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Socially responsible jewelry is becoming popular with U.S. retailers and consumers.
The Los Angeles Times said the movie Blood Diamond, which raised questions about how diamonds were used to fund African civil wars in the 1990s, has increased interest in jewelry that is mined free of conflict and pollution.
People who are getting married or engaged want to make sure that the symbol of their love is not tarnished by dirty gold, Payal Sampat, director of the No Dirty Gold campaign, told the newspaper.
Major retailers, including Zale Corp., Wal-Mart and QVC, have pledged to buy gold that meets a set of human rights and environmental criteria called the Golden Rules.
Tiffany & Co. spokeswoman Linda Buckley said Tiffany buys gold from a mine in Utah and diamonds that have been certified by the Kimberly Process, which certifies diamonds that haven't been used to finance wars.
The World Diamond Council says 99 percent of the world's diamonds come from conflict-free zones.
