Who Buys Blood Diamonds Apr 2026

Rebel factions in countries like Angola, Sierra Leone, and the Central African Republic (CAR) directly seize diamond mines and sell the stones to arms traffickers to fund military campaigns.

Those who buy or profit from blood diamonds include middlemen, criminal syndicates, and, often unknowingly, international retailers and consumers. 1. Illicit Traders and Smugglers

Some buying houses have been documented purchasing diamonds in conflict areas without adequately investigating if they financed armed groups. 2. The International Jewelry Market who buys blood diamonds

These stones are often smuggled across borders into neighboring countries. There, they are mixed with legally mined, KP-certified stocks and sold on the open market, masking their origin.

In modern cases, blood diamonds are not always linked to non-state rebels; sometimes, they are linked to state-sanctioned abuses or forced labor. Rebel factions in countries like Angola, Sierra Leone,

"Blood diamonds"—or —are rough diamonds mined in war zones and sold to finance insurgencies, terrorism, or illegal armed groups fighting against legitimate governments. Despite the implementation of the Kimberley Process (KP) in 2003, which aimed to curb their trade, blood diamonds still find their way into the legitimate market.

Because blood diamonds can be mixed with legitimate stocks and subsequently cut and polished, they become virtually identical to non-conflict diamonds, making them difficult to detect once they reach consumers. Illicit Traders and Smugglers Some buying houses have

Jewellers and wholesalers may unwittingly purchase diamonds that passed through illicit channels, as traffickers hide the diamonds' origins.