Here at Sophia Perez Jewellery, we are truly passionate about jewellery. We are also equally passionate about the sustainability and ethics of what we make. We create beautiful jewellery, but not at the cost of the planet or people in the supply chain.
We take great pride in making ethically-conscious jewellery and know it is important to our clients. In most of our client consultations, we are asked about our diamond origins, what certification we can provide and what is the most ethical diamond choice.
We love that our clients care and ensure we have the most ethical choices to offer. We only offer conflict-free diamonds and work closely with our suppliers to ensure this is always the case. With our white diamonds, we use GIA certified stones which go through a rigorous grading process and ensure the origin of the stone is conflict-free.
The jewellery industry is a lot better than it used to be in regards to sustainability and ethical choices but there is still a long way to go. The more demand of ethical diamond choices, the more the industry will respond. We are a small part of this demand and want to help make this demand grow.
If you want to ask the right questions when you are buying your next piece of jewellery, here is a simple guide.
Always ensure your diamonds are 'conflict-free'
Conflict “Blood” diamonds are rough diamonds that are traded illicitly by rebel movements in parts of West and Central Africa. These diamonds are sold to purchase arms and fund brutal military campaigns. These insurgent groups perpetrate violent atrocities and human rights violations against innocent civilians and prolong civil wars. Conflict diamonds captured the world’s attention during the extremely brutal conflict of Sierra Leone in the late 1990s. During this time, it was estimated that conflict diamonds represented approximately 4% of the world’s diamond production. Today, the flow of conflict diamonds has been reduced to considerably less than 1%.
Conflict-free diamonds are guaranteed not to have been sourced from this conflict.
How can we be sure they are conflict-free diamonds?
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is an international, voluntary system that bans the trade of Conflict Diamonds. It imposes extensive requirements on Participants to certify that shipment of rough diamonds is free from Conflict Diamonds. Today, more than 99% of the world’s diamonds are from conflict-free sources and are officially traded under the UN-mandated Kimberley Process.
When visiting a jeweller maker or store, make sure they fully comply with the United Nations-backed Kimberly Process Certification Scheme and refuse to use conflict diamonds.
How do I go the extra mile for the perfect ethical diamond?
CanadaMark diamonds carry a promise of purity, responsibility and authenticity. They are among the most responsibly sourced diamonds in the world, mined and processed in ways that benefit local communities and maintain a high standard of environmental stewardship.