"Masterpiecescreated by Men for Men, We are men who invest in the World."
Since the inception ofour company, Blacksmith & Co. has been unilaterally against the importationof conflict diamonds. We've proudly vowed to follow a rigid policy that ensuresthe diamonds we purchase are mined and distributed under the highest ethicalstandards. As a direct diamond importer, we only purchase diamonds thatoriginate with Diamond Trading Center(DTC) site holders, who are precluded fromtrading in conflict diamonds. We also steadfastly support and are 100%compliant with The Kimberley Process and The Clean Diamond Trade Act.Thankfully, these worldwide efforts ensure that virtually no Conflict Diamondscome to the United States. We've also gone one step further. We mandate thatevery one of our suppliers sign documentation verifying that 100% of thediamonds supplied to Blacksmith & Co. are conflict free.
What are"Conflict Diamonds"?
Conflict Diamonds arediamonds that originate and are mined from areas controlled by forces at war,or otherwise in armed conflict with the region's existing officially recognizedgovernment. The diamonds produced from these areas are used to illegally, andoften brutally, fund military action in opposition to those governments, or incontravention of the decisions of the United Nations Security Council. ConflictDiamonds are also sometimes referred to as "Blood Diamonds."
Measures to EnsureConflict-Free Diamonds
The Kimberley Process - In May 2000, Global participants came together in Kimberley,South Africa to create and implement standardization of certification amongdiamond exporting countries, thereby creating common language, transparency,auditing and monitoring of diamond exportation. Since the Kimberley Process hasbeen put in place, the DTC reports that 99.8% of imported diamonds arecertified conflict free.
Certificate of Origin - A well-structured Certificate of Origin regime has proven to bean effective means of ensuring that only "legitimate diamonds," thatis, those only from conflict free government controlled areas, reach the worldmarket. New legislation now levies significant sanctions against those who failto comply, barring their access to the legitimate diamond market.
The Clean Diamond Trade Act - In May 2000, the U.S. government signed the CleanDiamond Trade Act, which enables the U.S to implement the procedures developedby more than 50 countries to exclude rough conflict diamonds from internationaltrade, while promoting legitimate trade. The Clean Diamond Trade Act is aimed at protecting the legitimatediamond industry
How are Gemstones andother materials mined?
Jadeite
Jade is mined in grossboulder form from mountain sites as well as found in the form of float. Beingharder than the material in which it is embedded, it emerges when erosionremoves the surrounding, softer stone. Thusit is often found near water sources. Typical pieces can vary from one to twopounds to some that weigh seven to eight tons. It is said that the earliest jademiners were women who, symbolizing the female or "yin" principle,would be "drawn to" the jade, which was said to be symbolic of themale or "yang" principle. Thus, they would find it more easily inrivers and mountains.
Mining today proceeds muchas it did in olden times - it is unscientific at best. The monsoon season stopsthe whole process for six to nine months of the year and, when the rains clear,the locations of the sites are often forgotten. There is one clear improvement:large boulders are no longer broken up at the mining site in order to bring thesmaller, more manageable pieces to market. We can only hazard a guess as to howmuch fine material this primitive process has destroyed over the years. Jadelapidaries now carefully saw all boulders.
