Scientific and industrial value

geologists learn about the Earthǯs distant past and its inner layers.
industrial diamonds are used in three ways: as a cutting tool, an abrasive,
and as a powder or paste for grinding and polishing.
There are many other uses.

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 Socio-economic values

an elite item

Prices are based on the 4 Cs of

diamond grading: cut, color, clarity
and carat size

Stirs emotions like beauty,

sentimentality, love, passion.

Diamonds glow and so do those

who wear them

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 What do you think j
 
   means?
feelings of love, beauty, and passion last forever
symbol of the typical diamond engagement ring

De Beers coined the famous advertising line

"A Diamond is ForeverDz
in 1947, inducing millions of people to believe diamonds are rare and they
symbolize everlasting love and marriage, and every man should spend a lot of
money on one.
 Oow does advertising affect consumer purchasing decisions?

These magazine advertisements from the 1940s-1980s show how advertisers

encouraged men and women alike to purchase and desire diamonds
 Diamonds in conflict
"Blood Diamond" focuses on the link between diamonds and conflict.
Funds generated by the illegal sale of diamonds mined in conflict areas have been
used to buy small arms
and finance military campaigns,
leading to increased human rights abuses.
According to congressional reports, millions of people have been killed in diamond
fueled conflict over the past decade,
and 6,500,000 people in Angola, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC), and now Cote D'Ivoire have become refugees.
300,000 children have been forced to become child soldiers
and commit horrible atrocities
on behalf of rebel groups seeking to maintain control of diamond mines.
ovie Sparks Debate Before "Blood Diamond" was even released, the
over Diamond Trade World Diamond Council spent millions of dollars on a
public relations campaign arguing that conflict
diamonds are a problem of the past. The success, and
thereby the price, of diamonds depend largely on
their reputation, and the World Diamond Council, De
Beers, and other industry leaders are worried that
consumers who see the film may boycott the
diamond industry.
 what consumers choose to buy
Ê
 make an impact
on the lives of other people,
even people who live
continents away.

Do you feel this is a cause

worth fighting for?

What could you do to take

action?
The Kimberly Process
a certification scheme which
aims to track each diamond form
mine to shop window

The Clean Diamond Trade Act

a new law that provides the
means for the United States to
implement the Kimberley
Process.