This work began by examining the social, economic and political role that diamonds have played in Sierra Leone's development since the 1930s. A main conceptual question implicit in attempting to understand this history is the extent to which diamonds here represent what Ross (1999) has termed a resource curse – used more generally to explain the position of countries rich in mineral resources yet afflicted by extreme poverty and underdevelopment. Despite over 80 years of diamond exploitation (alongside other resources and minerals), Sierra Leone continues to exist on the margins of global development. For much of this history, diamond production formed part of what has been described as ‘a dual economy’ ‘composed of a developed and isolated export sector and an underdeveloped economy in general’ (Bangura and Dumbuya 1993: 91).