sparkles & shines

i recently saw Hotel Rowanda (well, half of it...but i've seen the whole movie, previously) and that brought back vivid memories of watching Blood Diamond. this only heightened my feelings. before i continue on, i would like to say: these are my own personal thoughts, i certainly respect the rights of others and what they believe and do.
i admit that i own diamonds. but after seeing Blood Diamond, i am not sure i want any more. although i am still awed by their magnificent beauty, i am too saddened by the tragedy that has surrounded the diamond industry. i know you can buy certified conflict-free diamonds. and i also know that many stones are stones of conflict, but my current main concern is diamonds. please do not take offense if you have diamonds, want diamonds, whatever. it's totally a personal choice.
conflict diamonds, also known as blood diamonds are stones used to fund war or for illicit purposes. with some research, i learned that the number of conflict diamonds has dropped to 1% of total diamonds, which makes me very happy, the problem is lessening. wikipedia explains conflict diamonds and the Kimberley Process (a solution to conflict diamonds) better than i can.

for many years, i have contemplated other stones or no stone at all...if/when i ever become engaged (i bring this up, since diamonds are traditional in engagement rings). i love the majesty and symbolism of a diamond engagement ring, i'm just not sure it is for me. when i first started thinking about this, i simply wanted to do something different. after years of contemplation, i am still not certain what this "different" is...perhaps when the time comes, so will the idea of what i really want.
on my recent trip to the caribbean, i perused a large range of jewelry, in particular rings, of which i was surprised to find few without diamonds. it seems that diamonds infiltrate the jewelry industry. i chose to buy certified sapphire earings instead. the world can be a treacherous place, and we may be unaware of many things happening within it. i am awed of the violence that surrounds/surrounded the diamond industry (particularly in the 1990's). i hope that violence like this will be stopped.

i reserve the right to change my mind, and some day i may feel differently, but for now i choose not to put any new diamonds into my jewelry collection.