Wednesday 11 February 2009

Are Diamonds really a girls best friend?

"According to Global Witness & Amnesty, it's still very difficult to know where individual cut diamonds may have been sourced" Daily Mail You Magazine 8th Feb 2009


THE TROUBLE’S WITH DIAMONDS?

http://www.keeliadesigns.co.uk/

As I am particularly concerned about where my materials come from I do not use Diamonds because of the ongoing Conflict Diamonds situation which is inexorably linked with human rights abuses and conflict in many parts of Africa.

In our culture, diamonds have become the cool stone, the ice that sizzles. Marylyn Monroe singing ‘Diamonds are a girls best friend’ in the 1953 film Gentlemen prefer blondes secured Marylyn Monroe and diamond jewellery as cultural icons of desire.

Diamonds are a multi-billion dollar industry, purchased by the wealthiest among us, they are often mined by the poorest, run by cartels and they control most of the market. The political and social ramifications are mind-bending and heart-rending.


“Congolese armed groups funded by mineral trade”
“Global Witness is working to tackle the plunder of natural resources still driving the conflict in eastern Congo which has resulted in a humanitarian emergency” http://www.globalwitness.org/pages/en/drc_conflict.html


I take a stong ethical stance and will not use unethically sourced materials & I strongly support the following intiaitves:


Conflict Diamonds
No Dirty Gold
Jewellery Campaign
Amnesty International
Global Witness
Kimberley Proccess
Blood Diamonds Film