Updated: July 27, 2010

By Christa Fletcher

Diamonds are coveted and highly sought-after jewels. Their history, however, has not always been pretty. In the past, many were mined in countries devastated by war, murders and corruption. In nations like Sierra Leone, the mining and selling of uncut diamonds funded a 10-year civil war where thousands were killed, leaving the country agriculturally and economically devastated.

Throughout the 1990s, impoverished people worked the diamond mines throughout Africa and in times of civil war, were sometimes managed by child soldiers fueled by abuse and narcotics. According to DiamondFacts.org, "conflict diamonds represented approximately 4% of the world's diamond production."

Since 2000, because of work done by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the U.N., the blood diamond market slowed and now only represents 1% of the market. A zero tolerance policy enacted around the globe helped reduce the number of conflict diamonds mined and sold -- and now, due to the Kimberley Process Certification System -- buyers can ensure what they buy was not mined illegally.

Sierra Leone, however, is still struggling to find stability and jobs for citizens as the diamond supply there depletes. Political leaders fear their people will turn to crime and many abandoned mines left scars across the landscape of the country, which soon filled with stagnant water, a breeding ground for malaria-infected mosquitoes, which has become an enormous national health issue.

Learn more about the history of blood diamonds and why they were used to finance violence and inhumane working conditions across Africa in the quiz and videos below.