The plight of Africa has been intertwined with the blood diamonds. These diamonds are sold by warlords to replenish their war chests and pad their personal accounts. Often slaves and bloodshed are used to mine and obtain these gems, hence the name.

The Kimberly process, an agreement that is supposed to prevent conflict diamonds or “blood diamonds” from finding their way into the market, ended up being more of a PR stunt. The main reason is it is a system of self-policing. Kind of like what happens when the professor steps out of the room during your mid-terms. A UN report released last October 2006 states that due to fact that the Kimberley Process is enforced poorly, an estimated $23 million of “blood” diamonds from Ivory Coast alone entered the legitimate market. De Beers doesn’t buy diamonds from Ivory Coast, but these diamonds find their way into Ghana and Mali, where they are then certified as being conflict-free.

De Beers is the cartel of diamond miners that created the diamond invention. The belief that diamonds are intrinsically valuable. The belief that they are rare. That the only way to prove your love is to buy an extremely overpriced gem with little resale value. This should stop. Not just because Valentine’s day is almost here. No, really. There are other expensive ways to blow your life savings on a girl. One that is not likely to involve severed hands.