Are you conflicted about diamonds?

Your girlfriend and all her friends… and her family… and her coworkers expect you to give her a nice bright, colorful and shiny rock when you finally decide to propose. Tradition says that a diamond works best.

Alas, there are always those who choose to rain on everyone else’s parade. Unless you are oblivious to the media, I’m sure you’ve heard a thing or two recently that makes you ponder a darker side of diamonds.

Diamonds are born deep within our earth. They erupt to the surface through violent volcanic explosions that seem to occur in the starkest wastelands and loneliest geographic locations known to mankind. Even then, tons of earth must be dug up, exposed and sifted before even the tiniest pebbles begin to emerge.

Let’s face it, mining of any minerals is rarely considered to be a pretty business. Historically, mining has been relegated to slaves, convicts, servants, immigrants and other less fortunate souls. Come to think of it, the only really joyful diamond miners that quickly come to my mind are the Seven Dwarfs, but their mine was in Disneyland and they had Snow White back home.

OK, but let’s not delude ourselves with fairy tales. The story of diamond mining is complex. To begin with there are two distinct methods - underground mining and alluvial mining.

Surprisingly, underground diamond mines are among the most technically advanced mines in the world. By global standards, the safety records of the world’s deepest diamond mines, at over a mile beneath the surface, are exceptional. In addition, the miners – who most probably will never see an actual diamond crystal in their entire career underground – are very often among the best paid workers in their communities.

Alluvial mining is another story. This work is mostly done by individual diggers in dirt poor countries simply using a shovel and pan. It is back-breaking work undertaken in harsh climates. But in many places – especially African countries with notoriously depleted tropical soils and bleak agricultural prospects – it is the most accessible if not the only means of earning any cash income.

Given their unique value, the wealth from diamonds can ultimately be used for cross purposes. Particularly in Africa, diamonds have been used alternately to divide and oppress people as well as to aid them in their fights for freedom and attempts to build democracy.

Perhaps the worst case scenarios were the pro-longed civil wars in West Africa during the 1990’s. On the other hand, the best case scenario is modern Botswana, whose diamond bonanza over the past 40 years has led to exemplary economic development which today includes approximately 15% ownership stake in DeBeers itself!

After exposing abuses in apparel-making sweatshops and pesticide-riddled fields throughout the world, human rights advocates have rightfully focused attention on the diamond trade. The response from the diamond industry has been top notch.

The good news is that the diamond producing countries, major diamond manufacturers and the NGO's have all come together to craft the Kimberley Process. This historic agreement promotes and ensures best-practice policies in the global diamond business. It collectively monitors working conditions as well as the flow of diamonds worldwide.

So, diamonds are still the ultimate symbol of love. They are still nature's miracle. They are one of the most common elements of life – carbon – in its rarest, densest and purest crystallized form. Millions of years old, formed under extremely intense heat and pressure, the hardest substance know to man – diamonds are enduring and timeless. Even in raw form they are beautiful to behold, but when they are cut as gems to their best advantage they are spectacular and dynamic works of art.

If you wish to express your love with a diamond, you are definitely on the right track as far as I’m concerned.

Today the best diamonds are cut precisely for beauty, by the most skilled artisans using state-of-the-art techniques. They come from high quality rough crystals, supplied through non-conflict sources. They are independently graded for color, clarity, weight and above all exemplary light performance. They bear inscriptions attesting to their authenticity and provenance. They are sold at only the finest jewelers. They remain the crème-de-la-crème of all gemstones.

Trust me, the symbolism and beauty of a diamond still has the power to warm your girlfriend’s heart.