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Besag, Gear,Valencia
Mrs.Trykar
Advanced English 3, Period 6
26 March 2015
A Diamond in the Rough
Popular beauty icon, Marilyn Monroe, declared Diamonds are a girls best friend
sparking an increased desire for these beautiful jewels. These gorgeous gems are used for more
than confessing love or asking for a lifetime of commitment. Diamonds have a few names, but
the one that sparks the most controversy is the nickname it gets from Africa, the Blood
Diamond. Blood diamonds, also known as conflict diamonds, are defined as any diamond
mined in areas controlled by forces opposed to the legitimate, internationally recognized
government of a country (Blood Diamond). The revenue produced by the illegal trade of
these diamonds is used to fund civil wars and actions against the government (Blood
Diamond). Due to the lack of ethics involved in the mining and the process of extracting the
diamonds, this subject matter is extremely controversial; many refuse to support the amorality
behind it, while others simply cant bear the thought of living without diamonds no matter what
the sacrifice. When deciding whether or not the United States should support the diamond
industry, one should consider the ethics behind the diamond trade, the effects of the profits, and
the impact diamonds have on the environment.
One major point why the U.S. should not support the diamond trade with foreign
countries is because the ethics of the mining process are completely overlooked. Within the
conflict diamond mines of Africa alone, the blood diamond mines are responsible for countless
deaths per year. In Zimbabwe, a plethora of evidence has been found to prove the abuse and

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neglect that goes on within these mines (Heller). Children that work for the mine owners, who
hand dig diamonds, receive only a cup of rice and a few thousand leones a day(around fifty
cents to a dollar) (Parmar) . According to Wells Article, there are also no doctors or health care
so adolescent miners are forced to work through illness, pain and impossible conditions. On top
of this, workers are subjected to forced labor, torture, beatings, [and] harassment (Heller). It is
obvious that the regulations do not ensure the safety of the workers at all. Regulations are
overlooked to keep the mining active allowing for more shipments to go out at once. Most of
these violations were not found until the mines in Zimbabwe went under deeper investigation
(Cowell). Countries participating in the diamond trade fail to realize the hardships placed upon
the slaves and children resulting in Blood Diamonds becoming a part of the global diamond
industry.
On the contrary, the US should participate in the global diamond trade because most
diamonds come from a conflict-free source ensuring that the consumers are buying a taint-free
gem. Because the majority of countries that participate in the international trade of diamonds are
held accountable through the Kimberley Process, it is guaranteed that most diamonds bought and
traded are not at the expense of someones life (The Diamond Industry Fact Sheet). The
Kimberley Process is a system that ensures only rough diamonds accompanied by a government
issued certificate can be imported and exported, providing an assurance that the diamonds are
from conflict free sources (The Diamond Industry Fact Sheet). Though many might question
how effective this system is, 74 countries are members of the Kimberley process ensuring that
more than 99% of diamonds are from conflict free sources (The Diamond Industry Fact Sheet).
In addition to the clean international diamond trade between countries, diamonds coming into the
US are also guaranteed to be conflict free. Addressing consumers concerns on the possibility of

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the 1% of diamonds that slide under the radar of the Kimberley Process coming into the US,
President Bush signed the Clean Diamond Act [that] stipulates that the shipments of rough
diamonds imported or exported from the US must be accompanied by a certificate indicating that
they are from a legitimate source (Sulaiman). Thanks to this act, US buyers will no longer be
implicated in some of Africas bloodiest wars as they will no longer support the purchase of
blood diamonds (Sulaiman). As diamonds bought within the US are assured ethical from the
mining of the diamond to the purchase in a store, the United States clearly should support the
diamond industry.
Another reason to discontinue the United States involvement in the diamond trade is that
the money made from Blood Diamonds is used to fuel retaliations and anarchy. The diamond
trade is a source of cash for African rebel groups who use it to buy weapons on the black market
in order to hide it from the government. These weapons are eventually used for murders,
instigation of conflict and a way to force laborers to work more regardless of pay (Gordon). In
order for the rebels to get diamonds, they make the diamond mines and oil installations ...
targets for [them to] attack (Gordon). If the people in the mines do not consent to giving them
diamonds then the rebels will attack them in order to get what they want. This results in many of
the child miners being harmed, however they are still expected to work through the
pain(Parmar). Through whatever condition they are expected to continue working non stop.
Unfortunately their pay is so little that it is not enough to cover a visit to the doctor(Parmar).
Many of the children end up dying due to diseases and lack of medical help in the mines. If the
United States supports the diamond industry, this will continues and more innocent children will
die in the mines.

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However, there is a large demand for diamonds in the jewelry and industrial businesses
which would benefit the US economy especially when importing conflict free diamonds. The
diamond industry, a multi-billion dollar business is important to the US economy because of
the enormous profit made in jewelry and the increasing amount of industrial uses (Pisani). Only
30% of diamonds are used in jewelry manufacturing while the remaining 70% of diamonds are
sold for industrial applications including cutting, drilling, grinding and polishing (The
Diamond Industry Fact Sheet). If billions of dollars are made off of diamonds in jewelry with
only 30% of the imports, imagine how much profit could be made with the rest from industrial
uses! Not only can these gems be used as cutting tools, diamonds are beginning to replace silicon
in semiconductors--due to the fact that diamonds can run hotter without degrading in
performance [,] over 5 times that of silicon [and are] more easily cooled ...with 22 times the heat
transfer efficiency of silicon(Khan). Since semiconductors belong to electronics which produce
a lot of revenue, supplying this industry with diamonds will in turn boost the US economy
(Khan). And because diamonds are a more suitable choice than silicon, the market for diamonds
can easily eclipse that of the silicon carbide, which is seen growing at 42.03 percent compound
annual rate through 2020 from $3.36 billion in 2014 (Khan). Thus, with the increasing need for
diamonds as abrasives and in electronics along with the stable jewelry industry, continuing in the
diamond trade would benefit the US economy greatly--clearly illustrating the necessity for the
United States to support the diamond commerce.
Finally, the United States participation in trading of diamonds should be stopped as the
diamond mines take a toll on the earth. In order to expose the ground that provides the best
diamond beds, dams are built to block water flow (Diamond Mining and Environment Fact
Sheet). Drained lakes results in a lack of water and a surplus of dust. In Canada, where the

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clean mining happens, the excess dust causes lichen to die which has negative effects on the
caribou, as lichen are their source of food ("There Are No Clean Diamonds). This results in
lives of the animals to plummet over the past 20 years. In addition, miners have also been
known to reroute rivers in order to gain a sufficient water flow. This eventually leads to soil
erosion and stagnant water. Stagnant water is rainwater that collects over time in one spot and
becomes a breeding ground for certain insects and bacteria (Brilliant Earth). One of many
creatures that does well in this unhealthy water is a mosquito which in turn results in a carrier for
malaria. In addition to the possible increase of malaria, stagnant water is a great breeding ground
for other water borne diseases(Brilliant Earth) such as dengue. If a patient is hospitalized,
the virus dengue is rarely deadly, however without treatment it can kill the host (The Global
Distribution and Burden of Dengue). Mines have also been the cause for many ecosystems to
crash due to the lack of resources that nature provides once the miners have staked their claims.
In turn, wildlife has vanished, topsoil has eroded, and land once suitable for farming is now a
desolate moonscape (Brilliant Earth). Since these professionals clear out all of the trees and
vegetation there are no roots to hold the soil in place creating loose, weak topsoil that is
incapable of remaining in place. This unstable soil causes mines to concave and leaves another
ditch to collect rainwater ( Brilliant Earth). Even in clean mines, rocks that have been
washed through for gems are dumped and eventually leach chemicals, such as acids
(Mambondiyan). Regardless of clean or blood diamond mining, all kinds of mining hurts the
environment which is why the United States should not participate in the diamond industry.
Although diamond mining is detrimental to the environment, the US can support trade of
green diamonds in several ways. To begin with, the United States does not have to purchase
diamonds from unfriendly eco sources. The worlds third biggest diamond producer, Canada,

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mines their diamonds in an environmentally friendly way (Schuetze). Canadas diamonds are
conflict free and cleanly mined under the Canadian diamond code of conduct (Schuetze).
Because heavy chemical solvents are generally not used in the Canadian mines, it makes their
mines much more ecological than other mines around the world (Schuetze). Being the third
leading producer, Canada produces enough eco friendly diamonds for the United States
(Schuetze). In addition, the US can also support green trade through synthetic diamonds. They
are completely identical to naturally made diamonds in every way except one: synthetic
diamonds are guaranteed eco-friendly as they require no mining or disruption of the earth's
natural resources [avoiding] drained lakes, explosives, and damage to ecosystems (Hancock).
Because theyre not damaging to the earth, synthetic diamonds are great approach to a proenvironmental diamond industry for the US to invest in. Overall, between importing Canadas
clean diamonds or choosing the equally green synthetic diamonds, the US has plenty of eco
friendly choices.
Unbeknownst to many, the issue of whether or not the United States should support the
diamond industry is much debated. Some may argue that with the illegal and immoral trade of
blood diamonds, along with the misuse of the profits and the damage done to the environment,
the negatives outweigh the pros, giving multiple reasons for the US not to participate in diamond
commerce. On the other hand, others may disagree, showing that the majority of the diamonds in
the global trade are conflict free , the money of conflict free diamonds benefits the US
economy, and there are several ways to purchase green,environmentally friendly diamonds,
making the diamond trade a worthy investment for the United States. It is up to the consumer to
compare the evidence of both sides and decide his/her stance.

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Works Cited
Bhatt S, Gething PW, Brady OJ, Messina JP, Farlow AW, Moyes CL et.al. The global
distribution and burden of dengue. Nature;496:504-507
"Blood Diamond." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Sep.
2013. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
"Brilliant Earth." Brilliant Earth. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Cowell, Alan. "Measuring the True Price of Diamonds." International Herald
Tribune. 14 Feb. 2012: 2. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

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Gordon, Christine. "Rebel's Best Friend." BBC Focus on Africa. Oct.-Dec. 1999: 17-19.
SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Hancock, Liz. "Why Man-Made/Lab-Created Diamonds Are 100% Real Diamonds."
HubPages. HubPages, 3 Apr. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Heller, Aron. "Zimbabwe Fails to Get Go-Ahead to Export Diamonds." Washington
Times. 04 Nov. 2010: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Khan, Adam. "Moore's Law and Moving Beyond Silicon: The Rise of Diamond Technology |
WIRED." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Mambondiyan, Andrewi. "The Pollution Fallout From Zimbabwe's Blood Diamonds." By
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2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
Media, For. "Diamond Mining and the Environment Fact Sheet." Diamond Mining and the
Environment Fact Sheet (n.d.): n. pag. Diamond Facts. World Diamond Sponsor. Web.
24 Mar. 2015.
Parmar, Sharanjeet, and Matthew Wells. "Child Miners Struggle to Survive." National Catholic
Reporter Vol. 45, No. 1. 31 Oct. 2008: p. 12+.SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 12 Mar.
2015.
Pisani, Bob. "The Billion Dollar Business of Diamonds, From Mining to Retail." CNBC. CNBC
LLC, 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Schuetze, Christopher F. "The Conflict-Free Diamond Frontier." International New York
Times. 12 Sep. 2014: 206. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
Sulaiman, Tosin. "'Blood' Diamond Trade Curbed in U.S. by New Certification System."
KRT News Service. 08 May 2003: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

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"The Diamond Industry Fact Sheet." World Diamond Council. World Diamond Council, 2104.
Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
"There Are No Clean Diamonds: What You Need to Know About Canadian
Diamonds." There Are No Clean Diamonds: What You Need to Know About
Canadian Diamonds. MiningWatch, 07 Dec. 2006. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.