Diamond Education

Conflict-Free Diamonds

What the Kimberley Process actually certifies, what it leaves out, and how to ask questions that get you a real answer.

By 25karats · Updated 2026 · 6 minute read

“Conflict-free” is one of the most used phrases in the diamond trade and one of the least examined. It has a specific technical meaning, and that meaning is narrower than most buyers assume.

This page explains what the certification covers, where informed critics say it falls short, and what you can do about it as a buyer.

What the Kimberley Process is

The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme launched in 2003, a joint effort between governments, the diamond industry, and civil society organizations, in response to rough diamonds funding civil wars in Africa during the 1990s.

Participating countries must:

Certify that shipments of rough diamonds are conflict-free
Ship rough diamonds only in tamper-resistant containers
Trade only with other participating countries
Report production and trade statistics

It succeeded at what it set out to do. The share of rough diamonds financing rebel movements fell dramatically, and the scheme now covers the overwhelming majority of the world’s rough diamond trade.

What it does not cover

This is the part usually left out, and you should know it before relying on the term.

The Kimberley Process defines “conflict diamonds” narrowly: rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments. That definition does a great deal of work. Abuses committed by a recognized government, or by private security at a licensed mine, fall outside it: the stones remain certified conflict-free.

The consequences that follow from that definition:

It covers rough diamonds only. Certification travels with the shipment, not the finished stone. Once rough is cut and polished, usually in a different country, the chain of custody depends on the industry’s own System of Warranties: a set of self-declared statements passed along the supply chain rather than an independently audited trail.
It says nothing about labor conditions. Wages, child labor, and mine safety are outside its scope entirely.
It says nothing about environmental impact. Land disturbance, water use, and carbon emissions are not assessed.
Enforcement is uneven. Participation is state-based and monitoring has been criticized as inconsistent; some civil society organizations have withdrawn from the scheme over exactly this.

None of this makes the Kimberley Process worthless, it made a real difference to a real problem. It means the certificate answers one specific question, and a seller who offers it as an answer to every ethical question is overstating what it does.

Questions worth asking

If sourcing matters to you, these get further than asking whether a diamond is conflict-free: the answer to which is always yes.

Where was it mined?

Not every seller can say. Those who can, because they buy from a traceable source or a specific mine, are giving you far more than a Kimberley certificate does.

Where was it cut?

Cutting is a separate industry in a separate country, with its own labor conditions. It is rarely covered by any certification.

What documentation comes with it?

Ask for the specific paperwork, not a reassurance. A grading report, and a written warranty statement on the invoice.

Have you considered lab-grown?

If the concern is mining impact rather than the stone itself, this removes the question rather than managing it.

Lab-grown: the option that sidesteps the question

A lab-grown diamond is not mined, so the sourcing question does not arise. It is chemically, physically and optically identical to a natural diamond: the same crystallized carbon, the same hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale, graded by the same laboratories, and it costs roughly 40–60% less for comparable color, clarity, and cut.

An honest note on the environmental comparison. Lab-grown diamonds avoid mining entirely, but growing them is energy-intensive, so the footprint depends heavily on how that electricity is generated. Producers vary considerably, and claims in both directions are often marketing. If this is your primary concern, ask a producer about their energy source rather than accepting a general claim.

Read the full comparison in our lab-grown diamond guide, or browse our IGI-certified inventory.

Where we stand

Every natural diamond we sell is sourced through Kimberley Process channels and comes with the industry System of Warranties documentation. We have set out above exactly what that does and does not certify, because we would rather you knew than assumed.

Our lab-grown diamonds are IGI certified, which removes the mining question altogether. And our precious metals are 100% recycled: a decision that sits outside diamond certification schemes but is part of the same set of concerns. If you want to talk through the sourcing of a specific stone, our consultants can tell you what we know about it.

See it on real stones

Browse IGI-certified lab-grown diamonds by shape, carat, color, clarity and cut, at roughly 40–60% less than comparable natural stones.

Shop lab-grown diamonds Shop engagement rings

More on diamonds: The 4Cs, Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat weight, Shapes, Inclusions, and Certificates.