DDS was launched in collaboration with the Madison Dialogue Diamonds Working Group (MDDWG). Special thanks to the following MDDWG members who constituted the initial management committee for the DDS project and also provided substantial input in the development of the draft standards document:

Scott Cardiff, International Campaign Coordinator
Steve D’Esposito, President of RESOLVE and the EARTH SOLUTIONS Center
Beth Gerstein, Co-founder – Brilliant Earth
Susan Posnock, Associate Director of Public Affairs at Jewelers of America
Dr. Fiona Solomon, Director - Standards Development, Responsible Jewellery Council
Amanda Stark, Steering Committee Member at Madison Dialogue
Alex Twersky, President of Finesse Diamonds

How you can Help

Reference Documents

Draft Standards for Public Comment

Initial Development Diamond Standards™ (DDS) Survey Report 2009

Explanatory Notes for the DDS Standards Development Process

Sierra Leone - Wards and Population Maps

DDS Timeline:

“Development Diamond” Principles are elaborated by a multi stakeholder group of civil society, jewelry industry and public sector professionals.

The Standards Development Process is designed in order to establish a methodology for transforming the Principles into specific and measurable standards.

DDI carries out consultations with various interested & affected parties (artisanal miners, governments, diamond industry actors, other ethical jewelry initiatives, standards setting organizations, certifying bodies). The normative documents were subsequently drafted based on feedback from these consultations as well as the lessons learned through previous interventions in the ADM sector by DDI and others.

DDS field tests are designed. In-country appraisals are conducted in preparation for the pilot project(s). Collaborative planning is initiated to explore options for implementation and chain-of-custody harmonization with complementary initiatives.

DDS field testing is operationalised on the ground in Sierra Leone to advance the process of achieving Proof of Concept; operational planning is initiated for expanding the pilots to other countries.

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