Engagement ring diamonds are among those that are in the middle of a huge controversy. This controversy revolves around conflict or "blood" diamonds; diamonds that are sold and traded in order to fund illegal acts and civil wars. There are ways to protect yourself if you are conscientious about where your diamonds come from, such as asking the jeweler or by purchasing diamonds from Canadian diamonds. When you purchase diamonds that are certified you can be sure that they are conflict-free.

Conflict diamonds are those that are sold and traded on the black market. They are mined solely for the purpose of funding civil wars in South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the biggest player in putting conflict diamonds on the market. The Kimberly Process regulates both the selling of and trading of diamonds order to protect and appease the public about where diamonds come from. If a diamond has a warranty, then you can be safe in assuming that it was purchased by the jeweler in a legal fashion and is not a conflict diamond.

If you truly want to be purchase a diamond that has no ties to the conflict diamonds of South Africa, then you may want to consider purchasing a diamond from that was mined from one of the two diamond mines in Canada. The Ekati and Diavik mines are located in the Canadian Arctic and are considered to be the only "pure" diamonds because they are under the tundra. These diamonds were only discovered in the latter part of the last century. Both of these minds demonstrate a willingness to work with the indigenous people of the area as well as maintain the sustainability of the environment of the area and special priorities are in place to protect both the people who live on the tundra and the environment.

Having your diamond appraised can give you some insight on the diamond that you have in your possession. But in order to truly understand and appreciate all that your diamond has to offer, you need to read the diamond certification report that came with your diamond. This report will detail every aspect of the diamond, providing details on the cut, clarity, color, shape and many other aspects of the diamond. There are currently four major laboratories that provide diamond certification reports: the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the American Gem Society (AGS), the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL) and the International Gemological Institute (IGI). These laboratories have an extensive array of microscopes and other equipment to study diamonds and other gems.

If you are looking to purchase conflict-free diamonds and remain clear of the civil wars in South Africa there are a couple of things that you can do to protect yourself. One you can purchase diamonds that come from Canadian diamond mines, or make sure that the diamond has a warranty from the Kimberly Process. And when it comes to finding out all the details about your newly purchased diamond, have a certification report from one of the four major laboratories can be very telling.