The flow of Conflict Diamonds has originated mainly from Sierra Leone, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Ivory Coast. The United Nations and other groups are working to block the entry of conflict diamonds into the worldwide diamond trade.

Their approach has been to develop a government certification procedure known as the “Kimberley Process.” This procedure requires each nation to certify that all rough diamond exports are produced through legitimate mining and sales activity.

All rough diamonds exported from these nations are to be accompanied by certificates. These certificates state that the diamonds were produced, sold, and exported through legitimate channels.

The certification process accounts for all rough diamonds, through every step of their movement, from mine to retail sale. Retail customers buying a cut diamond are encouraged to insist upon a sales receipt that documents that their diamond originated from a conflict-free source.