Blood Diamond exposed to the movie-going masses the horrors of the diamond industry's operation in the West African country of Sierra Leone. Four West African countries, Angola, The Congo, Guinea and Sierra Leone, where the diamond trade is bloodiest, produce about 20% (PDF) of the world's rough diamonds. The growing global market for diamonds reached nearly $70 billion dollars in 2005 fueled largely by the insatiable appetite of US consumers who purchased $33 billion dollars in diamonds that year.

The movie has helped to bring energy and attention to reforming diamond operations with the goal of reinvesting more diamond money into the infrastructure and economies of these ruined nations. At the New York International Diamond Conference in February earlier this year an idea emerged to apply Fair Trade standards to the diamond industry in Africa as a first step toward reformation. During the conference Ed Zwick, producer of Blood Diamond, issued a passionate calling out of the diamond industry that inspired quick action.

The Rapaport Report, a leading diamond industry publication, wasted no time in working with the government of South Africa, the Fair Trade Labelling Organizations International and private diamond companies in bringing to market the first Fair Trade diamonds. The diamonds were on display last weekend at the Rapaport Fair Trade Conference held in Las Vegas.

Participants in the conference noted this year's marked difference in the industry's acceptance of ethical trade in diamonds and gems, no doubt in part to the influence of Blood Diamond combined with the rapid growth of Fair Trade and increasing consumer awareness.

Eric Braumwart, CEO of Columbia Gem House, a manufacturer of Fair Trade gems, noted how far the concept of ethical jewelry had evolved over the past few years. Recalling the scant interest in such jewelry at previous conferences as little as five years ago, he shared how some retailers had embraced the concept at this year’s JCK show. “This is the first show where we have had retailers walk into our booth and say ‘We’re ready to buy—we want to buy the concept,’ he said.

The South African diamond trade is already much more standardized and benign to the lives of laborers than its West African counterparts making it more easily certified. Now that a model exists in South Africa the work must begin to export Fair Trade certification and its accompanying improvements for diamond mine laborers and basic infrastructure improvements to the countries that desperately need the reform. And we can also hope that Fair Trade's focus on sustainable production will also help this historically dirty and environmentally indifferent business clean up its act.