What Are Blood Diamonds and How Do Cubic Zirconia Compare?

They say diamonds are forever, which makes them the perfect symbolic gift for your fiancé. Diamonds are rare and highly-sought after stones whose glisten is definitely not easy to miss. People buy diamond rings for weddings out of not only tradition, but a willingness to show that they will value the marriage forever, no matter what the cost.

But all that glitters is not necessarily ethical. While in North America diamonds are a common symbol of lasting love, they tell a very different story abroad. Diamonds are the center of strife in many places and can often be borne out of corporate exploitation of both people and land in deeply troubled areas. Those that want to buy ethical diamonds for their life partner should know what separates a cubic zirconium from a blood diamond.

What is a Blood Diamond?

Blood diamonds – these days referred to as conflict diamonds – are diamonds extracted from war-torn regions by insurrectionist militia organizations. These are private, anti-government armies of mercenaries who fund their organization through exploitation of slave labor to mine for diamonds to fund the organization. Essentially, blood diamonds are the lifeblood of insurgencies and warlords.

The flow of diamonds to meet consumer demand often makes it difficult to know if you’re going to buy ethical diamonds. Numerous countries like Sierra Leone and Liberia have been using this practice for years, and even though the Kimberley Process was enacted to regulate and track the flow and origin of diamonds, it is not unheard of for blood diamonds to get through to international consumers.

What is Cubic Zirconia?

Ever since the global flow of information made the news of strife-mined blood diamonds an international concern, morally conscious people are seeking the best means to buy ethical diamonds, and in recent years, they’ve found their answer: cubic zirconia.

A cubic zirconium is a synthesized stone with many of the features of a diamond: hardness, facets that glisten, and varying cuts. Cubic zirconia cost only a fraction of the price of diamonds, yet still make a lasting insert for a diamond ring, or a brooch or bracelet. Not everyone who wants a dream marriage is affluent enough to afford (or even wants) a diamond, and cubic zirconia are a cost-effective option if you want to buy ethical diamonds for your sweetheart.

Another key difference is with cubic zirconia, you are 100% guaranteed to not have bought a blood diamond. This makes the demand for cubic zirconia rise, which makes the market for blood diamonds fall, meaning that if diamonds command less of a price, it’s more likely to be abandoned as a means of financing crippling warlords, prompting more people to buy ethical diamonds.

Buy Ethical Diamonds Online

Many people, upon hearing the details of the blood diamond market, are shocked. But once they find out, they realize they can’t take a chance on supporting the diamond trade. Many opt to buy ethical diamonds online from retailers like Web Gems, providing a cost-effective and, more importantly, ethical alternative to diamonds. Click here to learn more.