Week 12  2026-03-22 

Diamonds don’t start under bright showroom lights. They start in places like Kono, Sierra Leone, where the work is physical, slow, and deeply tied to local livelihoods. I’m Doug Meadows from David Douglas Diamonds, and I’m recording on location during a diamond trade mission to see what ethical sourcing actually looks like before a stone ever reaches the U.S.

I walk through the realities that shaped Sierra Leone’s reputation, including the conflict that once made “blood diamonds” a global term, and I share what’s changed and what still needs work, like smuggling and uneven accountability. Then we get practical: what it means to import diamonds the right way, why traceability matters, and how conflict-free diamonds are verified through the Kimberley Process. I also explain why certification is a baseline, not the finish line, and why we keep pushing for more transparency across the diamond supply chain.

You’ll hear what I saw at artisanal gold and diamond mines, why that experience gave me a new respect for every finished ring, and the story of the Peace Diamond, a massive rough stone that went through legitimate channels and helped fund community projects like a school and hospital. If you care about ethical diamonds, sustainable jewelry, fair trade practices, and knowing the origin of what you wear, this travel log is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone shopping for a ring, and leave a review with your biggest question about conflict-free sourcing.