What is the Kimberley Process?

“The Kimberley Process (KP) is a joint government, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds – rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments.” -from the KP website
In the late 1990s, numerous reports detailing the devastating effects of the diamond trade on unstable diamond-producing regions of Africa garnered international attention. The reports revealed that many violent militias, insurgent groups and warlords in Africa received their primary funding from dealing diamonds to reputable Western buyers, thereby prolonging bloody civil conflicts - and that it had been happening for decades.
In 2003 after three years of negotiations between governments, diamond industry players, and civil society organizations, the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme was drafted and enacted with the support of the United Nations as a means of stemming the flow of “conflict diamonds” into legitimate diamond markets. The process imposes rigorous requirements on participants to ensure that the diamonds crossing their borders comply fully with “non-conflict” standards; diamonds that do not have a Kimberly Process Certification will be turned away or impounded by customs agents of participating countries. Currently more than 40 countries participate in the process (the European Union and its Member States count as a single participant). Participating countries account for 99.8% of global rough diamond production, and diamond trade for participants is restricted to other compliant participants.
The process places the burden of enforcement on the participant countries themselves, meaning that individual countries are responsible for the vetting of diamonds that enter and exit their borders. A corollary to the process is the Voluntary System of Warranties, which requires that during any transaction involving diamonds, the seller must affirm on the invoice that the diamonds have been obtained through authorized channels. Critics cite this voluntary aspect of the KP as its greatest weakness, claiming that without objective oversight, the system is subject to fraud and manipulation. Debate currently centers around how the process can and should be updated to account for new challenges to the integrity of the KP Certification.
The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme is an integral piece of the framework of the global diamond trade, and for it to be effective, actors at every level of the diamond trade must be fully aware of the voluntary conditions of participation. GSI was proud to partner with the US Kimberly Process Authority (USKPA) and the World Diamond Council (WDC) to produce an educational poster designed to inform diamond manufacturers and retailers about the requirements of the process


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DIAMOND SIMULANTS

Image
DIAMOND SIMULANTS A  diamond simulant  is a stone that looks similar to real  diamond  and shares some of its characteristics. Although  simulants  are used as  diamond  imitations, they have a different chemical structure from real  diamonds . Some  simulants  occur naturally, while others are created artificially. you can see the different simulants comparing the diamond in the image below  While the appearance of diamond simulants is similar to that of natural diamonds, they are not diamonds. Common diamond simulants include glass and cubic zirconia (CZ), both of which are completely unrelated to diamond at the atomic level. Simulants are, of course, less expensive than the real thing. They allow consumers to enjoy the flash and dazzle of diamond-like jewelry and to inexpensively complement the latest fashion trend. But no matter how convincing the illusion, all diamond simulants have optical and physical ch...
Read more

WHAT IS A KARAT? OR IS IT CARAT ?

In jewelry , the term carat (or karat) has a double meaning:  Carat:- it is used as a measurement of weight of diamond and gemstones,where one (1) carat =0.200g  Karat:- where as Karat is defined for the purity of gold in the jewelry. it is abbreviated in the form KT. for example in jewelry we mention the purity of gold as 18 Kt , 22 Kt, 24 Kt this is a small topics which clears the confusion and wrong prediction of the carat and karat in terms of jewelry trade and business. 
Read more

CARING FOR YOUR DIAMOND

Image
CARING FOR YOUR DIAMOND As we know that diamond is forever and its a stone which is known as symbol of love and is attached with people in emotional way. So in today's topic we will be discussing about caring of our diamonds and its jewelry. Diamonds are remarkably durable, resist scratching (except by other diamonds) and maintain their brilliance over time. But diamonds aren’t indestructible. They can be chipped by a sharp blow, become loose or lost in a weakened setting, or be damaged by contact with other diamonds or carbon elements near your surroundings . Wear diamond jewelry with care. Store it in padded boxes or soft bags separate from other jewelry. Clean your jewelry by wiping it with a lint-free cloth or with warm water, mild soap and a soft toothbrush, or by dipping it briefly in a commercial cleaning solution. Have your diamond jewelry periodically cleaned and its setting examined by a professional jeweler to maintain its beauty and integrity over time. ...
Read more