Skip to content
VINTAGE JEWELRY & CLASSIC DESIGNS SINCE 2001
Questions? Call 800-360-5970

Ethical Diamond Sourcing

Our diamonds are sourced from respected suppliers and diamond producers who share our values, and who are NOT directly involved in funding conflict.

We have a zero tolerance policy for conflict diamonds and all of our ethically sourced diamonds are in compliance with United States trade law and United Nations resolutions.

We welcome inquiries from thoughtful consumers who have heard about conflict diamonds and who have ethical considerations about purchasing a diamond.

Since 2003, United States Federal law has made it illegal and a serious federal crime for any company or individual to sell or trade illicitly sourced diamonds in the United States.


What You Should Know:

Even with strict U.S. and International laws and the best efforts of many concerned Western governments and the diamond industry, it is ultimately impossible to know with absolute certainty whether a diamond may have come from an unethical source.

The countries which are the source of conflict diamonds represent a very small percentage of the world's total diamond production. An even smaller percentage of those rough conflict diamonds will inevitably be sneaked into the Western world's diamond supply.

It is important to note that Russia, China, India, Iran, and Arabic Mid-East countries are the major outlet for the world's conflict diamonds, as the millions of consumers in these countries generally do not take into account ethical considerations when making consumer purchases.

Despite the best intentions and efforts of the majority of diamond vendors in the United States and Europe, the truth is that diamonds travel through many countries and are sold and resold many times from the time they are mined as rough unpolished stones. These rough diamonds are sold and resold in parcels until which time they are cut into a faceted gemstone.

Faceted diamonds continue to change hands as they are sold and traded among diamond vendors on the wholesale level, and are usually sent to an outside laboratory for grading before being set in jewelry or sold loose to a customer.

So while the number of conflict diamonds in the world is very small, and selling them in the U.S., Israel, and Western Europe is illegal, greatly reducing the likelihood that a diamond in the U.S. would be a conflict diamond, there is always the chance that a diamond could have come from an illicit source.


FACT: There is NO way to discover by ANY kind of examination of a loose or mounted diamond to determine its actual country of origin.

Because of this, we sell mostly recycled pre-owned diamonds which have been re-graded by an established independent laboratory such as GIA, AGS, or EGL USA, before being offered for sale to you.

We also carefully choose our "new" diamond suppliers and trust the ethics of those suppliers and their supply chain. We also offer rare vintage and antique diamonds which were originally cut and mined over 70 years ago. These vintage recycled heirloom diamonds are available in Cushion Cut, Old European Cut, Old Mine Cut, and Transitional Round Brilliant Cut diamond shapes.

For those customers who do not want a diamond for their engagement ring, our collection of unique designs also features thousands of beautiful colored stone engagement rings without diamonds.


Certificates Attesting to Clean Diamond Origins:

It has come to our attention that there are some well-known online jewelry companies printing their own documents as "certificates of origin" to "guarantee" that the diamonds they have for sale are "clean", "ethical", "conflict free", or mined in Canada.

These printed "guarantees" are a persuasive selling tool for convincing sensitive customers to pay significantly more for diamonds which are identical in origin to those obtainable elsewhere on the internet and in local jewelry stores.

These guarantees are only worth the paper they are printed on, as there is NO central established organization or reputable laboratory which can "certify" individual polished diamonds as conflict free.

Again, it is very important to understand that there is NO way to discover by ANY kind of examination of a loose or mounted diamond to determine its actual country of origin. A diamond grading report or certificate issued from any major laboratory, including GIA, AGS, EGL, IGI, or PGS is an independent expert evaluation of diamond quality characteristics, and is not a guarantee for a given diamond's country of origin.


About Canadian Diamonds:

The authentic Canadian diamond companies issuing diamond certificate of origin reports for diamonds actually mined in Canada are as follows: Eskimo Arctic Diamonds, ArcticMark Diamonds, Canadamark Diamonds, Polar Bear Diamonds, and Northern Lights.

There are also a number of companies fraudulently claiming that they have Canadian diamonds for sale. These falsely represented diamonds do not include origin reports from the Canadian diamond companies mentioned above. If you are considering purchasing a diamond which is claimed by a seller to be Canadian in origin, we strongly recommend that you have the seller provide a copy of the paperwork for the Canada diamond, before your purchase. This Canadian diamond paperwork will be a separate document from a diamond's GIA, AGS or other gem report, and will contain a specific Canadian diamond report number which matches a unique serial number which is laser inscribed on an authentic Canadian diamond.


Bottom Line - What This Actually Means for The Consumer:

Because International laws have made it difficult to trade in conflict diamonds, and also because the amount of diamonds in the world which actually originate from sources funding conflict and unethical political regimes is very small, the actual chance of owning an illicit diamond is also very remote.

The honest truth is that the only way to be completely sure of not owning a diamond which has come from a source which may have funded conflict is to not to own a diamond at all. Diamond mining throughout the entire world, throughout history and up to the present day, has been characterized by working conditions which many would not consider ethical, safe, or environmentally sound. For these and other reasons, a significant number of our customers have ultimately decided on alternate gemstone choices for engagement jewelry.

 

About the Kimberley Process:

Our suppliers and diamond producers must legally adhere to the Kimberley Process, which is composed of 43 Participants, including the United States and the European Community. Under the Kimberley Process, diamond-producing countries certify that diamonds have been mined and sold through legitimate channels. This program is designed to prevent conflict and illicit diamonds from entering the international mainstream diamond trade. Kimberley Process Participants account for approximately 99.8% of the global production of rough diamonds.

We only do business with diamond suppliers who guarantee us that they abide by the System of Warranties, which are written guarantees at the bottom of the actual wholesale diamond invoices provided to us, but these guarantees do not come in the form of a printed "certificate" to be given out to consumers. The System of Warranties Statement provided to us by our suppliers is as follows:

The diamonds herein invoiced have been purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations Resolutions. The undersigned hereby guarantees that these diamonds are conflict free, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by the supplier of these diamonds.


It is United States federal law that NO company doing business in the United States, can legally sell or trade conflict diamonds.

You may read more about the Kimberley Process and the System of Warranties here:

https://www.kimberleyprocess.com