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De Beers and the rest of the industry deserve credit, however, for taking the first steps toward ending the diamond-related slaughter. And, yes, the gems can be used to build up a nation's infrastructure rather than tear it apart. While the nascent democracy of Botswana does not have a diversified economy (65% of export income comes from diamonds), its calm political climate proves that these stones are not always corrosive to the places they come from. Namibia is taking steps toward creating a homegrown polishing industry, adding a long-overdue value-added layer to the extraction process. A sudden collapse of the diamond trade would spell disaster for these countries and cause starvation and chaos in other diamond zones in Africa.
It will not be a movie or even the Kimberley Process that determines whether America's favorite gemstone can be purchased ethically. That's up to the consumers, who should insist that jewelers show them proof that their suppliers have a System of Warranties statement on their invoices, demonstrating compliance with the Kimberley Process. Even if this doesn't prove that a diamond is clean, it proves that customers care about the source of their icons of love.
Tom Zoellner is the author of The Heartless Stone