What is the Kimberley Process for Diamonds?

Are you familiar with the gory history of Diamonds? Yes, we’re talking about blood Diamonds and the chilling stories behind them. For the most part, blood Diamonds entered public consciousness over a decade ago and the industry has since figured out a way to control the situation.

The Kimberley Process is the system that is aimed at eradicating the trade in conflict Diamonds. Essentially, the process came into the limelight when South African Diamond producing states met in Kimberley, South Africa, to figure out how to put an end to the trade in blood Diamonds and ensure that its purchases were not financing violence by rebel movements. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme came into force in 2003 by a United Nations resolution, following several different reports which exposed the connection between the Diamond trade and the financing of conflict.

Which Countries are Involved?

First off, the Kimberley Process comes with requirements which must be met by those who are willing to join. That said, the system is open to all countries and at the moment, it has 54 participants representing 81 countries. It’s good to point out that the Kimberley Process members are in charge of producing up to 99.8% of the world’s rough Diamonds. What’s more, the KP enjoys the participation of the World Diamond Council; an organization that has played a big role since its (Kimberley Process) outset.

How Does the Kimberley Process Work?

All members of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme are given comprehensive requirements which enable them to ensure that shipments of rough Diamonds are conflict-free. They must play their role to prevent conflict Diamonds from entering the legitimate trade. According to KPCS terms, active member states are obligated to meet the system’s minimum requirements and also work towards creating national legislation and institutions. What’s more, participants looking to trade with other member states can only do so after meeting the minimum requirements of the scheme. In addition, international shipments of rough Diamonds must have a KP certificate which guarantees that they’re conflict-free.

Who Chairs the Kimberley Process?

The Kimberley Process is typically chaired by several different participating countries and it’s usually on a rotating basis. The countries that have since chaired the KP include India, Canada, South Africa, Russia, Botswana, the European Union, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United States of America and the Republic of China. It is however important to note that Angola was the chair in 2015.

The Future Of The Kimberley Certificate Protocol

It’s an exciting time for the gemstone trade with the expansion of Blockchain technology helping to cement the origin and the paternity of gemstones. The work that has been done by Everledger takes the Kimberley certificate of a Diamond and places it into Blockchain which can never be altered. These Diamonds are then tracked through the manufacturing process so that the consumer can see the information right back to where the Diamond was mined. To read more about this exciting development check out our blog called ‘Emerald Paternity Tests & Diamond Blockchain Technology’

So there you have it! That’s just about everything you need to know about the Kimberley Process. We hope the information here will boost your awareness and make you more conscious of where your precious sparkly Diamonds come from.

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