The Change

As consumers, it is our job to help end the blood diamond industry. The Sierra Leone is one of the many blood diamond mining countries and sells about six billion dollars per year in the diamond industry. American consumers buy approximately 80 percent of these diamonds! (Campbell, 23) The worst part is that about 83 percent of the diamond consumers of America don’t ask where the diamonds they purchase come from. Only 56 percent of jewelers have a procedure to prevent the purchasing of blood diamonds. (Schure, 2010) As consumers, we need to be the change of this endless cycle of blood and war and start being more conscientious  about our purchases. Next time you buy a piece of jewelry for you or someone you love, ask the retailer for a receipt that will say if the diamond came from a conflict free source. To further help the cause, you can help out Amnesty International or the many other organizations that are fighting to end blood diamonds. Every time you see a diamond that came from an unknown source, think of the faces of Ismael, Jean, and Tamba and decide if their sacrifice is worth a simple piece of jewelry.