With Valentine's Day a few days behind us, let's have some straight talk about diamonds. For many lovebirds, diamonds are the perfect expression of affection. Through catchy advertising, jewelry companies all over the U.S. have convinced us that diamonds are the ultimate symbol of love and lasting happiness. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? But if we take a moment to consider the lives of people who mine our diamonds, we realize the picture is not so romantic. Did you know 250 tons of earth are mined to produce a single one-carat diamond? [Diamond Development Initiative]
That earth doesn’t move itself; there are a lot of people involved in the excavation and processing of all those symbolic rocks. And did you know that the United States comprises 40 percent of the world’s diamond market? That’s nearly half [gia.edu]! China and India are also major players, with demand increasing each year [Forbes].
On the supply side, most of the world’s raw diamonds come from African countries. Russia and Canada also produce a large portion of the global supply [geology.com]. But no matter where you live in the world, it’s important for consumers to know the circumstances under which many diamond miners work.