Week 13 2026-03-29 

Sierra Leone is often reduced to a single story, but standing on its coast and walking its diamond pathways forces a more honest, more hopeful picture. I’m Doug Meadows from David Douglas Diamonds, and I’m sharing what I saw when I followed diamonds in the rough back to where they begin, then traced the choices that decide whether a stone can truly be called ethical and conflict-free. 

We talk about the reality behind the “Blood Diamond” legacy and why the diamond industry still carries that weight. Then we get specific: diamond fields, rough diamond brokers, and the pressure points where transparency can break down. I also visit De Beers operations to learn how registered artisanal miners present rough for verification and testing, and why systems like this aim to keep sourcing clean, documented, and accountable. Responsible diamond mining isn’t only about buying rules, either; it’s also about restoring land and leaving communities with something sustainable after the digging stops. 

What surprised me most was how many perspectives you need to see the full diamond supply chain. Our delegation includes cutters, manufacturers, designers, media, and government voices, and the questions only multiply as you learn more. We dig into the Kimberley Process as a baseline for conflict-free diamonds, then ask the bigger question: how do we go beyond baseline compliance and create real shared value? Over coffee, an idea takes shape a mine-to-market approach that could include a diamond cutting school in Sierra Leone, local jobs, added value before export, and reinvestment into education for mining families. 

If you care about ethical diamonds, diamond traceability, fair trade jewelry, and what “responsible sourcing” can look like in the real world, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone shopping for an engagement ring, and leave a review with your biggest question about where diamonds come from.

Driving ethical diamond sourcing and sustainable development in Sierra Leone—learn more about the organizations behind these efforts:
   • Peace Diamond – Supporting fair trade diamonds: https://peacediamond.com  
   • Empower Africa – Driving investment and growth across Africa: https://empowerafrica.com  
   • GemFair – Improving artisanal mining practices: https://gemfair.com  
   • Kimberley Process – Preventing conflict diamonds: https://kimberleyprocess.com