Review of Brilliant Earth

Last updated on April 24, 2023

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The diamond industry is one with a definite dark side at times which thankfully is getting better thanks to the efforts of top companies like Brilliant Earth. Priding themselves on being ethical within the industry they are also one of the major online retailers of quality diamonds.

In this article we are going to learn more about Brilliant Earth, their commitment to ethical mining and their quality range of products.

They Are Ethical Jewelers

Brilliant Earth are not just honest dealers in diamonds but they are also extremely committed to making sure every diamond they purchase and sell was produced ethically. Most big retailers today only deal in conflict-free diamonds but Brilliant Earth claims to go a step further.

Expanding on the industry standard, Brilliant Earth claims to sell diamonds that are "Beyond Conflict-Free." What exactly does that mean? Let us clarify that for you.

Brilliant Earth will only source diamonds that have come from mines which have demonstrated their commitment to certain practices and standards such as:

• Not financing rebel movements
• Not supporting human rights abuses
• Mining in an environmentally friendly way
• Supporting safe and responsible labor practices
• Investing in development of the communities surrounding the mines

Brilliant Earth is not only interested in minimizing the environmental impact of diamond mining on the plant but they also want to make sure the human element of the workforce is treated fairly within the mines and the surrounding areas.

Why Is This So Important?

There is no secret about the fact that the diamond trade, especially in Africa where a large proportion of the world's diamonds are mined, has some real problems at the grass roots. For decades African warlords have used the proceeds of the diamond trade to fund their activities leading to the rather grim moniker of blood or conflict diamonds.

These days African civil wars are all but ended but the violence surrounding diamond mines on that continent still persists. It is such a lucrative business that human rights violations and unsafe working conditions have sadly become the norm.

When companies commit to only dealing with other companies who treat their workforces well and invest in the surrounding communities to improve conditions for the populace they send a message. That message is that if you treat your workers poorly and exploit the communities you will not find a buyer for your diamonds.

Therefore companies like Brilliant Earth require certification that their suppliers treat their workers fairly and reinvest some of the profits into creating a better community around the mines to support the families of the workers.

How Does Brilliant Earth Ensure Ethically Sourced Diamonds?

We will first start by looking at the industry standard when it comes to conflict-free diamonds. This is called the Kimberly process and most companies that claim to only sell conflict-free gems use this process. But what is it exactly?

Basically the Kimberley Process is an international certification process scheme that actively regulates the trade in rough diamonds. It takes steps to crack down on conflict diamonds while only supporting those who are mining in a responsible way.

They have outlined a set of rules to ensure that the producers they certify are meeting certain minimum standards in their practices.

Brilliant Earth boasts the ability to go beyond the Kimberly process in their dealings by adding some of their own steps and regulations with regard to their business dealings. Here are the company's own words on the subject state:

“Jewelers that offer 'conflict free' diamonds are limiting themselves to the Kimberley Process’ definition, which narrowly defines conflict diamonds as diamonds that finance rebel movements against recognized governments. What this definition leaves out is large numbers of diamonds that are tainted by violence, human rights abuses, poverty, environmental degradation, and other issues."

As a result Brilliant earth not only worries about the human impact of diamond mining but about the environmental impact of the industry as well. This is why they are big proponents of using lab-created diamonds as well as recycling not only diamonds but precious metals.

Those diamonds that are not recycled can be traced back to their mines of origin using the company's block-chain technology. This allows Brilliant Earth to be even more sure of the source of the diamonds and the methods by which they were mined.

What Is Brilliant Earth's Selection Like?

The commitment to environmentally friendly diamonds is very obvious when it comes to Brilliant Earth. They send a clear message in the form of their diamond inventory. Whereas other major online diamond sellers will have a huge collection of natural diamonds and a smaller one of lab-created Brilliant Earth does things the other way around.

As of April 15^th 2023 the company had around 116,000 natural diamonds for sale on their website. This is compared to their stock of over 203,000 lab-created gems. They do this with the full understanding that although natural and lab-created diamonds are virtually identical, those made in labs do not sell for as high a price.

The diamonds made in the lab really are no different physically than the ones formed in the earth over thousands of years but of course they do not need to be mined from the earth so they make a much smaller environmental impact.

Increasingly customers are choosing to go down the lab-grown diamond path because they are better for the earth and do not have even the slightest possibility of being involved in the human rights violations that plague the diamond industry.

What Is the Shopping Process Like?

Brilliant Earth has a great website which is exceptionally user friendly when it comes to buying diamonds. Like all the main online diamond retailers they use sliding scales to assist your diamond search allowing you to set parameters for the diamond you want.

You can search for certain sizes of diamonds, set parameters for color, clarity and cut quality as well as price range. There are 10 standard diamond shapes to choose from as well. These are:

• Round (Brilliant) Cut
• Oval Cut
• Cushion Cut
• Princess Cut
• Emerald Cut
• Pear-Shaped Cut
• Asscher Cut
• Radiant Cut
• Heart-Shaped Cut
• Marquise Cut

Once you narrow down your search you can usually view a 360 degree 3D video of the diamond to get a true sense of what it really looks like. They are actually just one of a few online retailers that offers this technology.

You can also find a copy of the diamond's grading report attached to each diamond profile. This ensures you feel confident that your purchase will be a quality piece.

If you are interested in how an engagement ring you have built on the Brilliant Earth website might appear you can use their Virtual Try On Feature. Using your phone you would open your camera and the finished ring can be superimposed on your hand. They really try to mimic the in-store experience as much as they can.

Fancy Shapes and Colored Diamonds

Brilliant Earth like other retailers understands we need choice when it comes to diamonds and we all have a favorite diamond shape. This is why they offer all the major industry standard shapes but they also have a range of colored diamonds.

Obviously when it comes to clear diamonds color is not a good thing but some diamonds are naturally fancy in terms of color. These are usually less valuable but some people do actually favor them for being more unique than the standard clear sparkly gems.

The available colors include shades of yellow, pink, blue and black. These are great for those who like something a little different and who do not care as much for the classic diamond properties of brilliance and sparkle.

Their Commitment to Quality Diamonds

You might wonder if Brilliant Earth's commitment to ethically sourced diamonds causes any short-comings in terms of diamond quality. Well allow us to quickly dispel any such thoughts because they are not only a caring company but they are also professionals and they do their job very well.

They have developed a reputation for creating some truly stunning pieces of jewelry with their exclusive hand-drawn designs emanating from their own San Francisco based design studio. They then pair their designs with some of the highest quality gemstones available both natural and lab-grown.

In many ways their style is reminiscent of the way things used to be when a jewelry piece would become a family heirloom. In fact they are more than happy to produce works that will last a lifetime and beyond.

Brilliant Earth Pricing

As is expected with an online sales model, Brilliant Earth's prices are much lower than the companies who deal more frequently from physical locations such as Tiffany and Zales. Basically brick-and-mortar prices will always be higher due to business overheads.

In terms of competitive pricing the company matches up to some of the bigger retailers such as James Allen and Blue Diamond in terms of price and they do have a wide range of varied diamonds meaning there are options for most budgets.

Their natural diamonds start at $420 and as of April 14^th 2023 they had an impressive heart-shaped diamond weighing 13.42 carats at a price of $1,323,860. This completely colorless and flawless diamond will hopefully one day adorn some lucky individual's engagement ring.

The more extensive lab-grown diamond inventory starts at $280 with the top priced gem being a 25.31 carat cushion cut with ideal quality for $171,480. Remember we live in a world where choosing the more environmentally friendly option is a viable choice and for once in this case it would be much cheaper.

Does Brilliant Earth Have Physical Locations?

Brilliant Earth is largely an online retailer but they do in fact have a few physical showrooms around the U.S. for those who prefer to enjoy the old-school jewelry buying process. This does set them apart from their competitors like Blue Nile and James Allen who are almost exclusively online.

They offer appointments through their website for their locations and urge people to request specific diamonds they would like to view in person to speed up the process. This means you can find a diamond you like online and if it is physically available at your nearest Brilliant Earth Showroom you can view it in person.

At present they have 33 showrooms dotted around the United States located in:

Birmingham, MI

Cleveland, OH

Columbus, OH

Chicago, IL

Fairfax, VA

Bethesda, MD

Washington, DC

Baltimore, MD

Philadelphia, PA

St. Louis, MO

Nashville, TN

New York, NY

Brooklyn, NY

Charlotte, NC

Edina, MN

Atlanta, GA

Boston, MA

Dallas, TX

Tampa, FL

Houston, TX

Denver, CO

Austin, TX

Miami, FL

Scottsdale, AZ

Seattle, WA

Portland, OR

San Diego, CA

Pasadena, CA

West Hollywood, CA

Santa Monica, CA

Palo Alto, CA

San Francisco, CA

It should be noted that Brilliant Earth is expanding their physical locations nationwide so some showrooms from the list above have not yet opened their doors to the public. You can also book virtual appointments if you do not live close to one of their locations.

Brilliant Earth Policies: Shipping and Returns

• Brilliant Earth, like its other online competitors, offers a 30-day return policy (exchange or refund) with free FedEx shipping both ways. This is great because of course when you buy online you do not get to see the diamond in person until it arrives.
• The 3D images on many of the diamonds are pretty accurate so hopefully you will not be disappointed when you get the diamond but there is always that risk so they have you covered with this policy.
• Brilliant Earth extends its 30-day return policy during the holiday season until it ends (Items ordered between November 15th and December 16th can be returned or exchanged up until January 15th.) This is great to cover the slower shipping times during the season.

Other Policies Include:

• Complimentary ring resizing within 60 days or purchase for customers in the U.S., Canada, U.K, and Australia. This is great for surprise engagement rings especially if you have to guess at ring size.
• Lifetime diamond upgrade. This essentially allows you to buy a less expensive ring now and upgrade to a more expensive one at a later by trading in the original ring
• Free lifetime warranty
• Flexible payment options

Final Thoughts

If you want to ensure that the diamonds you buy as the most ethical possible you will likely find that Brilliant Earth is the place for you. They commit to helping protect diamond workers but also the environment while still offering top quality gemstones.

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