Two jewelers, arriving from Sierra Leone via London, declared that they were transporting rough diamonds and 57 pounds of gold dust. The two U.S. citizens, whose names are being withheld for privacy reasons, were referred for a baggage exam to verify proper documentation for entry.
   Unset stones are generally duty free when imported from most countries; however, a formal entry must be filed on all commercial shipments valued over $2,500 and all required documents must be available for inspection.
   The two individuals were unable to produce the required Kimberly Certificates, and consequently their shipment of diamonds was seized.They were released with their shipment of gold dust.
   The Clean Diamond Trade Act, signed into law in 2003, was established to block the trade of Conflict Diamonds, also known as “blood diamonds.”The United States in conjunction with the United Nations requires that participating nations ensure all rough diamonds that are imported and exported have undergone certification under the Kimberly Process Certification plan.
   This process requires its members to certify shipments of rough diamonds as “conflict-free” and prevent conflict diamonds from entering into legitimate trade.
   Even though Customs and Border Protection has not verified whether the seized diamonds are derived from conflict areas, it is obligated to ensure that all requirements for legitimate trade are in compliance.