Conscious Fashion: Glitter, Sweat & Blood
Made famous by Marilyn Monroe, it’s often said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. It’s true, they sparkle, shine, and look lovely on our fingers, but there’s more to these friends of ours than meets the eye. Behind their glittery appearance, there is often unseen sweat and blood. These diamonds are known as conflict or blood diamonds.
According to the Conflict-Free Diamond Council, “conflict or blood Diamonds are diamonds whose profit is used to fund war. They are also diamonds that are mined or produced under unethical conditions.” These gems require high levels of physical labor and are often produced in countries with high corruption rates. Diamonds mined in these high conflict areas are often labeled misleadingly or not at all; they are then sold on the international market. Fortunately, there are companies and other conscious fashionistas who are taking a stand against the unethical practices behind diamond mining. A variety of jewelers are now demanding to know where their diamonds are produced and can track their product down to the very mine and town they came from. As a consumer, great resources for purchasing conflict-free diamonds are companies such as Brilliant Earth and Blue Nile. If you are simply interested in learning more about ethical diamond practices, you can review the Conflict-Free Diamonds Council’s web page or even watch the movie Blood Diamond (entertainment and education? Yes please!).
You must be logged in to post a comment.