Diamonds Clean and “Green”

If you’re a bride or groom horrified by the violence of blood diamonds, but still craving that brilliance and timelessness that only diamonds offer, don’t despair – Canadian diamonds are here. They’re conflict-free and much closer to home if you’re an American.

Canadian diamonds are considered clean and “green” because they don’t have to be imported all the way from Africa – saving on transportation and shipping. After mining, they are shipped out to London or Belgium, but returned to one of three Yellowfish companies that cut and polish the rough stones into gems, then laser-engrave a unique serial number and an emblem of Canadian authenticity.

Each Canadian diamond receives its own serial number and a Government of the Northwest Territories (GNTW) certification – ensuring your diamond is clean and conflict-free. This number also indicates the exact mine the diamond came from, either BHP Billiton’s Ekati Mine or Rio Tinto’s Diavik Mine. A certificate indicating the rough weight and the cut weight also accompany each stone.

Nineteen years ago nobody had ever heard of Canadian diamonds, but in the last 10 years, Canada has become the world’s third largest producer of rough diamonds by value, giving Russia and Botswana a run for their money. The first diamond deposits were discovered in Canada’s Northwest Territories in 1991 by geologist Charles Fipke and his partner Stewart Blusson. Fipke had been hunting around the area for years, searching for the kind of gems and stones that signify the kimberlite pipes where diamonds were formed 3 billion years ago.

The diamonds of Canada are found beneath the Canadian Arctic tundra and remained undiscovered well into the last century. Since discovery, mining companies have gone to great lengths to forge mutually beneficial agreements with local indigenous populations as well as to respect the Arctic environment.

Conditions in the Northwest Territory mines are closely monitored for everything from water quality to caribou migration paths. However, hardcore environmentalists say despite more stringent regulations, the mines will still leave a deep impact on the land, long after their 20-year supply is exhausted.

Since the relatively recent revelations of the notorious and ruthless nature of the rough diamond trade in countries such as Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Angola, social movements, environmentalists, and human rights activists have all attempted to regulate or stop the rough diamond trade from these countries that finances wars and other violence.

In Angola, Sierra Leone, and DRC, diamonds are found in fields as alluvial, easy-to-reach deposits. In Botswana, Russia, and Canada diamonds are found in deep kimberlite pipes where they are more difficult to access.

If you must buy African diamonds there are some organizations devoted to improving the trade and the conditions under which diamonds are mined and sold. One Sky and the Conservatory Society of Sierra Leone (CSSC) is one movement working to rehabilitate the deeply scarred alluvial diamond fields of Sierra Leone by replanting native species, restoring creeks and re-cultivating agricultural lands. The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme began in 2005 after the extent of the damage caused by indiscriminate mining was revealed to the world. The process remains flawed but is considered a good step in the right direction.

Diamonds from Africa definitely carry a stigma these days. Even hard-working rehabilitation groups such as the Kimberly Process are subject to corruption on a global level. If you still want to buy a shiny, new diamond, Canadian diamonds are a great option where mining companies are using environmentally friendlier processes designed to still offer fine stones that can even be called "green."

For more on diamonds and jewelry, be sure to read our reviews of the best online jewelry retailers.

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