006. A Diamond is Forever?

Our answer to this question is "Yes!"

Have you ever stopped to think why the diamond engagement ring seems to be standard? Well, we have. What has made the diamond such a popular engagement ring in the United States over the past 100 years or so? Also, how has the popularity of the diamond affected the people whom harvest them?

Around 1870, diamonds were discovered in South Africa. During this time, De Beers Consolidated Mines gained control over most of the diamond supply to the world. To create demand and perceived value in the post-Depression and post-WWII era, De Beers began a very successful marketing campaign with the famous “A Diamond is Forever” phrase that you still see and hear today in advertisements. De Beers managed to convince the public that diamond rings were the only correct choice for engagement rings. Also, that engagement rings should be kept as heirlooms and not resold, therefore preventing a secondary market from being created. They even educated jewelers to instruct husbands to be that two to three months salary was the appropriate amount to spend on an engagement ring. 

If you have seen the movie, Blood Diamond, directed by Edward Zwick, you may be familiar with the allegations that there are clear links between diamonds and tyrannical force in Africa. These valuable stones are often referred to as "conflict diamonds." Many individuals have been mutilated and/or murdered in order to continue mining these diamonds. One former international organization, the Kimberly Process, set forth to prohibit conflict diamond sales worldwide. According to the Kimberly Process in 2009, the majority of the top ten diamond supplying countries were in Africa.  African countries made almost a billion dollars more in profits than Canada and Russia combined. 
Unfortunately, the Kimberly Process was not successful in preventing conflict diamonds from selling. A recent article in Time World, written by Alex Perry, is titled "Return of the Blood Diamond. (And we Don't Mean the Movie)." Perry suggests that the Kimberly Process may have done the opposite of their declared goal and actually assisted in the dirty diamond laundering out of Africa. 

It is important to note that some diamond producers have actually stepped up against conflict diamonds, even if it means taking an economic hit. As the original founder of diamonds, De Beers was known to harvest diamonds from anywhere and from anyone. However, De Beers has since realized that a diamond was meant to symbolize love, happiness and eternal love, and conflict diamonds symbolize exactly the opposite. Now, De Beers only uses stones that they mine, which has been a negative effect financially for the company. Even though the true creater of diamond engagement rings has adjusted their ethical standards, it has not started a trend. Conflict diamonds are still widely unregulated and on the international market. Also, some diamonds are represented as non-conflict, but the reality is that they may actually be the opposite. 

Rather than allowing society to dictate what we should like, it is important to stop and think about what we want to represent. The true representation of love should not be how big an engagement ring is. If you find it difficult to resist that diamond engagement ring, opt for an antique ring. 

Where did your diamond come from?