Brilliant Earth Diamond Review – Are they Really Conflict-Free?

Brilliant Earth Diamond Review – Are they Really Conflict-Free?

A conflict-free diamond is a diamond that is sourced according to the criteria of the Kimberley Process. The Kimberley Process is a series of requirements and regulations that guarantee that diamonds are acquired and shipped in a way that doesn’t encourage criminal activity. A diamond accrued in this manner will have no connection to rebel or terror groups. Additionally, this process ensures that diamonds are mined and shipped in a humane and environmentally sound manner.

Brilliant Earth, however, feels that the Kimberley Process doesn’t go far enough in protecting the people involved in mining, nor does it ensure environmentally sustainable practices. For this reason, they call their diamonds “beyond conflict-free.” Beyond Conflict Free diamonds are diamonds that have been acquired in conjunction with the Kimberley Process but with the addition of several other stipulations.

In addition to adhering to the Kimberley Process regulations, Brilliant Earth’s diamonds must be mined in a way that minimizes environmental degradation, doesn’t violate human rights, employs safe and responsible labor practices, and supports community development.

Brilliant Earth sources their diamonds from Russia, Botswana, and Canada. They require their suppliers to provide tracking information for the diamonds they ship, as well as be able to identify their diamonds by origin. In this way, Brilliant Earth is able to track their diamonds from the time they’re mined to the when it arrives at their company. This allows them to say with certainty that their diamonds were mined and shipped in a manner matching their Beyond Conflict Free guidelines.

Furthermore, Brilliant Earth is committed to improving the conditions of mining communities. Five percent of their net profits go towards projects that aim to improve the lives of individuals, restrict abuses, conserve the environment, and generally advance the community. This includes, but are not limited to:

• Providing fair wages and a safe working environment for artisanal diamond miners.
• Financing education programs that allow children to escape diamond mines.
• Sponsoring scholarships for students who want to learn how to cut gems.
• Revitalizing land for agricultural use.
• Providing youth with the necessary education, vocational training, and skill development so they can find meaningful opportunities in the artisanal diamond mining industry.
• Financing an education initiative that’s designed to improve the government regulation of diamond mining.
• Supporting the Center for Research and Development, which audits mines, reports abuses, and advocates for local communities.
• Sponsoring the building of community centers, so miners have a place to negotiate fair diamond prices and receive training.
• Giving to the nonprofit, MedShare International, which offers prosthetic limbs and lifesaving medical supplies to people injured in Sierra Leone.
• Funding a 1-year scholarship for students to attend a leadership training school in South Africa.

In this way, Brilliant Earth is helping to provide more sources for socially and environmentally friendly diamonds. Moreover, they’re reducing the sources of blood diamonds.

Therefore, if we consider that according to Brilliant Earth’s website, they are conforming not only to the guidelines set out by the Kimberly Process but are, in fact, taking things a step further, we can say with some confidence that their diamonds are conflict-free. Additionally, the company has shown a commitment to improving mining communities. This commitment demonstrates that Brilliant Earth wants not only to secure conflict-free diamonds, but they also want to promote universal change in the diamond mining industry. They have, therefore, shown that they are a company that prioritizes sourcing diamonds in an ethically and environmentally friendly way.