James Allen is an American company that was founded by James Allen in 1848. They are considered one of the top diamond companies in the world today. Learn more about them and see if they are conflict free.
A risk that most diamond buyers face is buying a diamond from a conflict zone.
These zones keep popping up and thus giving consumers a hard time in knowing if the diamonds originate from a conflict-free zone or not.
Even with the international pressures that have made the diamond market more ethical and transparent, there are still problems that keep arising.
James Allen is one of the biggest diamond retailers has to be clear about their diamonds. They clearly state that their diamonds originate from conflict-free zones. They further state that not even a single diamond they sell is used by governments to facilitate any conflicts.
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This information comes directly from James Allen. This leaves buyers wondering if this is entirely true or not.
In this article, we will dig in to find out the truth of the above statement from James Allen, we will follow their track record of acquiring diamonds that are free from conflicts. In as much as it is difficult to get information about the actual sources of the diamonds, James Allen is trusted and is very credible.
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Are James Allen Diamonds Conflict Free?
According to James Allen, all the diamonds they sell usually exceed or meet all the set international regulations. This means that all the sources they work together with only work with non-blood stained diamonds. Additionally, this means that there is one that is considered to be a conflict diamond. Finally, they claim to strictly follow the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme.
With the aim of inhibiting the buying and selling of conflict diamonds, the United Nations passes the international regulation called KPCS. By signing the agreement, countries agreed to regulate and monitor the trade of rough diamonds. They did so to ensure that all the diamonds being traded are conflict-free. The regulations were further extended to incorporate polished diamonds.
All companies that wish to sell their diamonds in the United States must adhere to these restrictions. If they sell conflict diamonds they are at risk of legal actions and heavy fines.
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It appears that James Allen follows these standards. It is hard to completely track down all the origins of the diamonds, all we have to do is to trust.
It is also hard to confirm if they also adhere to the KPCS regulations to the latter for all the diamonds sold. Conversely, James Allen’s primary market is the United States. Here the regulations are very tight and the nation’s government does not allow the trade of illegal diamonds. There are also no public records for any legal actions or fines arising from the trade of illegal diamonds.
Even though the diamond market has improved its transparency significantly in the past few years, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. There is still no guarantee that a company will tell you the truth about the source of their diamonds. To ensure that the diamonds being sold truly originate from conflict-free zones, plenty of work has to be completed.
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With all these risks still out there, you can trust James Allen with their promise to offer conflict-free diamonds. The US government has never caught them in any illegal buying and selling of a diamond. This means they are trading with conflict-free diamonds so far.
Where Does James Allen Source Its Diamonds?
There are different countries that James Allen sources from. For this reason, it is difficult to identify from which country individual diamonds came from. Similar to other diamond retailers, James Allen does not disclose the country from which the diamonds originated. To get this information you will have to look further into the company’s disclosed sources.
James Allen also mentions that in all the contracts they sign with their sources, it is clearly stated that all diamonds must be free of any conflict. Furthermore, they only purchase diamonds that are polished and only from professional members of the diamond trade. This information is ambiguous making it difficult to know who deals with the company directly
So the question still remains, from where exactly do they get their diamonds. James Allen never reveals this information to the public. This, therefore, makes it difficult to tell the countries of origin for all their diamonds. Knowing that their diamonds are in conflict-free then they probably come from conflict-free zones. Botswana and Namibia are the largest and leading exporters of non-blood diamonds. So they most likely buy from the two countries. These countries not only protect their mine workers but also make sure that all the profits do not fuel any war.
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James Allen is the exclusive retailer for CanadaMark diamonds. This type of diamond originates from Canada. Canada is popular for its highest standards when it comes to diamond trading. Since their site does not show the origin of all their diamonds, there are a few that are indicated. You can therefore confidently purchase conflict-free diamonds.
There is an alternative option that poses no conflict-related risks. You can opt for lab-created diamonds. These diamonds have no conflict issues and are environmentally friendly. To top it up, they are very affordable.
How to Check Whether James Allen Jewelry Is Conflict-Free?
Determining if diamonds are conflict-free is very tasking and difficult. However, there are a few things you can do to know if diamonds are conflict-free.
The first thing you should do is to call their customer service line. They have a chat option available on their web product pages. Contact them and inquire about their sources of diamonds especially the one you plan to buy. There is also an option of talking to the customer service agents to inquire more information about their sources.
Ethical jewelers avoid buying diamonds from certain countries such as Angola, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia. Areas that have credible diamonds include Botswana, Canada, and Namibia
This option is successful only up to some point. The company may only offer some information. Most of the time this information is biased. They will not give you the official certification for the diamonds as well. With this option, you will have to believe their word as you get to know the origin of the diamonds. Since you are not there physically, the customer care agent may just read out the conflict-free diamond policy available at the website. There is little or no new information you will get from the agent.
Alternatively, get information from third-party organizations. To get unbiased information about diamonds at James Allen, look for conflict-free diamond organizations. Here you will get a load of information for your knowledge. You will notice there are no noticeable complaints launched against James Allen. This indicates that they a conflict-free retailer.
You can also use regulating agencies as a source of information. Checking with the US agencies regulating the trade of diamonds you will discover there are legal records against James Allen. This is an indication that they follow all the US and other international regulations.
Will You Get Conflict-Free Diamonds From James Allen?
Tracking the original source of single diamonds is hard. Even if a seller is credible, you can only take their word for it. You have to believe that the information they are giving you is true. On any diamond certification, you will get information concerning quality and not necessarily the original source of the diamonds.
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James Allen is a credible diamond seller and has a good reputation with regard to sourcing real diamonds. They assure consumers that they follow Kimberly Processes accordingly. They further say that they never work with those governments selling diamonds used to finance conflicts. They also have not received complaints from those governments that vouch for a diamond that is conflict-free.
If believing their word is hard for you then buy one that their origin is clear. The only option for this is CanadaMark diamonds. They are trusted and well respected in the industry and clearly say the source of these diamonds. They are also conflict-free.
You are also allowed to pick from lab-created diamonds. With this, you are guaranteed that there is no conflict involved with the stones.
All in all, James Allen is a reputable diamond seller and you can depend on them to sell you conflict-free diamonds.
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