by Dawn Papandrea

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but no girl wants her bling at the expense of human lives. "Conflict" or "blood" diamonds (like in the Leo DiCaprio movie), have been a very real threat to the lives of diamond workers and their families in Africa. "Many of the world's diamonds are harvested using practices that exploit and degrade children, communities, the labor force, and the local environment," explains Beth Gerstein, co-founder of Brilliant Earth, a San Francisco based diamond retailer that promotes conflict-free diamonds. "Conflict free diamonds are held to more discriminating standards than traditional diamonds by strictly adhering to ethical and environmentally responsible practices," she says.

Today, 99% of US diamonds are reportedly conflict-free thanks to 2003's Clean Diamond Trade Act, which promotes diamonds that are produced with minimal environmental impact. So get ready to shine on (and shop with confidence) with our Top 10 Conflict-Free picks, along with some lessons in social responsibility from some of the most reputable diamond sellers in the world.

Click here to start shopping for conflict-free diamond pendants, earrings and engagement rings.