Make your perfect proposal this holiday season with a “conflict-free” diamond

London 23 November 2006: People buying diamond rings to propose with, this holiday season, may want to ask about the diamond’s origin and whether the diamond is ‘conflict-free’, says UK’s leading wedding planner Nafisa from Nafisa Weddings & Events (www.nafisaevents.com) who is raising awareness amongst her clients and the wedding industry to the poverty and suffering surrounding the diamond trade in Africa.

The diamond trade has, and continues to fuel some of Africa’s most savage civil wars in countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone. Some 200,000 people have been killed in Liberia and a million forced from their homes over recent years as a result of the fighting. The diamonds which are mined and sold by warlords to buy weapons have come to be known as “conflict diamonds”.

This is an issue which is very important to Nafisa Weddings & Events, so much so that they are pleased to announce a partnership with DeJoria, an established UK based diamond jewellery business, created by John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of the world famous hair product brand Paul Mitchell.



Nafisa Mark of Nafisa Weddings & Events commented “We have entered into this partnership with DeJoria due to their stance on conflict-free diamonds - an important issue to many of our clients as brides don’t want a love token tarnished by war. Also, their good reputation and extensive range of certified diamond rings, complements our wedding services well.”

As wedding planners, Nafisa often receive enquiries for sourcing diamonds for clients, either for their engagement rings or their wedding bands. However, more recently they have had a number of queries about “conflict-free” diamonds. They believe that recent publicity has brought this issue to the forefront of the public domain. Therefore, couples want – and should rightly expect -reassurance that the diamonds they buy are genuinely “conflict-free”.

John Paul DeJoria commented “It makes perfect sense for us to partner with Nafisa, as the natural progression for a couple buying a DeJoria diamond engagement ring is to move into planning their big day together. This exclusive partnership will ensure that our clients are offered the services of a professional on the most important day of their lives“.

The spotlight will fall even more greatly on this issue when Warner Bros release their Hollywood blockbuster "Blood Diamond" in January, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The film is set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990's Sierra Leone.



ENDS

Notes for Editors

For more information, facts about the diamond trade and Wedding pictures

Contact

Nafisa Weddings & Events

Director

Website:www.nafisaevents.com

Email: nafisa@nafisaevents.com

Tel: 02 08527 3299/ 07876 615 091