blood diamond

American

[bluhd dahy-muhnd, dahy-uh-] / ˈblʌd ˌdaɪ mənd, ˌdaɪ ə- /

noun

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.

Etymology

Origin of blood diamond

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

blood diamond

So, yes, it doesn’t go too far to say: Beyoncé is wearing a blood diamond.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 26, 2021

Mmmm, kinda like this: supporting a restaurant with a tainted chef is like celebrating your engagement with a blood diamond...

From New York Times ● Jan. 2, 2018

My mom has used every synonym for tacky in the book, and friends have asked if I know whether or not it’s a blood diamond.

From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2017

Kerry praised Yao's work and called ivory "today's blood diamond" — a lucrative trade for international criminals with wide-ranging consequences for nature and local populations.

From US News ● Jul. 9, 2014

The west African state of Sierra Leone has taken another symbolic step away from its wartime image as the home of the "blood diamond".

From BBC ● May 21, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023