The Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) has launched the Maendeleo Diamond Standards (MDS) which sets benchmarks for responsibly-sourced, artisanally-mined diamonds, the organisation announced in a press release yesterday.

DDI says that all Maendeleo (the Swahili word for development and progress) diamonds are artisanally mined in conflict-free zones and produced safely in consenting and engaged communities through violence-free operations with respect for human and worker rights using practices that promote environmental responsibility. They also help ensure sustainable development through the payment of fair prices by buyers.

The benchmark is composed of eight specific Standards, covering legality, consent and community engagement, health and safety, violence-free operations, environmental management, interactions with large-scale mining and site closure. Each of these Standards consists of a related series of Provisions defined by measurable requirements, concrete performance criteria and a list of acceptable audit evidence. The Standards are tailored to local conditions in the form of critical provisions that are determined to be relevant for each location (e.g. a specific zone in a country), the organisation said.

Workers at 14 remote mining sites in the diamond-rich Koidu district of Sierra Leone have been trained on the standards and 13 of the sites have now been certified MDS-compliant based on a third-party audit. This means that diamonds produced at these sites have been mined responsibly and ethically, and will begin to respond to the growing demand for ethical products from discerning consumers.

Dorothée Gizenga, Executive Director DDI, said, “These standards are an important step in protecting the miners, regulating the sector and producing diamonds that the jewelry industry can be proud to pass along to consumers.”

Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chairman and president of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation commented, "MDS represent DDI's expansive, long-term approach to improving the lives of miners, their families and communities."

Ian Smillie, Chair of the DDI Board, points out that MDS is the only model that exists in the artisanal diamond sector. “While the KP deals with regulatory issues, the MDS addresses the development needs of the artisanal diamond miners and their communities, which is foundational to conflict prevention,” he states.