The Kimberley Process Explained
TL;DR: The Kimberley Process is an international certification scheme, established in 2003, requiring participating countries to certify that rough diamond exports are free from funding armed conflict. It's a real, meaningful system with genuine limitations that are worth understanding honestly rather than treating the certification as an absolute guarantee.
Why the Kimberley Process Was Created
The scheme was established in response to conflict diamonds — rough diamonds sold to fund armed conflict against governments, most visibly during civil wars in several African nations through the 1990s. Following international pressure and negotiation between governments, the diamond industry, and civil society organisations, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme launched in 2003, requiring participating countries to certify shipments of rough diamonds as conflict-free.
How It Works
Participating countries agree to trade rough diamonds only with other participants, and each shipment is accompanied by a Kimberley Process certificate confirming it did not originate from a conflict-affected source as defined by the scheme. The great majority of the world's diamond-producing and trading nations participate.
The Honest Limitations
The Kimberley Process defines conflict diamonds narrowly — specifically diamonds funding rebel movements against recognised governments — which means it doesn't address broader labour or environmental concerns that can exist within otherwise legitimate, certified supply chains. Critics, including some organisations involved in the scheme's creation, have pointed to these definitional gaps as a genuine limitation rather than a flaw in enforcement alone.
What This Means for Buyers
Kimberley Process certification is a real and meaningful baseline, not an empty formality, but it isn't the complete picture of ethical sourcing. Buyers who want assurance beyond conflict-free status specifically can ask suppliers about broader labour and environmental practices, or consider lab-grown diamonds, which sidestep mining-related concerns entirely by design.
At À Vie Diamonds
All natural diamonds we source are Kimberley Process compliant. See our natural vs lab-grown guide for the fuller ethical comparison between origins. Get in touch with any sourcing questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Kimberley Process certified mean? The diamond shipment has been certified by a participating country as not originating from a conflict-affected source, as narrowly defined by the scheme.
Does the Kimberley Process guarantee ethical sourcing overall? It guarantees conflict-free status specifically, but does not address broader labour or environmental practices — a genuine and widely acknowledged limitation of the scheme.
Last reviewed: July 2026 · À Vie Diamonds