The diamond, nature’s purest jewel, has always been sought after. Diamonds are supposed to be symbols of love, commitment, and joyful new beginnings. However, for many people in diamond-rich countries, these sparkling stones are more of a curse than a blessing. Diamond sellers produce diamonds soaked in blood, called blood diamonds, from civil wars and worker exploitation. These saddening consequences should deter the purchasing of such diamonds. People should not purchase blood diamonds. Purchasing diamonds that do not come from violent areas does not put the customer in a difficult position as they cost the same and are available everywhere.

Some diamonds sold in the U.S. have helped fund seven devastating civil wars in Africa within the last two decades such as the Angolan Civil War which destroyed the lives of millions. Profits from the trade in blood diamonds, worth billions of dollars, were used by warlords and rebels to buy arms during the devastating wars in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Sierra Leone. The wars have cost an estimated 3.7 million lives according to Amnesty International.These are millions of innocent lives that never asked for more than a safe place in which to live. With the end of blood diamonds, warlords and rebellions would run out of funding and will not continue their reign of terror.

Africa, despite its efforts to grow and form more order in its mines, suffers from corruption and violent insurgents. The extent of these problems can be seen with a visit to Angola’s diamond heartland. Here in the sprawling jungle, thousands of peasant miners eke out a living, searching for diamonds with shovels and sieves. Because they lack government permits, miners and their families, according to the Wall Street Journal, are routinely beaten and shaken down for bribes by soldiers and private security guards, and—in extreme cases—killed. With the end of blood diamonds, people would not be forced to mine for diamonds or suffer at the hands of corrupted soldiers.

Some believe that by decreasing the sales of diamonds in these countries, the supply would diminish and prices will skyrocket. However, scientists have been able to create diamonds and are currently supplying them to the market. The supply of diamonds will not diminish, it will actually grow. As a result, the problem of blood diamonds will not soon go away without meaningful action.

With the importance of the fair treatment of workers and decreasing violence becoming more prevalent in the world’s views, the attainment of blood diamonds should not occur, as it promotes violence and capitalizing on abused workers. The world is moving toward a more peaceful direction, and it is important that the everlasting diamond be clean.