Should you buy Canadian diamonds, Canadian Origin Diamonds or, Canadian Mined Diamonds for your Wedding Ring or your Engagement Ring?

 Yes, I venture, you should buy Canadian Diamonds, Canadian mined diamonds, or Canadian Origin Diamonds for any of them!

There are two kinds of arguments raised against the purchase of Canadian Diamonds. I will answer both.

The argument against Canadian Diamonds are nothing but hot air

First, there are those nay-sayers whom I would refer to as the “hyper-environmentalist”, who appear to see an environmental abuse behind any rock. We know already that over doing it, as overdoing anything else, might have its own human and environmental cost as demonstrated by the current growing global food crisis, a result of diverting too many crops good for human consumption into cleaner automobile “bio fuel” consumption (in fact, it was even shown that the indiscriminate use of energy saving light bulbs in some colder climates contribute to pollution, for some power suppliers use clean sources of hydro energy while the reduced heat emission by the bulb generates heavier furnace usage with its associated increased pollution). While not really attempting to bash environmental concerns, in fact, I support and do quite a bit to remedy such damages, the argument against Canadian Diamonds from an “environmental point of view” are nothing but hot air (which Canadians would have been grateful to have some more of).

All diamond mining activities in Canada are based on aboriginal manpower and served by local aboriginal owned companies

All diamond mining activities in Canada, and specifically of the three operation ones in Canada’s North Western Territories, were preceded by lengthy environmental studies and public hearings. Miners are, furthermore, required to deposit a bond in assurance of repair of all possible environmental damage and of cleaning their act and locus after the mine has exhausted its diamond mining activity. Furthermore, most of the jobs associated with mining the Canadian diamonds and most companies employed are occupied and owned by local aboriginal bands. The local government requires, also, that 10% of the yield is allocated to local finishing shops. While the employees at the Ekati mine are unionized, curiously, despite a labour dispute there, reluctantly carried out by the workers (a dispute that was evoked by the union and resolved long ago) the local aboriginals tradition is such that they shy away from militant and confrontational union ideology. They prefer mediation and mutually respective compromise etc. In a word, the local aboriginal population supports the mining activity not despite their own regard to the environment but, as complimentary to it.

Canada’s diamonds are amongst the very few, world-wide, that are reliabley non conflict diamonds ( non blood diamonds )

A second group of arguments raised recently is that the heavy promotion of the ethical nature of Canadian mined diamonds in terms of clean and non-conflict nature, shadows the bona fide nature of the multitudes of artisanal diamond miners, usually working under tough conditions in shallow diggings and alluvial type diamond sources (diamonds found in wet or dry river beds, brought there by the water stream from their far Kimberlite origins). Those, it is claimed, are the “real heroes” of clean diamond mining, the hard labour, hard working bread earners of poor local families in Africa. While true, still, the disorganized, somewhat sporadic nature of those endeavours and miners, and their inability to generate the huge volume consumed in, e.g., North America alone, render this option of “clean” or “ethical” diamond source impractical, hard to reach and identify in the overall African supply etc. Until and unless those efforts are stabilized and rendered efficient, reliably traceable, and in sufficient volume, Canada’s diamonds are the only reliable and large-enough source for non conflict diamonds (or conflict free diamonds, non-blood-diamonds etc.). So by now we see that the claim that you should NOT buy Canadian diamond is clearly false, a moot argument. In fact, one should actively pursue them and buy them…

Each Igloo Canadian Diamond also clears a plot within a minefield in Mozambique in Africa

Why, on the other hand, SHOULD you buy a Canadian diamond? Because whether cut in Canada’s Yellowknife or elsewhere in Canada, or even OUT of Canada those diamonds, indeed, are of a clear origin, non-conflict in nature, extracted with regards to environmental concerns (with bonds deposited) and in consultation with the local community, employing local aboriginal manpower and benefiting the local aboriginal community. There are a few other curious aspects to Canadian diamonds. For one ¬they are almost all without any traceable fluorescence (a “Very Strong Blue Fluorescence” diamond of Canadian origin is almost suspicious as to origin). Finally, some Canadian Diamonds, such as those sold by Igloo Diamonds are “doubly”, or, pro-actively ethical: each Canadian Igloo Diamond also clears a plot within a minefield in Mozambique in Africa, through the UN affiliate of the International “Adopt-A-Minefield” Campaign. How much more Ethical than that one can go in acquiring a diamond? Igloo Diamonds’ landmine clearing Canadian diamonds may be found at their site at www.diamonds.ca . They are also the diamonds of choice of Absolute Titanium Design.