Peace Diamond

Most people defend the diamond industry by arguing the Blood Diamond narrative was unfair.

Stanley Mathuram does the opposite and it's far more authentic.

A global sustainability and energy transition expert and CEO of ECG, Stanley studied the origins of that story closely. His verdict: the attention was necessary. "You cannot finance diamonds and sell it with a beautiful love story to someone when it has blood on its hands."

But he argues the scrutiny worked. "That attention was necessary. But the attention also helped create change. The industry has changed. Sierra Leone has changed."

Which brings him to the question he keeps coming back to: when do we call Leo and say come back? Because now there is another story: one he saw firsthand in Kono District.

Responsible artisanal mining with a relatively small footprint, creating "real value for the people who live here - jobs, income, a local business and opportunity."

His invitation is simple: "Come see for yourself, and then you'll appreciate it."

Mickey Brookshire has been cutting diamonds for 48 years. He first came to Sierra Leone in 1978 and this is his sixth Peace Diamond Trade Mission.

He's lived in Kenema, Kono, and Zimi, and speaks about GemFair's efforts to "clean up the act" with the kind of familiarity you only get from decades in the trade, not a briefing document.

Asked what his highlight of the week was, he laughed: "Good question. It's all a highlight, it's so diverse." Pressed further, he was refreshingly honest: "Unfortunately, I probably want to say the beach and doing nothing", a reminder that alongside the mine visits and industry conversations, there's real camaraderie among "like-minded people trying to make things better."

Michael Wong, CEO of Nar Wong, joined the Peace Diamond Trade Mission expecting to see a mining operation.

What stayed with him was something else entirely.

The drive into the village built around the Peace Diamond takes 30 to 40 minutes over rugged terrain, past small huts along the way.

Michael is candid about what that road made him think: "If I'm a citizen here, villagers here — I don't know if I could ever manage it. And it just shows me the spirit of humanity."

His takeaway wasn't about diamonds. It was about people, resilience, and resourcefulness, and a direct invitation to the rest of the world: "This is the place Africa is calling for you to come and see in person. It really needs you to come and appreciate what we have here."

“I want to show people — look at the reality on the ground, look at the development, look at the people, and look at what good can be done to a community when diamonds are sold correctly.”— Tracy Ellison, Peace Diamond Trade Mission delegate

Words like this are why the mission runs on direct access rather than a curated PR tour: delegates meet the community themselves and draw their own conclusions.

Tracy’s full testimonial is on our channel now.

Learn more on our website in the comment section.

Doug Meadows has been in the diamond business his whole life.

He's the founder of David Douglas Diamonds with decades of sourcing, dealmaking, building a company.

By his own account, he thought he knew the industry inside and out.

Then he joined the Peace Diamond Trade Mission in Sierra Leone.

He's candid about where his own assumptions came from: "It has been so tainted by the movie Blood Diamond." That perception, he says, made the trip feel "scary" before he ever got on the plane.

What changed his mind wasn't a pitch, it was being there.

Meeting the miners and communities behind the stones. Seeing the source firsthand.

In his own words: "You come here, and you realize I don't know anything."

That's exactly what this mission is for: not telling the trade what responsible sourcing looks like, but letting them see it and decide for themselves.