The African Diamond Council, an organization created “to remove the negative stigma associated with diamond production in Africa”, decided that writing proposals and speaking out against corruption in the industry was not enough.  Certainly, the blood diamond trade has flourished in Africa more than any other diamond-producing area, but most nations are working to follow the guidelines of the Kimberley Process.  Under these guidelines, all diamonds must be certified by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and have accompanying documentation in order to reach the world market. 

Still, African diamonds are largely tainted by the actions of a few countries which are still active in the blood diamond trade.  For this reason, the African Diamond Council decided to create a shocking new television ad that would ask viewers to “Insist on the truth.  Insist on certification”.  To create the necessary buzz that would impact the African Diamond Trade as a whole, they went with an alarming, macabre ad.

The camera pans across the body of a young boy, mouth open to show a violent death, lying in the morgue.  A doctor uncovers him and begins extracting from bullet holes in the boy’s body.  After hearing the doctor drop removed items into a tray, the camera pans to the tray, which—instead of containing bullets—contains polished diamonds.  Then it shows the text, which quietly appears on the screen, to remind diamond buyers to insist of getting a certificate for any diamonds bought. 

According to the ADC website, “The world diamond industry breeds a network of secrecy and sophisticated levels of corruption,  This has created an environment in which a significant portion of African diamonds are allowed to circulate in ways that make it difficult, if not impossible, to determine where they originate.”  They acknowledge that this makes those diamonds ripe for use in corrupt dealings, stating that, “As a result, African diamonds act as a form of currency used to back international loans, pay debts, pay bribes, and buy arms.”

But not most countries are Kimberley Process-compliant, and the ADC feels that they few countries using diamonds for illegal actions have tainted all African diamonds.  They argue that, “This phenomenon often leads to the unfair mislabeling of African diamonds by the world’s most established diamond organizations and cartels,” but that the ADC continues to strive to “provide guidance and assistance in empowering Africans in their quest to establish good governance and stronger economics”.

Although the video carries a powerful message, it asks only that the consumer by Kimberley Process-certified diamonds.  However, the Kimberley Process itself has proven to have no teeth, and it is other organizations, like the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, that decide to not buy from a country like Zimbabwe—a country that continues to use violence against its own people and smuggle diamonds to deepen the pockets of leaders.  As of now, Zimbabwe is still a member of the Kimberley Process, although they have been issued several warnings.

Ultimately, The ADC is doing a very good thing.  They are bringing awareness that blood diamonds do still enter the market, and that consumers need to know where their diamonds came from.   The Kimberley Process, while far from perfect, at least offers some level of protection to buyers, some assurance that the country from which their diamond came is not using the gems to fund conflicts.  The more people that become aware of the remaining problem, the more likely it is to be fixed.  The shock caused by this ad is what diamond buyers need in order to realize that the violence continues, and we are all responsible for making it stop.

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