement has been successful in reducing the trade of conflict diamonds by over 99%. Today, more than 80 countries are part of the Kimberley Process, representing approximately 99.8% of the global diamond trade.
The diamonds that are certified under the Kimberley Agreement are known as «Kimberley Process diamonds.» These diamonds are guaranteed to be conflict-free and are considered ethical and responsible. Many jewelry retailers and designers have made a commitment to only sell Kimberley Process diamonds to ensure that they are not contributing to the trade of conflict diamonds.
The certification process for Kimberley Process diamonds is rigorous and includes the following steps:
1. Mining companies must implement strict measures to ensure that their diamonds are conflict-free.
2. The diamonds must be sealed in tamper-proof containers and accompanied by a Kimberley Process Certificate.
3. All shipments of diamonds must be inspected and verified by customs officials.
4. The diamonds must be tracked from the mine to the retailer to ensure that they are not mixed with conflict diamonds.
In conclusion, the Kimberley Agreement is a crucial international initiative that has successfully reduced the trade of conflict diamonds. Kimberley Process diamonds are ethical and responsible and are the preferred choice of many jewelry retailers and designers. If you are in the market for a diamond, make sure that it is certified as a Kimberley Process diamond to ensure that you are not contributing to the trade of conflict diamonds.