blood diamond

[ bluhd dahy-muhnd, dahy-uh- ]

noun

1. a diamond that is sold, often on the black market, to finance armed conflict in the region of origin:

   Many buyers are now refusing to purchase blood diamonds for ethical reasons.

Word History and Origins

Origin of blood diamond¹

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

I visited Sierra Leone in 2012 to see the reality after the movie “Blood Diamond.”

From New York Times

For Baldwin, Watanabe and Hounsou, this was their first nomination; only Hounsou has gone on to another nomination, in 2007 for “Blood Diamond.”

From Los Angeles Times

But NCM also has a lot of baggage, due mostly to cobalt, which has been called the “blood diamond of batteries” because it’s been mined in a way that’s endangered child workers and wrecked the environment in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

From The Verge

Cobalt is a key component in this mix, but it’s also the most expensive material in the battery and mined under conditions that often violate human rights, leading it to be called the “blood diamond of batteries.”

From The Verge

There’s a blood diamond aspect to this economic system that favors the poverty stricken populace risking their lives to sell off their natural treasures to conniving Westerners.

From Los Angeles Times