via The Insider

You probably recognize Jamie Foxx, the triple threat star, by his buzz cut, designer shades, and his giant diamond earrings. He may look no different but he has traded in the real diamonds for the fake stuff (cubic zirconia). "I used to wear real diamonds, but there's too much issue about blood diamonds," Jamie says.

"Blood diamonds" or "conflict diamonds" are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency. The 2006 film Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio helped raise public awareness about this issue which plagues Africa. The movie depicts the conflict in Sierra Leone in the 1990s but recognizes an ongoing crisis in Africa, especially in Sierra Leone and Angola. The diamonds are sold to benefit the warlords and the diamond industry at the expense of thousands of lives. By purchasing these diamonds, you are feeding into this conflict.

Jamie recognizes that celebrities set the trends and he wants to make a statement by not supporting an industry that is filled human rights violations, especially their purchase of "blood diamonds." He also recognizes that even though some companies claim to have certificates of origin for their diamonds, diamond smuggling from war zones into non-war zones happens all the time. There needs to be better solution.

And there are solutions to this seemingly impossible crisis and spreading the word is definitely the first step—thanks Jamie! Additional action needs to be taken such as the implementation of strict enforcement sanctions. The rebel groups operate primarily through the money they make in this dirty business and to be cut off from it would also cut off funding for arms and, consequently, make peace seem more viable.