The Kimberley Process

The Kimberley Process is a common initiative between governments, non-governmental organizations and the diamond industry, to stop the trade with so called ‘blood diamonds’, or conflict diamonds – illicit diamonds that have been used to fuel and finance devastating conflicts. The Kimberley process imposes extensive requirements on its members in terms of legislation and other measures for control of import and export, and for internal control. This enables them to certify the rough diamonds put on the market as ‘conflict-free’.

Every shipment of rough diamonds produced in and exported from a country complying with the Kimberley Process is accompanied by a ‘Kimberley Certificate’, which ensures its conflict-free origin. This enables authorities and market actors to track and control the origin of the rough diamonds. It is thus not a certificate that is issued to the final buyer, like a laboratory certificate or such, but part of an administrative procedure controlling the origins of diamonds, to make sure that serious dealers can guarantee the conflict-free origin of the final product.

So far, the Kimberley Process has been very effective. Diamond experts estimate that conflict diamonds now represent less than a percent of the international diamond trade, which can be compared to 15% in 1990.

Langerman Diamonds is located in Antwerp, which is one of the largest centers in the world for diamond trade. All the import and export of diamonds to and from Antwerp is controlled by an independent surveillance authority, which ensures that the diamonds put on the market in Antwerp come from legitimate sources and comply with the Kimberley Process. In addition to this, we always care to verify the origin of the rough and polished diamonds we purchase cautiously, and to make sure we only deal with serious diamond traders. When buying a diamond or a diamond jewel from Langerman Diamonds, you can therefore rest assured that the diamonds are 100% conflict-free.

You can read more about the Kimberley Process on the official website.