World Diamond Council

The World Diamond Council (also known during its prototype period as the International Diamond Council) is an organisation consisting of representatives from diamond manufacturing and diamond trading companies. The Council was set up in July 2000 to examine ways to reduce the number of conflict diamonds entering the diamond market.

Additional recommended knowledge

Weighing the right way

Daily Sensitivity Test

Guide to balance cleaning: 8 simple steps

At almost the same time national governments also took steps to eradicate trade of conflict diamonds by drawing up the Kimberley Process which governs how diamonds are obtained and traded. The World Diamond Council has representation on the Kimberley Process's working groups and is influential in determining the implementation of the Process.

The Council was set up in July 2000 after a joint meeting of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (representing all the world's significant diamond trading centres) and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (representing significant manufacturers).

The Council is currently chaired by Eli Izhakoff. There are eight other operating officers. In addition the Council has around 70 members representing jewellers, traders and manufacturers (a full list of members). There are observers from the governments of Belgium (Antwerp is the largest diamond trading centre), South Africa (the largest diamond producing country) and Israel.

10 committees (Steering, Technical, Finance, Banking, United States Legislative, Legal, Information and Research, Producers, International Government and United Nations Liaison and Membership) report to the council.

There are Five Laboratories working to the IDC rules they are, 1. The Certificates Department of the Antwerp Diamond High Council HRD, Belgium; 2. The Swedish Testing Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; 3. The Jewellery Council of South Africa Laboratory SAJC, Johannesburg, South Africa; 4. The Diamant Prueflabor, Idar Oberstein, Germany. 5. The Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia DCLA, Sydney, Australia

See also

• Diamonds as an investment