So begins the front page of my website, www.safaridiamond.com, and so begins my story and that of my company, Safari Diamond Inc. – or, Safari Diamond SLDC or Safari Diamond BVBA, depending upon which continent you’re standing on.

And who am I?

Well, let me start by telling you who I’m not. I’m not your local old-timer jeweler, cleaning his glasses and hocking his wares for the last three decades from the dusty stool in the back of his shop. I’m not some fancy ring or necklace designer. I’m definitely not a slick suit scurrying around Tiffany’s or Harry Winston’s, all champagne flutes, glittering stones and little blue boxes. Romantic tales and fairy dust, all designed to beguile the senses, make your girlfriend’s friends jealous, and make YOU forget all about that nine months salary pricetag when she looks at you with those big pleading eyes of hers. You know the ones I’m talking about…

And I sure as hell am not some underpaid salesperson manning the counters of Costco and Walmart, selling an overrated diamond ring at an overrated price that I don’t know crap about – and taking all the fun (and yes, romance too) out of the deal in the process.

What I am is the Real Deal, one of the last true pioneers in a trade that’s been shrouded in mystery and tainted in scandal and conflict for centuries.

What I am – and what my company represents – is one of the very few truly vertically integrated businesses in the diamond industry today. What does this mean? It means that I own the mines in Sierra Leone, West Africa which are home to some of the world’s finest diamonds. I directly employ all 87 of the good people which excavate and mine our diamonds. I help build homes, schools, health clinics, women’s and community centers for these families and others in the towns and villages in which we live and do business.

Safari Diamond also owns and operates an export and trade office in Antwerp, Belgium (the worldwide hub of diamond trade and sales), a custom manufacturing and cutting facility in Florida, and our current headquarters and retail operations out of Laguna Beach, California.

And unlike most CEOs, I don’t spend my days behind some big fancy oak desk either. I got my start in the business as a digger and miner for gold and other resources in Nevada. I went to Africa with my very meager savings and my very large dream of mining diamonds. I’ve lived and worked side by side with generations of diamond miners in some of the worst living conditions in the world in order to build my operations over the last 20 years. I’ve survived malaria, near-fatal fever, floods, numerous death threats and a bloody civil war – to name just a few!

During all my time in this business, I’ve suffered huge setbacks and weathered lots of costly mistakes, and I’ve made huge finds and enjoyed enormous success too. To this day, I still personally inspect each and every diamond that comes from our mines, deciding what to sell and how to cut each stone for the most brilliant and flawless finish possible. That’s what I mean by being the Real Deal.

So, why do I tell you all this?

It’s not to beat my chest or brag – although most folks say I’ve got some pretty interesting tales to tell, and I’ll be sharing some of these stories with you here from time to time. But I really tell you this for a few reasons. First, so you understand that when it comes to diamonds and diamond jewelry, I kinda know what I’m talking about. (In fact, today Safari Diamond is sought by and consults with some of the world’s foremost governmental figures and national leaders, scientists, investors, and corporations on the diamond industry.)

Secondly, because we control everything From Mine to Market and have no middle men in our operations – Guess what? We don’t have the markups, price gouging and corruption that still runs rampant in this industry. I don’t use fairy dust and clever taglines to sell my diamonds at ridiculously inflated prices. I don’t believe in perpetuating the long held, unspoken industry agreement of secrecy and half-truths to keep the control of a multi-billion dollar industry in the hands of an elite few.

At Safari Diamond, we believe everyone deserves to own their own beautiful diamonds at the same prices my wholesaler peers and I have enjoyed for centuries. We believe in educating you, the consumer, so you can make an informed decision about your diamond jewelry’s quality and worth. We reject the mass market Walmart-buying mentality of diamond shopping. We make the journey with each of our customers through the highly personal experience of choosing an heirloom for your loved one that will be cherished for a lifetime.

We stand proudly behind the quality, unique history and value of our diamonds – and we’ve got all the documentation to prove it too. But that, my friends, is a story for another day. We’ve got plenty of time for all that, and to get to know each other better too. Be sure to check back often to learn more about diamonds, get an exclusive insiders view of what’s really happening in the industry, and what adventures and trouble I’ve been stirring up lately. And keep me posted here about what you think, and what else you’d like to hear about… I just hate a one-sided conversation!

I’m Diamond Drew, and this is my story.