A diamond should come with a story you can check

Every diamond has a past. Long before it reaches a velvet tray, it was rough stone in the ground, then part of a parcel, then a stone on a workshop bench. For much of the twentieth century, buyers had little way of knowing how that journey had unfolded.

In the 1990s, that silence became impossible to ignore. In several African countries, rebel movements were using rough diamonds to finance wars against governments. Those stones entered the same international trade that supplied jewellery around the world.

The diamond industry had a choice: look away, or build something better.

What is the Kimberley Process?

The Kimberley Process is an international system created to prevent conflict diamonds from entering legitimate trade. It began with discussions between governments, the diamond industry and civil society in Kimberley, South Africa, in May 2000. The United Nations General Assembly supported the initiative later that year, and the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme came into effect in 2003.

The system focuses specifically on rough diamonds. Participating countries require shipments of rough diamonds crossing their borders to travel in tamper-resistant containers accompanied by government-validated certificates. Participants may trade rough diamonds only with other participating countries that follow the scheme.

Its significance was not only the certification itself. Governments, industry and civil society, the three groups with very different interests came together around a common principle: diamonds should not finance armed rebellion.

Why did an Asscher help draw the line?

Edward Asscher, a fifth-generation member of the family and former president of Royal Asscher Diamond company, was among the industry figures involved in the creation of the Kimberley Process.

The Asscher family has worked with diamonds since 1854. Across six generations, the family has remained directly involved in selecting, cutting and standing behind diamonds. For a family whose name has been attached to diamonds for generations, provenance is not an abstract idea. Reputation follows the stone.

The principle is simple: a beautiful diamond deserves a story that can withstand scrutiny.

What does the Kimberley Process cover and where does it stop?

Precision matters when talking about responsible sourcing.

The Kimberley Process provides a framework for preventing rough diamonds from being used to finance rebel conflict. But it is not a complete ethical certification for a diamond. It does not cover polished diamonds once they have been cut. It does not independently certify working conditions, worker safety or environmental impact. Its definition of a conflict diamond is also specific: rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance conflict against legitimate governments.

That distinction matters.

The Kimberley Process should therefore be understood as a foundation, not the entire definition of responsible sourcing. A trustworthy diamond company should be willing to explain both what its certifications establish and what they do not.

How can you verify a diamond’s provenance?

Ask for evidence, not adjectives.

When buying a diamond, useful questions include:

• Where was the diamond sourced, where this can be documented?
• Who cut and polished it, and where?
• Does the company comply with the Kimberley Process, and what does it do beyond that requirement?
• Which independent laboratory graded the diamond?
• Can the company explain the documentation supporting its supply chain?

The strongest answers are specific. They identify processes, documents, companies and responsibilities rather than relying on broad claims such as “ethical” or “sustainable”.

A genuine commitment to responsible sourcing should also acknowledge the limits of any individual certificate. No single document tells the complete story of a diamond.

What should responsible sourcing include?

Avoiding conflict diamonds is an essential starting point. But responsible sourcing can go further.

A transparent diamond house should be prepared to discuss the stone’s documented origin, the companies involved in its journey, where it was cut and polished, working conditions within its supply chain, and the independent grading of the finished diamond. It should also be clear about its own sourcing policies and who is accountable for them.

This is where provenance stops being a marketing claim and becomes a chain of information a buyer can question and, where possible, verify. One place to look is independent audit. The Responsible Jewellery Council sets a Code of Practices covering responsible business conduct, including human rights, labour rights and environmental impact, and audits its members against it. Royal Asscher has been an RJC member since 2016 and is currently certified against the 2019 Code of Practices. Visit our sustainability page for more information. 

A diamond chosen by a person, cut by a person

At Royal Asscher, provenance begins with people.

Today, the Asscher family remains closely involved in the selection and craftsmanship of diamonds, with the sixth generation carrying this tradition forward in Amsterdam. Generations of experience bring a deep understanding of how a diamond is chosen and cut, while responsible sourcing requires transparency, documentation and standards that can be independently verified. Together, these reflect a commitment to both the beauty of a diamond and the integrity of its journey.

The Kimberley Process drew an important line in the diamond trade. Responsible sourcing today asks us to look beyond it, not only at whether a diamond was kept out of conflict-diamond trade, but at whether its journey can be explained with clarity.

Meaningful provenance is more than a claim that a diamond is ethical. It is a story you can check.

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