Have Diamonds Benefited Africa
The problem is Hollywood. This winter sees the opening of “Blood Diamond,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a smuggler attempting to smuggle a rare pink stone out of war-torn Sierra Leone. And like other industry leaders, Oppenheimer fears the film will taint the industry’s reputation, renewing controversy over the use of so-called “conflict diamonds” to fund some of Africa’s bloodiest civil wars. What the trade fears most is the impression that the film may leave: that consumers can no longer buy diamonds with an easy conscience....