DiCaprio vs. Zales: gettin’ “Blood”-y
Some market “analysts” are saying that a new film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, called Blood Diamond, may hurt the holiday-season sales of jewelry, specifically diamonds. The film is about a diamond smuggler, and focuses on conflict diamonds (aka blood diamonds) that get sold to finance war in places like Angola and Sierra Leone.
I have been against “fine” jewelry for a long time, because I feel that it is of no real value. Add to that things like conflict diamonds, and the fact that most gems are mined by slave labor or under conditions that make sweatshops look like heaven, and it creates a pretty anti-jewelry stance. I turn off the radio when jewelry store commercials come on. “Every kiss begins with Kay” my ass.
The analyst interviewed in the linked Reuters article even downplays his own statements, saying the impact will probably be minimal. I suspect the impact will be just about nil. Anybody in the market for diamond jewelry probably doesn’t give a crap where it came from, and anybody who cares enough about the subject already knows about conflict diamonds. If it educates some young DiCaprio fan so that they don’t buy diamonds in the future, cool. But I don’t think Wiessfield is very worried.
Billy Ocean, Student Council Treasurer 
Interesting you post about this, cause I had a conversation with a friend about this recently. I asked him about his search for an engagement ring and whether his research delved into conflict diamonds or mining standards. He quite candidly said no that he didn’t give a shit. He and his wife have a lifestyle to promote and Africa be damned I guess.
The fact is that anyone that really desires such frivolous things really couldn’t give a damn less about who gets hurt in the production of such an item.
GNN posted an interesting video about Sierra Leone. The images are disturbing as all hell. http://gnn.tv/videos/viewer.php?id=2&n=1
i saw the movie and afterward wanted to return my weding band and engagement ring worth over 3000. my husband said that that zales does not sell conflict diamonds as he did do research and spoke to the mahager about the topic…everytime i look at my rings now i feel guilty…what should i do……i mean i am of african decent and that movie crushed every part of me.
I wouldn’t say return your wedding ring…what’s done is done. I would just say don’t buy any more diamonds, and make it clear to your husband that you don’t want any more. Conflict diamonds or not, the diamond industry leads to some pretty horrible conditions for someone, somewhere.