Naomi Campbell Blood Diamond Trial Proves Importance of Ethical Diamonds

Naomi Campbell gives evidence in the war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor in The Hague today.

Taylor stands accused of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity; Campbell is alleged to have accepted a ’blood diamond’ from Taylor after a dinner thrown by Nelson Mandela in 1997.

David Rhode, of London-based ethical diamond retailer Ingle & Rhode, explains: "Specifically, the term ’blood diamond’ or ’conflict diamond’ refers to a diamond mined in a war zone and sold to finance insurgency.

“At Ingle & Rhode, we’re hoping that this high-profile case will highlight the fact that blood diamonds exist and are still entering the UK market, despite the fact that they’ve emerged from countries where armed forces have taken control of diamond fields by force, often killing local people in the process.”

Whilst many news sources report that the Kimberley Process, which requires all diamonds crossing international borders to be transported in tamper-resistant containers and accompanied by a government-validated Kimberley Process Certificate, has eliminated the ’blood diamond’ trade in the UK, David Rhode argues otherwise:

"The Kimberley Process did a lot to cut the trade in blood diamonds, but they are still being smuggled into neighbouring countries to be certified as conflict-free.

“At Ingle & Rhode we’re committed to only trading in conflict-free, ethical diamonds. We require a much more rigorous level of proof than anything offered by the Kimberley Process. All the gems we use in our jewellery can be traced back to their original source.”

Based in Mayfair, Ingle & Rhode are committed to supplying beautiful jewellery produced using only environmentally and socially responsible methods. For more information, visit their website: http://www.ingleandrhode.co.uk/.

Contact Information

David Rhode

Director

Ingle & Rhode

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