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For the last few months of 2006, the world's—and certainly the industry's—attention was focused on the possibility that diamonds could foster conflict and exploitation.
The publicity surrounding the movie "Blood Diamond," while difficult and unfair at times, has also strengthened the industry by increasing awareness of these issues. It has also reinforced the importance of the changes in the pipeline over the past few years that have enabled retailers to better understand the path diamonds take to their stores.
The industry has changed dramatically in the past five years. A directory like this one, a complete who's who of the diamond industry with listings of all DTC Sightholders and Rio Tinto Select Diamantaires, with a few direct customers of other mines too, would not have been possible even one year ago, when we published the first DTC sightholder directory.
Now that it is in your hands, I hope you understand the power of this tool and what it represents. This directory is proof positive that the diamond industry has changed from a closed circle to an open book. Use it to source diamonds from responsible companies that can assure you of the integrity of their supply chain. Ask questions and prepare everyone on your staff to answer them.
We've tried to make this guide as useful a collection of sourcing information as possible, adding the what, where, when, and how to the who's who. In the process, we've created a map of the main branches of the global diamond pipeline.
Like the directory itself, the frank interviews that introduce it that discuss the diamond industry's impact on communities and the earth would also probably not have been possible five years ago. Corporate responsibility is a new and evolving concept, one that the diamond industry and the companies that lead it are defining slowly, as they strive to follow the desires and dreams of consumers rather than the imperatives of supply and demand. But, more importantly, Stephen Lussier of De Beers, Maurice Tempelsman of Lazare Kaplan, and Jean-Marc Lieberherr of Rio Tinto discuss the very real good that diamonds do and what their companies are doing to improve the impact that diamonds have on the world.
All the companies in this directory are leaders, not just because they are large and powerful but because they have pledged to uphold codes of responsible stewardship of the pipeline. All have pledged to support the Kimberley Process. All have fair labor practices and good working environments. All can supply diamonds mined in a sustainable way, with low impact to the environment. Some have met standards of excellence such as BEM and ISO 9001. Some, thanks to sophisticated tracking systems, can even tell you the exact mine that supplied each diamond.
And the proof of their transparency, their willingness to share their business strengths and expertise with their customers, is right here in your hands.
author: Cheryl Kremkow
Editor-in-Chief - Modern Jeweler