Wal-Mart is stepping up to answer the call for more eco-friendly bling. Jewelry has always held a special place in our cultural history, but the industry doesn’t exactly have the best reputation for being environmentally friendly and conflict-free. The movie Blood Diamond comes to mind, but did you also know that a single 1/3 ounce 18-karat gold ring creates 20 tons of mine waste? The retail giant is working with Conservation International, as well as the mining companies Rio Tinto and Newmont Mining to launch a new website called Love, Earth, which will allow customers to trace the path of their jewelry from mine to manufacturer to retail store.

Although Wal-Mart is marketing their pilot project as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional jewelry purchasing, some say there’s reason to question the claims: Here’s more from Grist:

Some of the gold used in the Love, Earth items comes from Newmont’s Nevada mines, which, among other techniques, use cyanide heap-leach mining to extract gold. Project partner Conservation International says of the practice, “Cyanide … can filter into the surrounding ground, water, and air if not properly contained.”

Wal-Mart maintains that despite some questionable environmental practices of the Newmont mine, more transparency in the supply chain will eventually lead to improvements in the industry.

takepart and check out this Q&A with mining watchdog, Radhika Sarin of Earthworks.

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