Kimberly Process

Kimberley Process

In May 2000, Southern African diamond producing states met in Kimberley, South Africa, to come up with a way to stop the trade in conflict diamonds and to ensure consumers that the diamonds that they purchase have not contributed to violent conflict and human rights abuses in their countries of origin.

In December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution supporting the creation of an international certification scheme for rough diamonds. In November 2002, after nearly two years of negotiation, the efforts of governments, the international diamond industry and NGOs culminated in the creation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). The KPCS outlines the provisions by which the trade in rough diamonds is to be regulated by countries, regional economic integration organisations and rough diamond-trading entities.

The Kimberley Process Certificate accompanies all official shipments of rough diamonds to and from participating countries.

http://www.kimberleyprocess.com
http://www.globalwitness.org

Laser Inscription

Laser inscription of diamonds is a process of using a very fine, precise laser beam to write a certificate number on the girdle. The laser inscription is microscopic i.e. totally invisible to the naked eye. It can only be seen with a jewelers’ 10x magnifying loupe and it does not change the colour grade or clarity grade of a diamond.

The Dresden Green

The Dresden Green derives its name from the capital of Saxony where it has been on display for more than two hundred years. The diamond was believed to have originated in the diamond mines in the district of Golconda in India. Marcus Moses an important diamond merchant of the time brought the large green diamond to London in 1726. Before the sale to the first owner, almost five years later it is believed that the Dresden Green was cut and polished in London.

The Hope

A major famous or perhaps infamous fancy blue coloured diamond in public view today is the Hope Diamond . It is renowned for its striking violet blue colour and its fascinating history of bringing bad luck to its private owners.

A French diamond merchant named Jean Tavernier who travelled the Orient for jewels for Louis XIV showed the diamond to the King in 1668 after returning from his sixth trip to India. It was first cut Indian style and weighed 112.50 carats. Five years after the king bought it, he had the royal goldsmith cut it into the shape of a heart. The diamond was called the Royal French Blue . In 1774 Louis XVI inherited it and Marie Antoinette wore it.

The Tiffany

The Tiffany is the largest yellow diamond in existence. The 287.42 carat crystal was found in the historic DeBeers Mine, South Africa in 1887.

Tiffany & Co., the famous Fifth Avenue jewellery firm after which the stone is named bought it the following year. Tiffany had the yellow diamond cut in Paris under the supervision of Dr. George Frederick Kunz, the company’s distinguished gemologist. It has ninety facets: forty on the crown and forty-eight on the pavilion, plus a table and a culet.

Strangely enough eighty years were to pass after its discovery before the beautiful canary yellow diamond was in a piece of jewellery.

UN Resolution

On 1 December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted, unanimously, a resolution (link to 4.2.1.1) on the role of diamonds in fuelling conflict, breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict, as a contribution to prevention and settlement of conflicts (A/RES/55/56).

http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html

United Nations A/RES/55/56
General Assembly Distr.: General
29 January 2001
Fifty-fifth session
Agenda item 175
00 56275

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
[without reference to a Main Committee (A/55/L.52 and Add.1)]
55/56. The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict: breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict as a contribution to prevention and settlement of conflicts
The General Assembly,

Expressing its concern over the problem of conflict diamonds fuelling conflicts in a number of countries and the devastating impact of these conflicts on peace, safety and security for people in affected countries,

Understanding conflict diamonds to be rough diamonds which are used by rebel movements to finance their military activities, including attempts to undermine or overthrow legitimate Governments,
Recognizing that the vast majority of rough diamonds produced in the world are from legitimate sources,

Recognizing also that the legitimate trade in diamonds makes a critical contribution to economic development in many countries worldwide,

Acknowledging that the problem of conflict diamonds is of serious international concern, and that measures to address the problem should involve all concerned parties, including producing, processing, exporting and importing countries, as well as the diamond industry,

Recognizing the need to address the problem of rough diamonds originating from territories of diamond-producing countries under military occupation by another country,

Emphasizing that these measures should be effective and pragmatic, consistent with international law, including relevant trade provisions and commitments, and should not impede the current legitimate trade in diamonds or impose an undue burden on Governments or industry, particularly smaller producers, and not hinder the development of the diamond industry,

Recalling all the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, including its resolutions 1173 (1998) of 12 June 1998, 1295 (2000) of 18 April 2000 and 1306 (2000) of 5 July 2000, as well as resolution 1304 (2000) of 16 June 2000,
A/RES/55/56
2

Highlighting the additional important initiatives already taken to address this problem, in particular by the Governments of Angola and Sierra Leone and by other key producing, processing, exporting and importing countries, as well as by the diamond industry and civil society, including the creation by the industry of the World Diamond Council,

Welcoming with appreciation the initiative by the African diamond-producing countries to launch an inclusive consultation process of Governments, industry and civil society, referred to as the Kimberley Process, to deal with the issue,

Taking note of the ministerial statement issued at the conclusion of the meeting on diamonds held in Pretoria on 21 September 2000,1

Also taking note of the communiqué issued by the London Intergovernmental Meeting on Conflict Diamonds, held on 25 and 26 October 2000,2

1. Calls upon all States to implement fully Security Council measures targeting the link between the trade in conflict diamonds and the supply to rebel movements of weapons, fuel or other prohibited materiel;

2. Urges all States to support efforts of the diamond producing, processing,

exporting and importing countries and the diamond industry to find ways to break the link between conflict diamonds and armed conflict, and encourages other appropriate initiatives to this end, including improved international cooperation on law enforcement;

3. Expresses the need to give urgent and careful consideration to devising effective and pragmatic measures to address the problem of conflict diamonds, the elements of which would include:

(a) The creation and implementation of a simple and workable international certification scheme for rough diamonds;
(b) Basing the scheme primarily on national certification schemes;
(c) The need for national practices to meet internationally agreed minimum standards;
(d) The aim of securing the widest possible participation;
(e) The need for diamond processing, exporting and importing States to act in concert;
(f) The need for appropriate arrangements to help to ensure compliance, acting with respect for the sovereignty of States;
(g) The need for transparency;

4. Welcomes the offer by the Government of Namibia to convene a workshop of the world’s leading diamond processing, exporting and importing countries, continuing the momentum of the Kimberley Process to consider technical aspects pertaining to the envisaged international certification scheme for rough diamonds;

5. Encourages the countries participating in the Kimberley Process to consider expanding the membership of the Process in order to allow all key States

1 A/55/638, annex.
2 A/55/628, annex.
A/RES/55/56
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with a significant interest in the world diamond industry to participate in further meetings, and to move ahead with the intergovernmental negotiating process to develop detailed proposals for the envisaged international certification scheme for rough diamonds, in close collaboration with the diamond industry and taking into account the views of relevant elements of civil society;

6. Requests the countries participating in the Kimberley Process to submit to the General Assembly, no later than at its fifty-sixth session, a report on progress made;

7. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-sixth session the item entitled “The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict”.

79th plenary meeting
1 December 2000)