Looks like the reporting of the blood diamond controversy is really all over the road. One minute I hear that it's a major deal and that jewelry retailers are very concerned that the movie The Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio is going to harm holiday jewelry sales. The next thing I hear is that most jewelry consumers don't think it's a big deal at all.

Make up your mind, folks!

Here's the latest news from MineWeb who reports on a survey put out by the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council:

In their survey of 7,223 consumers in the U.S. and Canada, the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council (JCOC) found that "consumers are largely uneducated on most of the topics of concern to the jewelry industry." For instance, the majority of consumers "are not sure from where diamonds or gemstones or primarily mined."

"In reality, only a small number of consumers [29%] have ever heard of blood diamonds and less than 10% of JCOC panel members felt they were a huge issue," according to the JCOC.

Of those who were aware of blood diamonds, 23% said they considered it "a large issue," while 25% called it "a small, but important issue." Meanwhile, 35% said they don't know whether blood diamonds is an issue of concern within the jewelry industry. Of those concerned about the issue, only 17% said a jeweler's reputation and a certificate from a third-party organization would give them the greatest reassurance that they are not buying blood or conflict diamonds.