The Diamond Development Initiative announces that the Diamond Council of America is supporting the Friends of Diamond Development Initiative campaign, both financially and with content sharing. Two Diamond Development Initiative articles entitled “Development Diamonds: Something to Think About”, and “Diamonds and Fair Trade”, are now posted on the DCA’s Reading Room web page: http://www.diamondcouncil.org/Pages/ReadingRoom.aspx
Additionally, the DCA has made a financial contribution to the organization to support Diamond Development Initiative’s critical projects on the ground in Africa.
“The diamond pipeline will undergo many changes in the coming years,” says Terry Chandler, president and CEO of the DCA. “Understanding the artisanal diamond mining sector and the challenges inherent to this kind of small-scale activity is of utmost importance to our members and constituents. As pro-active members of the jewelry industry who care about our businesses, it’s in our own best interest to support the work of Diamond Development Initiative.”
“We thank the DCA for its generous contribution and for its assistance in sharing our message,” says Dorothée Gizenga, executive director of the Diamond Development Initiative. “As artisanally mined diamonds continue to grow as a percentage of the global diamond pipeline, Diamond Development Initiative’s work to legitimize this sector also grows in importance. We are encouraged by the DCA’s support and hopeful that others in the industry will follow its example in supporting our efforts.”
Diamond Development Initiative brings the jewelry and the diamond industry, non-governmental organizations and governments together in a common effort to insure that diamonds are an engine for positive economic and social development in Africa and South America.
The DCA was founded in 1944 to educate jewelry sales professionals about diamonds and gems. The not-for-profit organization provides professional jewelers with an opportunity to earn a certification in diamonds and gemstones through distance education, and gives salespeople the knowledge and training necessary to make them successful. It represents more than 5,200 jewelry stores and leading suppliers of diamonds and gems across the country.
To learn more about the Friends of Diamond Development campaign, contact Patricia Syvrud at 760-525-9393 or at [email protected].
To learn more about DCA contact Terry Chandler at 615.385.5301 or visit www.diamondcouncil.org.
