Truth Secret about Diamonds » conflict http://www.ameshigh.net High Convidence with Diamonds in your Body Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:55:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Synthetic Diamonds http://www.ameshigh.net/18/synthetic-diamonds http://www.ameshigh.net/18/synthetic-diamonds#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:21:01 +0000 admin http://www.ameshigh.net/?p=18 It used to be that only real jewelry was valuable and that in order to feel special and privileged, one must wear a real diamond. However, with the controversy that has unfolded over conflict diamonds, or blood diamonds over the last decade, many people have felt more proud and confident to wear synthetic diamonds.

Synthetic diamonds are referred to as lab-created diamonds or manmade diamonds. One of the reasons why they are becoming more popular amongst people today is because recent lab technology has made synthetic diamonds appear real and exceptionally beautiful. Not only are they dazzling to the eye, but synthetic diamonds are a wonderful alternative to real diamonds because they are much lower in price. In fact, purchasing a well made synthetic diamond is almost impossible to distinguish between a real diamond.

Traditionally, people believed that if you bought a synthetic diamond, you couldn’t afford a real diamond. Yet with the public awareness of conflict diamonds, which fund the rebel troops of South African countries, many people are hesitant to purchase real diamonds despite their financial situation. Even with the Kimberly Process in place, which makes the selling of conflict diamonds illegal, many buyers find that they cannot be guaranteed that their diamond purchase is conflict-free since the origins are often unknown.

Even more encouraging is that many actresses including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow have been shown sporting around beautiful synthetic diamonds in order to raise awareness that they are a viable and safe alternative to purchasing real diamonds. Not only are you getting a beautiful piece of jewelry that is conflict-free, but many people are starting to see diamonds as being nothing more than a con to unsuspecting people.

For example, the prices of diamonds are controlled by diamond cartels and do not reflect the true value of the diamond itself. For this reason, people find themselves paying 40% more than what they should, primarily on such things as diamond engagement rings. In addition, studies show that one out of three diamonds in the United States has been altered in order to increase its value. This “value” however is only artificial to the eye and does not reflect the diamond’s true value.

There are many choices of synthetic diamonds on the market today, including cubic zirconia, moissanite and Russian diamonds. Keep in mind that while you can save thousands in purchasing a synthetic diamond, it will be nearly impossible for anyone to know.

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]]> http://www.ameshigh.net/18/synthetic-diamonds/feed 0 How to Be Certain You Are Only Buying Conflict Free Diamonds http://www.ameshigh.net/12/how-to-be-certain-you-are-only-buying-conflict-free-diamonds http://www.ameshigh.net/12/how-to-be-certain-you-are-only-buying-conflict-free-diamonds#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:15:00 +0000 admin http://www.ameshigh.net/?p=12 Conflict diamonds, also referred to as blood diamonds, are those that are sold to support terrorist groups in countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. What makes stories of blood diamonds so distressing to people are the countless victims that have suffered abuse, mutilation and even death over conflict diamonds. While the diamond trade in these countries are powerful and controlling, people in other countries have been shaken by these accounts and have vowed to only purchase diamonds that are conflict free.

Conflict free diamonds are those that have been tracked to ensure that they have not come from conflict areas. They look no different than conflict diamonds and they cost no more than conflict diamonds, so how is one to ensure that they are buying a conflict free diamond?

First, look for diamonds that are from Canada. Most Canadian diamonds are tracked from the time they leave the mine to the time they are delivered to retail stores. They are mined using fair labor practices and according to environmental standards. As of recently, another country that provides diamond buyers with conflict free diamonds is Namibia. Some diamonds in Namibia have been mined, polished and cut in their own country and are environmentally friendly and practice fair labor laws.

In 2003, the Kimberly Process was introduced to help buyers know that the diamonds they are buying are conflict free. With these diamonds you should expect your diamond retailer to provide you with a written guarantee on your diamond purchase. This written form should indicate that the diamond you purchased has conflict free status.

The retailer should also adopt a code of conduct that prevents them from purchasing conflict diamonds. When walking into a retailer, there should be a store policy available for public view that guarantees that they do not buy or sell conflict diamonds. If you do not see this store policy, ask for it, as they may have a written form either online or on a printed document. If the retailer does not have this, beware as chances are, they are not a conflict free retailer.

Lastly, determine if your diamond has a serial number. Conflict free diamonds should have a serial number so that they can be easily tracked through the process of being mined, cut and polished, which should all take place in the same region. The serial number will indicate where the diamond has been and also ensure that the places where the diamond was mined, cut and polished adhere to labor law practices.

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