When the Kimberley Process (KP) in early November chose not to suspend Zimbabwe for human rights abuses in the country’s diamond fields, the KP defended its decision on the grounds that the Zimbabwean government could be coaxed into cleaning up its act. Regrettably, the picture that is emerging is one of continued exploitation of the country’s diamond wealth, accompanied by cosmetic changes designed to fend off criticism from the international community.

In 2008, Zimbabwe’s armed forces took control of valuable diamond fields in the Marange district of eastern Zimbabwe. Money from the mining operations has been used to fund the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, the party led by President Robert Mugabe, who is struggling to maintain his grip on power. After the takeover, Human Rights Watch documented a range of abuses, from forced labor to torture to killings. Instead of suspending Zimbabwe and halting diamond exports from Zimbabwe, the KP accepted Zimbabwe’s promise to withdraw its armed forces and contract out mining operations to private companies which, presumably, would act in a more ethical manner.

By the end of November, Zimbabwe had begun to withdraw its military, and it had awarded diamond mining contracts to two South African firms. However, as reported in The Times of London, neither of those firms is an established professional mining company; in fact, one is a scrap metal and iron dealer. More importantly, both firms are controlled by people close to Mugabe and the Zimbabwean military. According to The Times of London, the diamond fields essentially have “fallen under the control of a select few at the top of the country’s security forces.” These military leaders are poised to earn millions of dollars, and “[i]t is feared that they intend to use the wealth to enrich themselves and entrench their power. . . .”

Brilliant Earth strongly disagrees with the KP’s decision not to suspend Zimbabwe. Until Zimbabwe can establish that the human rights abuses in the eastern part of the country have come to an end, its diamonds should not be circulated on the international diamond market and “certified” by the KP as conflict-free. The KP’s lack of backbone in this instance once again demonstrates how the KP, at its core, is a flawed system. The KP, if it wishes to maintain any semblance of credibility, should not be fooled by the steps that Zimbabwe has taken so far.

We also hope that developments in Zimbabwe will force an adjustment in the position of the World Diamond Council (WDC), an influential organization of diamond manufacturing and trading companies. The WDC in November chose to support the KP in not banning diamond exports from Zimbabwe. “The ability of Zimbabwe to harness its natural resources, including diamonds, for the benefit of its people is our primary concern,” said WDC Chairman Eli Izhakoff, explaining why Zimbabwe should not be suspended from the KP. Yet, if reports are true, mining operations in eastern Zimbabwe are not broadly benefiting Zimbabwe’s people, but are enriching just a select few-Mugabe and a few unsavory military leaders.

We call upon the WDC to reverse its support for KP certification of Zimbabwe’s diamonds and, at minimum, to speak out against continued military control of Zimbabwe’s diamond fields. Individual companies in the diamond industry, as well as jewelry retailers, can do their part by refusing to buy diamonds from Zimbabwe. Change is possible, but in the absence of international controls as well as a more responsible government in Zimbabwe, businesses and consumers must demand it.

A new report has found evidence that a gold mine in Central America, now in the process of being closed, may leave a bitter legacy. The San Martin mine, in the Siria Valley of Honduras, is operated by Goldcorp, one of the world’s largest gold mining companies. Since the mine opened in 2000, community groups and international NGOs, including the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), have been protesting pollution caused by the mine. Arsenic, cyanide and other heavy metals have leached from the mine site, causing health problems among local residents, according to CAFOD. Reportedly, the mine also has led to water shortages, the displacement of a village, the loss of agricultural land, and deforestation.

The latest report from CAFOD and the Canadian chapter of Development and Peace, another aid organization, indicates that the mine may cause problems even after its closure, scheduled for the end of this year. According to the report, water samples taken a year ago by Honduran authorities registered acidity levels between 2.5 and 3 on the ph scale-the same acidity found in lemon juice and vinegar. (As a comparison, distilled water has a ph of 7.) The high acidity levels are a symptom of acidic mine drainage, a process that occurs when sulphide deposits, normally buried under layers of rock, are exposed to the open air as a result of mining. The deposits break down and release acidity into the water supply, with devastating effects on communities and wildlife. Acidic mine drainage at the San Martin mine is potentially a very long-term problem.

Unfortunately, neither the Honduran government nor Goldcorp has demonstrated much reliability in keeping the water supply safe. Honduran authorities, upon discovering the low pH levels, improperly chose not to publicize the information or take action against Goldcorp, according to CAFOD. The information was made public only through the efforts of researchers from Newcastle University in the UK, who worked with the aid organizations to prepare the report. Goldcorp, for its part, has not committed to a monitoring or remediation plan to assure the safety of the water supply after it leaves. In fact, Goldcorp has never publicly admitted that the San Martin mine has caused any pollution at all.

The story of the San Martin mine is another example of the staggering human costs associated with unethical gold mining. Brilliant Earth recently blogged about the link between gold mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the civil conflict in that country-a conflict that has claimed 5 million lives. Significant change is clearly needed in the way gold is mined. Brilliant Earth supports efforts to establish international certification systems for fair trade gold and uses recycled precious metals in every piece of jewelry.

Media attention to the problem of “conflict diamonds” has raised public awareness about the negative social and environmental consequences associated with diamond mining. Less media attention has been given to gold mining and how, as with diamonds, the lust for mineral wealth can lead to some of the same disturbing consequences. Brilliant Earth therefore considers it significant that, on a recent episode of 60 Minutes, the CBS show devoted its opening segment to exploring how gold mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been fueling a disastrous civil conflict between rebel militias and the government.

The segment, by reporter Scott Pelley, showed images of mine workers in eastern Congo, many of them children, digging in open pits and laying blankets in riverbeds in order to extract gold and valuable minerals such as tin, copper, and coltan. Rebel militias controlling the mines then exchange the minerals for guns, ammunition, and medicines. Gold funds the violence, but it is also one of the underlying causes. “If you do a conflict analysis, you will find that when there are spikes in violence, it has something to do with contestation over the mineral resources,” said John Prendergast, a human rights activist, in the report.

Gold mining in Congo has taken a colossal toll on the country’s people. To date, the civil war in that country has claimed more than 5 million lives, making it “the deadliest war since World War II,” according to the report. About 1 million people have been displaced and about 200,000 women in eastern Congo have been raped. In addition, mine workers endure abysmal conditions. Earning no more than one or two dollars a day, many workers die in mudslides and rock falls, the report noted. Workers also expose themselves to environmental hazards. To separate out the gold, many add mercury to mineral-rich sediments and then heat the mixture. This process binds the gold together, but exposes workers to toxic fumes that can cause neurological damage. The segment showed a man using mercury to produce a pebble-sized piece of gold worth $5.

Prior to the show, the Jewelers of America (JA), a jewelry industry trade association, wrote a letter to jewelers warning that 60 Minutes would “attempt to call the integrity of the entire gold jewelry supply chain into question.” Sure enough, 60 Minutes reported that, despite efforts by the United Nations to stop gold exports from Congo, gold is easily smuggled into neighboring Uganda and exported from there. About one percent of the world’s gold supply comes from Congo, Pelley reported. In the segment, Pelley interviewed Matt Runci, the JA’s Chief Executive Officer, who ceded that “source of origin” is not something the jewelry industry tracks. Attempting to deflect criticism away from the major jewelers, Runci argued that information about civil conflicts and human rights abuses was difficult to obtain. “One needs to know where the sources of controversy are if one is to try to prevent those sources from getting into the legitimate supply chain,” he said. In reply, Pelley quipped: “It’s been pretty well known for a long time where the sources of controversy are in Congo.” Runci was forced to agree. “Well, in the eastern province, yes it has,” he said.

The 60 Minutes report was well-done and timely, though two aspects of the report merit clarification and elaboration. First, the report may have given the mistaken impression that consumers, at present, can do little to ensure that their gold is ethically-sourced. Pelley discussed how most of the major jewelry retailers in the United States, including Wal Mart, are unable to trace the origins of the gold they sell. Yet the segment did not mention any jewelry companies able to trace 100% of their gold to ethical sources. Brilliant Earth, the leader in ethically-sourced jewelry, sells only recycled gold and fair trade gold. Consumers purchasing jewelry from Brilliant Earth do not contribute to civil strife, human rights abuses, and environmental degradation in Congo or elsewhere.

Second, the segment suggested that the Kimberley Process, the diamond industry’s response to concerns about trade in conflict diamonds, might be an effective model for reform. “It was seven years ago the industry banned so-called blood diamonds from West Africa,” Pelley reported, in reference to the Kimberley Process. “But, up until now, it hasn’t done the same for gold.” Brilliant Earth agrees that the jewelry industry needs a new strategy to make gold mining more responsible. However, the Kimberley Process, which does not track individual diamonds at every stage of the production process, has failed to eliminate conflict diamonds from the international diamond market and has done little to curb diamond-related human rights abuses. In an especially appalling decision, the Kimberley Process last month chose not to suspend Zimbabwe, even though the Zimbabwean military has been engaging in a brutal campaign of forced labor, torture, rape, and murder in many of Zimbabwe’s diamond fields. The Kimberley Process is not a good model for ensuring the ethical mining of gold.

Brilliant Earth’s goal is expose the ills of the jewelry industry and to drive change by serving as a model for a new way of conducting business in this trade. We hope this 60 minutes episode has helped raise awareness and will bring consumers to act, and that one day the level of standards that we adhere to will become the norm throughout the jewelry industry as a whole.

‘Tis the season of mindful giving! Brilliant Earth’s collection of ethical jewelry offers a dazzling array of eco-friendly and elegant gifts for the holiday season. Celebrate her inner style and the Earth’s natural beauty with these unique designs. Check out our top picks for Holiday 2009.

1. Create Your Own Diamond Jewelry
Diamonds are sure to be at the top of her wish list. Design your own extraordinary conflict free diamond gift.
Create Your Own Diamond Pendant
Create Your Own Diamond Stud Earrings

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2. 18K White Gold Tahitian Pearl Stud Earrings
Guaranteed to make every day feel like a holiday, these luminous Tahitian pearl stud earrings are a gorgeous eco-friendly gift.

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3. 18K White Gold Sapphire Stud Earrings
Understated enough for everyday wear, these brilliant blue sapphires really light up at night. These ethically sourced studs are sure to be her go-to adornment for all her holiday parties.

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4. Silver Wave Pendant with Ethically Sourced Blue Sapphire
Sapphires are always in season. Inspired by the sea, this sleek wave pendant will inspire her style long after winter ends.

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5. 18K White Gold Round Diamond Stud Earrings
Deck her out in diamonds. An elegant gift she’ll wear forever, this beautifully matched pair of Canadian diamonds is perfect for every woman.

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6. Silver Personalized Charm Pair Pendant
Every snowflake is unique, and so is every pendant! Select her initial and pair it with the charm that best represents her to create an unforgettable gift.

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7. 18K White Gold Open Leaf Pendant with Diamond Accents
She’ll outshine the ivy, holly and mistletoe. A glamorous gift for the nature lover, this stunning leaf pendant sparkles with conflict free diamond snow drops.

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8. Silver Heart Pendant with Conflict Free Diamond
Warm her heart this holiday season. This delicate sterling silver pendant glistens with a conflict free diamond for a look she’s bound to love.

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9. 18K White Gold Flora Ring
The ultimate luxurious gift, this exquisite nature-inspired diamond ring is sure to keep her spirits high all year round.

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10. 18K White Gold Tiara Diamond and Sapphire Stud Earrings
Wintry elegance fit for a queen! In style and ready to wear for every occasion, these stunning drop earrings are the perfect gift for your loved one.

The Kimberley Process (KP) recently announced that, despite numerous reports of serious human rights violations by the Zimbabwean military in the country’s mining fields, Zimbabwe would not lose its KP membership. The KP’s alarming decision is now receiving support from the World Diamond Council (WDC), a global organization of diamond manufacturing and diamond trading companies whose goal, they claim, is to eliminate conflict diamonds from the diamond market. The WDC’s choice to back the KP brings the major players in the diamond industry on board with an approach that tolerates human rights abuses that most consumers would find shocking.

Zimbabwe’s armed forces reportedly have been using violence-forced labor, rape, torture, beatings, even killings- to conduct mining operations in the Marange district of eastern Zimbabwe. Instead of suspending Zimbabwe, the KP has opted to give the country until June 2010 to comply with a “work plan.” In exchange for increased monitoring and a pledge to withdraw its military, Zimbabwe will be allowed to continue selling its diamonds as “conflict free” under the KP rubric. This is a serious abdication of the KP’s responsibilities. Whether or not the work plan succeeds-and there are reasons to doubt that it will-the KP has actually given the green light for consumers to purchase diamonds mined under slave-like conditions.

In a press release, the WDC expressed its concern about Zimbabwe’s human rights abuses, but argued that suspending Zimbabwe from the KP would only hurt the people of Zimbabwe. “The ability of Zimbabwe to harness its natural resources, including diamonds, for the benefit of its people is our primary concern,” said WDC Chairman Eli Izhakoff in the release. This position not only perpetuates these human rights abuses, but also fails to account for the way the wealth generated by Zimbabwe’s mining sales is unequally distributed among Zimbabwe’s people.

Most of all, the WDC’s argument that its “primary concern” is the people of Zimbabwe doesn’t ring true. Although individuals in the WDC may be well-meaning, the WDC represents the diamond industry, whose primary concern is to validate the KP. Although the KP has always been a flawed diamond certification program, the diamond industry relies on the KP to assure consumers that their diamonds are ethically mined. Criticizing the KP for failing to insist upon respect for basic human rights would have constituted an admission of the KP’s lack of credibility. In short, the WDC’s decision to support the KP is more about politics than about people.

Measures by the United Nations to prevent the export of diamonds from Côte d’Ivoire will continue into the foreseeable future. Last week the United Nations Security Council voted to extend sanctions on the West African nation for another year. Those sanctions ban other states from importing diamonds from Côte d’Ivoire while also imposing an arms embargo on the country and restricting travel for certain individuals. The diamond trade ban has been in effect since 2005; the arms and travel restrictions were imposed in 2004.

Côte d’Ivoire is in the midst of a civil conflict which has left the country split between the rebel-controlled north and the government-controlled south. Unfortunately, the nexus between diamonds and civil strife continues unabated in the country. Although a UN peacekeeping operation and French troops have helped maintain a tentative peace, each side has been rearming, according to a recent report by a UN monitoring group. Natural resources such as diamonds are helping to fund those arms purchases. This is because, despite the restrictions on diamond exports from Côte d’Ivoire, rough diamonds are still being smuggled into neighboring countries. According to the report by the UN monitoring group, “[t]he embargo on the export of Ivorian rough diamonds has neither prevented, nor significantly minimized, the risk of their entry onto international diamond markets.”

The Security Council has promised to review the question of sanctions on Côte d’Ivoire following presidential elections scheduled for this month. However, given the ineffectiveness of the sanctions regime to date, the question of sanctions is not really the critical issue here. The continued flow of diamonds out of Côte d’Ivoire underscores a more fundamental point: Concerned consumers will continue to have good reason to doubt the integrity of the global diamond supply chain until a more robust diamond tracking system can be established.

Brilliant Earth continues to advocate a tracking system that requires diamonds to be tracked and labeled through every stage of the production process, from mining through to cutting and polishing. The Kimberley Process simply is not designed to accomplish this goal and therefore can never guarantee that diamonds are ethically mined consistent with fair labor practices and in an environmentally sustainable manner. We at Brilliant Earth continue to carry our exclusive line of diamonds whose origins are fully traceable and which are produced according to the highest environmental and labor standards. Our goal is to drive change by serving as a model for a new way of doing business in the diamond industry. We hope that one day the kinds of standards that we adhere to will become the norm throughout the diamond industry as a whole.

Once again demonstrating its inadequacy at ensuring the ethical mining of diamonds, the Kimberley Process (KP) has opted to let Zimbabwe off the hook for grave human rights abuses taking place in the country’s mining fields. Those abuses are not the work of a private mining company but are being instigated by Zimbabwe’s own government. Instead of suspending Zimbabwe from the global initiative to clean up the diamond industry, the KP has proposed a “work plan” for the troubled nation. This amounts to a light slap on the wrist for practices that deserve no accommodation within a diamond certification program that supposedly ensures “conflict free diamonds”.

Since late 2008, Zimbabwe’s armed forces have been deployed in the diamond fields in the Marange district of eastern Zimbabwe. According to Human Rights Watch, police and army officials have been mining for diamonds using forced labor by children and adults. There have been numerous reports of rape, torture, and beatings. In taking control of the mining fields last year, the army killed about 200 people and deposited them in a mass grave. The army remains under the control of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, the party led by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

In July, a KP review mission recommended suspending Zimbabwe from the KP for a period of six months. But last week, the KP announced that Zimbabwe had until June 2010 to show that it was in compliance with a KP “work plan.” The details of that work plan have not yet been finalized, but early indications suggest that the plan will call for increased monitoring and a phased withdrawal of the Zimbabwean military. In essence, the KP has taken the position that it is better to keep Zimbabwe within the KP fold and work with it to address the human rights violations than to remove it from the KP entirely until it can show that things have changed.

Although it is tempting to take this argument seriously, the KP’s position has some basic problems. First, it is hard to take the KP at its word, given the political ties between Bernard Esau, the KP chair, and the ruling Zimbabwean regime. Brilliant Earth hopes whatever “work plan” is adopted will put a halt to the abuses taking place in Zimbabwe. However, we are concerned that the work plan could easily serve as a vehicle for permitting those abuses to continue. Second, if the human rights violations documented by Human Rights Watch are not severe enough to get a country suspended from the KP, then KP membership really has very little meaning. This decision really brings the KP’s credibility to a new low. Third, the KP’s decision will permit diamonds from Zimbabwe to continue to be sold on the international diamond market with the KP stamp of approval. Many consumers will be misled into believing that their diamond purchases are ethically-mined and conflict-free.

As Brilliant Earth has noted before, one of the root problems with the KP is the narrowness of its objectives. The KP’s core mission is to prevent the sale of “conflict diamonds,” narrowly defined as diamonds used to fund conflicts against recognized governments. Countries belonging to the KP must not produce or import conflict diamonds. The KP has been much more tentative in linking its membership to human rights abuses associated with diamond mining. The case of Zimbabwe shows the inadequacy of the KP’s approach. Murder, rape, torture, and forced labor should not be treated as side issues. These kinds of abuses should be at the heart of what the KP opposes.

A controversial proposal to build an enormous gold and copper mine in an environmentally-sensitive region of Alaska has run into a roadblock: local opinion. A recent poll by an Anchorage-based research firm has found that 79 percent of residents in nearby communities are against the proposed Pebble Mine project. The poll should hopefully cause a bit of soul-searching by the two companies planning to establish the mine, Anglo American PLC and Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. The poll is also likely to enter into the thinking of political leaders who would need to give the go-ahead before any mining could begin.

The Pebble Mine project would use open pit mining, a mining technique which degrades the landscape and generates huge amounts of waste, to extract minerals from a state-owned site near Bristol Bay in Southwest Alaska. The mine would become the largest open pit mine in North America. Although this could mean more economic activity in the region, Bristol Bay is also home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery. Pollutants from the mine would disrupt the commercial fishing industry, presently the engine of the local economy. Also, the salmon are a traditional food source for the region’s residents, many of them native peoples.

Environmental activists, commercial fishermen, local community groups, and others have been voicing their opposition to the mine. Notably, a delegation of Pebble Mine opponents attended an Anglo American shareholder meeting in April to express their opposition. The new poll, assuming it is accurate, provides evidence that opposition to the mine is not limited to a small group of activists, but is widespread among the people who would be most affected. The opposition is quite strong. According to the survey, 73 percent of residents strongly oppose the mine and 6 percent somewhat oppose it. These are powerful numbers. Area residents are saying that on balance, the mine would be a raw deal for them.

Brilliant Earth joins the residents of the Bristol Bay region in opposing the establishment of the Pebble Mine. We offer only recycled and responsibly-sourced gold, and will not purchase gold from the mine, should it be established. We are optimistic that this new poll will be an important step in galvanizing opposition to the Pebble Mine. The poll is also an excellent demonstration of the need to take into account the perspective of nearby residents when launching or conducting or mining operations.

Since 2008, Zimbabwe has been a major perpetrator of grave diamond-related human rights abuses, including numerous accounts of robbery, rape, and murder. We, at Brilliant Earth, are appalled by these events, as well as the failure of the KP (KP) and the diamond industry to address these atrocities.

After months of international concern over the human rights violations raging in Zimbabwe’s diamond fields, the KP finally ordered a review mission. The review team confirmed that Zimbabwe was practicing serious non-compliance with KP standards, as well as extreme human rights abuses. The delegation finally issued a recommendation that Zimbabwe be suspended from the scheme. In spite of this, Zimbabwe still has not been officially suspended from the KP.

Zimbabwe illustrates two major problems with the KP that prevent it from effectively addressing human rights abuses in the diamond industry. First, the KP lacks strong decision-making and governance and is highly politicized which prevents it from taking action against member countries. And, second, the KP has a huge gap regarding human rights abuses, which are simply not covered in its mandate.

Politics have prevented the KP from being effective at curbing conflict diamonds. Immediately after the KP review team issued a recommendation that Zimbabwe be suspended from the scheme, the recommendation was quickly condemned by the KP chair, Bernhard Esau who is friendly with the Zimbabwe ruling regime. Esau publically declared that the suspension will never occur (a statement that he later denied making) and was also quoted saying that the conclusions of the KP review mission would “not be taken seriously.” Esau has full veto power within the scheme which requires unanimity despite the many conflicts of interest between member nation states. The remaining governing body of the KP is unable to enforce the suspension of Zimbabwe to due to Esau’s single veto. The KP is effectively asserting that business and politics take priority over human rights and a clean, ethical diamond trade.

Notwithstanding its internal flaws, the KP is not sensitive to human rights at its core. The KP was created to limit the flow of “conflict diamonds”, where conflict diamonds are narrowly defined as diamonds used to fund conflicts against recognized governments. Despite the obvious and extreme human rights abuses and in the face of clamoring human rights groups and NGOs, Esau recently stated: “The KP is not a human rights organization. That is what we have the United Nations for.” While most would consider this statement to be boldly insensitive, sadly Esau is correct the KP was never intended to address human rights abuses such as those demonstrated in Zimbabwe and in its existence has never proven itself capable of responsible management. In its current state, the KP cannot be trusted to impose ethical standards on the diamond industry or guarantee conflict-free diamonds for its consumers.

Murder, forced labor and the militarization of Zimbabwe’s diamond fields has continued at an alarming rate, and unethical diamonds are still routinely and legally exported from the country into the world diamond market and sold by jewelers who claim that they are “conflict free.” Brilliant Earth was founded to offer conflict free, ethically sourced diamonds whose certification goes far beyond the Kimberley Process to demonstrate fair labor practices with no human rights abuses. As diamond mining conditions in Zimbabwe, Angola, DRC, Liberia, Sierra Leone and various other countries continue to demonstrate human rights abuses, our mission to raise awareness and promote change within the diamond industry continues. The system is sadly far from demonstrating substantive changes that would stand up to the full scrutiny of the jewelry buying public. Until such time as these changes are embraced, Brilliant Earth will continue to lead the charge to provide ethically sourced alternatives. It is up to us to live the changes we want to see in the world.

Over the past four years, Angola has avoided being scrutinized in the conflict diamond trade, but recent allegations of human rights abuses have plunged this war-torn nation back into the international spotlight.

Last month, investigators for the Kimberley Process conducted a long overdue mission to Angola, the first since 2005. The team visited northern Angola, where recent reports of diamond smuggling and the mistreatment of foreign miners have made for tense border relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As suspected, the current investigation uncovered numerous accounts of rape and brutality against miners from neighboring countries.

In spite of these disturbing reports, Angola Mining Minister Mankenda Ambroise denied all responsibility. When asked about the human rights violations that occurred under his watch, he insisted on blaming the illegal miners for entering his country, revealing a scapegoat attitude that has become all too common among leaders in the diamond industry. Predictably symptomatic of the Kimberley Process’s deteriorating state, Process Chair Bernard Esau had the gall to publically declare the investigation a success and actually refused to comment on the reports of mass rape and brutality.

From a Brilliant Earth perspective, acknowledging human injustice and working to eliminate it must be an integral part of the Kimberley Process; otherwise it can never claim to be successful at eradicating conflict diamonds. We are once again disappointed at the Kimberley Process’s decision not to take a stance on the diamond violence occurring in Angola.

Angola’s development will undoubtedly continue to rely upon the diamond industry, but enforcing ethical diamond standards will help ensure the country’s political, financial and environmental success in the future. Brilliant Earth continues to strictly support diamond mines that operate according to fair trade standards while encouraging consumers to demand an ethical product. Our objective is to continue to support African diamonds, such as our Namibian diamonds, which contribute to prosperity and development while maintaining high ethical standards. We hope one day soon, human rights and environmental abuses will subside in Angola and we can offer fair trade, Angolan diamonds.