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By Russell Shor
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Russell Shor. Photo by Amanda Luke/GIA
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"The Blood Diamond," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou, will open soon in theaters around the world. Though it is set in 1999, at the height of Sierra Leone's civil war, many in the industry fear it will give the impression that the war is still raging and that suspect "blood" diamonds are still flowing into American retail jewelry shops.
Movies, especially successful ones, exert powerful influences on our collective thoughts. Who can forget the impact that "The Exorcist," "The Godfather" and "Star Wars" made on their times?
We can be sure that groups critical of our industry will use the movie's message to intensify their campaigns to denigrate our industry. They may gloss over the fact that, four years after the close of its bloody civil war, Sierra Leone is harnessing its diamond resources to help bind the wounds of this conflict.
Stephen Lussier, head of External Relations for the De Beers Diamond Trading Company, says retailers must prepare for consumer questions and challenges:
• First, they should ensure that they buy only from suppliers who comply with all Kimberley Process requirements in regards to sourcing diamonds from legally recognized channels.
• Second, they should post a statement about this requirement on their door or counter, where customers can easily see it.
• Third, they should save all invoices from their suppliers.
• Fourth, and most important, all staff and sales associates need to be educated on the issue so they can respond credibly and intelligently to consumer questions.
De Beers will try to enlist the support of human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, which have been critical of the industry's efforts to halt the trade in conflict diamonds in the past, to help them provide discussion points and guidelines for retailers. Two years ago, one such group, Global Witness, mystery-shopped a number of American retailers and reported that only a small minority were aware of the Kimberley Process and had taken steps to comply.
De Beers will also run training seminars for large retail chains and members of the American Gem Society, Lussier said.
Beyond the Kimberley Process, De Beers and the diamond industry want to spread the message that diamonds are a means for development and recovery for most countries that mine them. This includes Sierra Leone and Angola, the two nations that brought the conflict diamond issue to world attention eight years ago.
The industry, working through the World Diamond Council, drafted the following statement and requested that Edward Zwick, the producer of the movie, add it to the film's trailer and promotional literature:
The conflict in Sierra Leone ended in January 2002. This was followed by free and democratic elections and today, virtually all global trade in rough diamonds is now conducted through the Kimberley Process – an international diamond watchdog bringing together governments, industry and civil society. Sierra Leone is now using its diamond wealth to help build a secure future for all its people.
An Oct. 12 report in the Los Angeles Times stated that the disclaimer will not be included in the trailer. But, as noted in my last column, the diamond and gemstone industries have taken extraordinary steps to expel the bad apples from their midst and ally with governments to increase benefits to the local populace of many producing nations.
Our industry is not blameless in the Sierra Leone civil war, but in 2000 it acted decisively to stem the flow of conflict diamonds. Few industries – if any – have taken such steps without threat of legal sanctions.
The result was that conflict diamonds were reduced to about 1 percent of production by the time the wars ended in 2002. It is not enough to be proud of that record, however. We must be sufficiently informed and ready to counter critics – often demagogues – who claim otherwise.
Russell Shor, senior industry analyst for GIA, has been covering the gem and jewelry industry for 25 years. His column reports on marketing trends and business issues. He calls on experts from around the globe for their opinions and perspective.
Resources for Retailers
You can find basic information about the Kimberley Process from the Jewelers Vigilance Committee: www.jvclegal.org/kimberely.pdf or www.kimberleyprocess.com.
Jewelers of America has posted a model compliance statement and other useful information for retailers on its Web site: www.jewelers.org/pdf/TalkAug04.pdf.
The World Diamond Council has training materials for the trade at: www.diamondfacts.org.
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