$4.4 Million Blood Diamond in Germany

German border authorities got lucky at the Frankfurt airport yesterday.They seized a huge 86.7 carat diamond from Angolan man who were passinger from Namibia. German authorities are suspicious about the origin of this 2.5 million euro ($4.4 million) worthy,uncut diamond .

The identity of the 38 year old male person is not revealed. He arrived at the Frankfurt airport with a forged visa, which was recognized by the airport officers, and that was the trigger for a carefull search by the custom. After finding the passenger claimed that the diamond was worth only $88.000 and was intended to use for buying cars in Portugal.

After contacting some diamond experts the customs realized the real price of the diamond. The diamond is now a property of the German state and the passenger is accused for couple of offenses including: smuggling and withholding $880.000 in import taxes and breaking international rules for stopping the trade of blood diamonds from conflict areas.
The passenger will remain in the custody untill the deportation in Angola.

Naomi Campbell - does she have a blood diamond?

War prosecutors from Hague, Netherlands on the trial of Charles Taylor are claiming that this war dictator and former president of Liberia, charmed Naomi Campbell with a blood diamond.
Charles Taylor is prosecuted for a murder, rape, amputation and using a child soldiers in his war operations against the neighboring Sierra Leone.
In the process the prosecutors are investigating his actions in trade of blood diamonds for weapons and military equipment.
Charles Taylor was buying arms from the South African arms manufactures and during one trip in South Africa he meet Naomi on the diner. The host of the dinner was South African president Nelson Mandela. Quincy Jones, Mia Farrow, Graca Machell (the wife of Nelson Mandela) and Naomi Campbell.
Naomi Campbell received the blood diamond right after the dinner and she informed Mia Farrow for this present.

On the picture - Naomi Campbell with a diamond jewelery.

What Are Blood Diamonds?

Blood diamonds are also known as a war diamonds, conflict diamonds or hot diamonds. This blood diamonds are usually mined in the war inflicted countries or in the countries with a civil war most of them in Africa. They are repeatedly used by the warlords, dictators or other forces which had a control over the area rich with diamond fields or diamond mines.
The money secured by the trade of the blood diamonds usually is used to finance the conflict, for buying a weapons and ammunition, for paying the solgiers and militias and for a coruption. Sometimes the control over the diamond fields is becoming a sole purpoce of the conflict or civil war. Some of the countries in which blood diamonds are used for the above mentioned purpoces are: Angola Liberia, Cote d'Ivorie, The Democratic Republic of Congo - Zaire, The Republic of Congo and Zimbabve.


In 2006 movie "Blood Diamond" there is a storry which exactly describe how diamonds are mined, traded and used for financing the wars in Africa. Altough the names of the war fractions and places are invented there are striking similarity with a real wars, military fractions and powerty of the workers which are enslaved to work on the blood diamonds mining fields.

World of Diamonds

Diamond Market Recovers
The diamond market is waking up slowly but significantly. In the second half of 2009 the demand for the rough diamonds was rising and the diamond mining companies announced growth of operations in 2010.
Indian Diamond Merchants charged for Diamond smuggling
21 Indian Diamond Merchants arrested in the Chinese Shenzhen City on January 8th was charged for a diamond smuggling. Indian and Chinese professionals at Diamond business are predicting that this incident can hurt diamond trade between this two growing economies. The arrest is taking place in time when Chinese workers have a visa problems in India.
Illegal Diamond exports from Marange field in Eastern Zimbabwe continues
The human rights are violated at the eastern region of Zimbabwe where the Marange Diamond field is situated. The money from this blood diamonds are used for paying soldiers and youth militia in this region. The officials frequently are involved in this highly illegal and blood trade. The workers in the diamond fields are mistreated and without any human rights. The diamond trade in Zimbabwe is in the hands of present and former military officers.
Great Diamonds discovery in South Africa
Rockwell Diamonds, the company which is owner of the Saxendrift and Holpan mining operations in South Africa discovered a 52,4 ct clean light fancy yellow, a 60,52 ct light yellow octahedral, a 74,99c clean white irregular blocky stone, and a 54,23 ct light yellow broken macle stone.
This four exceptional diamonds are sent to the company evaluation facility for the further proccessing. Diamonds were mined in the basal gravel and Rooikoppie deposits and from paleochannel deposits.