Celebrating World Diamond Day with the launch of Diamonds Decoded, a new podcast by Bebe Bakhshi, Founder of Champagne Gem, and Feriel Zerouki, President of the World Diamond Council. In this series, we decode the diamond industry, bringing clarity, transparency, and context to the world of natural diamonds for the end consumer. Through open and honest conversations, we explore the positive impact of natural diamonds on their countries of origin and the communities they support. As Feriel beautifully explains, diamonds are nation building. This episode explores one of the most pivotal moments in the history of the natural diamond industry: the creation of the Kimberley Process. Governments, mining companies, and NGOs came together to establish a system that would ensure natural diamonds were not linked to conflict or violence. Initiated in 2000 and formally implemented in 2003, the Kimberley Process was designed to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds across borders, making it illegal and significantly more difficult for diamonds from non-participating countries to enter the global market. We also discuss how the natural diamond industry became a blueprint for responsible practices across the wider mining sector. Recent global conflicts have highlighted that wars today are more commonly funded by other natural resources, including oil, gas, cobalt, and copper. What sets the natural diamond industry apart is how early it acted. Through the establishment of the Kimberley Process, the industry took decisive steps to prevent diamonds from funding conflict, violence, and rebel activity, creating a framework of accountability and governance that many other sectors are only now beginning to adopt. A conversation about natural diamonds, their impact, their challenges, and the people working to shape a more transparent future.
