A credible international certification system is badly needed to ensure that minerals used to make tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold are not fueling rape and violence in Congo, the Enough Project said in a report released today. The report, “Certification: The Path to Conflict-Free Minerals from Congo,” calls for an internationally accepted certification regime for [...]

The 2011 Presidents’ Meeting of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) concluded yesterday with the WFDB Africa Summit where ministers of mining from diamond producing countries in Africa discussed the current state of diamond mining and production in their countries, and specifically the rough diamond market. The WFDB Africa Summit was attended by leading [...]

Leaders of the U.S. diamond and jewelry sectors have attended a meeting at the State Department in Washington, D.C., held today to discuss the U.S. position ahead of the Kimberley Process Plenary Meeting that will take place in Jerusalem, Israel, during the first four days of November. Dominating the meeting’s agenda was the U.S. policy [...]

Gem Diamonds Limited’s (LSE: GEMD) (Gem Diamonds) wholly owned subsidiary, Kimberley Diamond Company NL (Kimberley Diamonds), is pleased to announce that in the recent periodic contractual price negotiations with Laurelton Diamonds, Inc. (Laurelton), the diamond sourcing and polishing subsidiary of global high-end jeweller, Tiffany & Co. (Tiffany), the parties agreed to a 25% price increase [...]

Today we meet here on a historic occasion for Zimbabwe marking the first public auction of the country’s most valuable mineral, the diamond. Indeed it is historic in that we have managed to satisfy the minimum requirements of the Kimberley Process certification scheme which is the global watchdog in regulating the trade of diamonds. Following [...]

Global Witness’ Background briefing on the trial of Charles Taylor at which Naomi Campbell will testify What happened in Sierra Leone? In 1991, rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) attacked Sierra Leone from Liberia, backed by Charles Taylor, a warlord who later became Liberia’s president. The human cost of the conflict in Sierra Leone [...]

South Africa, as a founder member of the Kimberley Process diamond certification scheme, is working very closely with Zimbabwe on the issue of its diamonds from the Marange diamond field as well as the Kimberley Process scheme according to Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba, Director-General of South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation. “We are also [...]

Actress Mia Farrow is to take the stand at the trial of Former president of Liberian Charles Taylor, following the testimony given by supermodel Naomi Campbell over the diamonds, or dirty looking stones as she described them she allegedly received from Taylor. Campbell, who arrived late for the court, described how she met Taylor at [...]