Signet and Tiffany & Co. lead the jewelry trade in their support of conflict-free gold in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the Enough Project, cofounded by the Center for American Progress.

The group, through a project called the #CongoGold Jewelry Leaders Review, spent a year research the top retailers of gold jewelry and their efforts to support peace and conflict-free gold trade in DR Congo. 

J.C. Penney, Cartier, and Target were also identified as taking important steps toward the conflict-free gold effort.

“The conflict gold trade is funding armed groups in eastern Congo, but jewelers are starting to recognize both their opportunity and their responsibility to support a conflict-free trade,” said Sasha Lezhnev, associate director of policy for DR Congo, Great Lakes Region, and Lord’s Resistance Army team at the Enough Project. “The leading work of Signet and Tiffany, as well as the initial efforts of J.C. Penney, Cartier, and Target, should be celebrated as critical first steps. If jewelers follow through and invest in responsible sourcing programs from Congo, it would help end a deadly trade.”

The Enough Project also released a report about the gold trade in DR Congo. That report is available at here.

JCK