Brilliant Earth Review: Pros and Cons
Brilliant Earth is known for their ethically-sourced diamonds. But is the price worth it? Read our full review.
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Search for Beyond Conflict-Free Diamonds | |||
Overall Score | 4.6 | ||
Price | 4.0 | ||
Selection | 4.0 | ||
Photos | 4.5 | ||
Customer Service | 5.0 | ||
Social Responsibility | 5.0 | ||
Unique | 5.0 | ||
Pros and Cons
- Beyond conflict-free philosophy
- Lab-created diamonds
- Unique setting styles
- Can be higher priced than competitors
Bottom Line
Good online retailer for socially-responsible diamonds and rings
Is Brilliant Earth Good?
Since 2005, Brilliant Earth has been the clear-cut leading jeweler for ethical diamonds and jewelry. Everything Brilliant Earth offers, down to the packaging, is responsibly sourced.
But because of their claim for high ethical standards, many of the diamonds are sold at a premium. But some question whether that premium is justified.
We're here to give you the low-down on Brilliant Earth.
Will this store match your ethical beliefs and offer a diamond at a good value?
In this review, you'll learn:
- Who Brilliant Earth is Best For
- Pros & Cons
- Beyond Conflict-Free Philosophy
- Brilliant Earth Transparency
- Brilliant Earth Products
- Free Virtual Appointments
- Buying Process Online
- Buying Process in Person
- Returns / Resize / Warranty
- Downsides
- Charitable Giving
- How it Compares
Who Brilliant Earth Is Best For
- If you're socially conscious. Brilliant Earth's diamonds come from ethical mines without human rights abuses. It has a strong social mission to give back to diamond mining communities.
- If you're looking for lab-created diamonds. Brilliant Earth has a large selection of lab diamonds that cost up to 60% less than natural diamonds.
- If you love vintage settings. Brilliant Earth has a huge collection of beautiful vintage rings. It has both one-of-a-kind antiques and vintage-inspired settings.
Brilliant Earth is a reputable wedding and engagement ring designer and supplier. They are based in San Francisco, CA. The designers use only diamonds that have been sourced ethically and metals that have been recycled to make their pieces. They create responsibly sourced jewelry.
Pros & Cons
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| © CreditDonkey |
PROS:
- Ethically sourced diamonds and gemstones
- Selection of lab-created diamonds
- Socially responsible metal and ring boxes
- Beautiful and unique settings
- Free 1-on-1 virtual appointments
- Social mission to give back to mining communities
- 30-day free returns
- Lifetime warranty
CONS:
- Pricing may be slightly higher than other online retailers
- No price match guarantee
- No free shipping to every country
We'll get into more detail below. But first, let's highlight the current Brilliant Earth promotions and perks.
Brilliant Earth Promotions
Brilliant Earth Philosophy
In 2003, the Kimberley Process was established to stop the trade of conflict diamonds. But Brilliant Earth's philosophy goes even beyond those standards.
Conflict-free merely means diamonds that have not been used to fund civil wars. But there are still other ethical concerns. Diamond mines often have unsafe working conditions and unfair wages.
Brilliant Earth's mission is to only source diamonds that:
- Were not used to fund civil wars
- Are clean of human rights abuses
- Come from mines that pay fair wages
- Come from mines with safe labor practices
- Are mined with the least environmental impact
Brilliant Earth appeals to the socially conscious shopper. Compared to other online retailers, it may not offer the absolute lowest prices on diamonds. But you can feel good about your purchase, and that may be worth the few extra hundred bucks for you.
All diamonds come with a certificate of origin, showing that they have been ethically sourced.
Brilliant Earth Transparency
Brilliant Earth is one of the first jewelers to use cutting edge blockchain technology to track the diamond's journey from the mine to a final polished diamond.
There are now over 100,000 blockchain-enabled diamonds. You can browse through Brilliant Earth's blockchain diamonds and click on a diamond to see its unique journey.
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In 2016, Brilliant Earth also employed a neutral independent auditor - SCS Global Services - to conduct an audit of their tracking protocol. This company performs third-party evaluation of environmental, social, and quality claims.
SCS has reported that Brilliant Earth's suppliers are in conformance to the custody protocol, and that the diamonds can be verified to their origin. This should give buyers more confidence in their purchase.
Brilliant Earth Products
Now let's go over what you'll find at Brilliant Earth.
Ethically Mined Loose Diamonds
Brilliant Earth offers 3 main types of mined diamonds:
- Canadian Diamonds: Canada is the leading country of responsible mining. These diamonds are about as close to ethically sourced as you can get. The mines have high safety standards and workers are given fair wages and benefits. In addition, the Canadian government imposes very strict regulations to protect the environment and wildlife.
- Botswana Sort: These mines follow international labor and environmental standards. Diamond mining has made Botswana one of the wealthiest African countries, and revenue is reinvested into education, infrastructure, and healthcare for the people.
- Recycled Diamonds: Recycled diamonds are those that were previously purchased. Repurposing diamonds means less new mining and perpetuating ongoing abuses in the industry.
Lab-Created Diamonds
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| © CreditDonkey |
Brilliant Earth also has a large selection of lab-created diamonds. These are real diamonds identical in every way to naturally mined diamonds. They're just made in a lab.
Lab diamonds are environmentally friendly. They're also made in safe working environments with fair wages. And another huge plus - they cost a lot less. Brilliant Earth's lab diamonds cost as much as 75% less than a similar mined diamond.
Always wanted a pink or blue diamond? Brilliant Earth also has lab-created colored diamonds. Naturally colored diamonds are super expensive and rare. Lab-grown colored diamonds have the same beauty at much lower prices.
Yes. Lab diamonds contain the same chemical properties as naturally mined diamonds. Even expert gemologists can't differentiate between the two. Brilliant Earth's lab-created diamonds are conflict-free and environmentally sustainable, and cost about 60% less than natural ones.
Colored Gemstones
The company also sells ethically mined colored gemstones. These stones are very popular and provide customers with a variety of colors and options.
Brilliant Earth has a great selection of colored gemstone collections from Moyo Gems and Virtu Gems. This is a more affordable option if you're looking for an alternative to a traditional diamond.
Buying gemstones is a great option if you want to customize and make your own engagement ring design. These unique gemstones allow you to express your own individuality and style.
Socially Responsible Metal
Brilliant Earth doesn't stop with ethical stones. All their gold and silver jewelry have been recycled from old jewelry or industrial and electrical products.
The process of mining metals can be very environmentally harmful. Brilliant Earth makes use of metals that already exist in the market. This reduces the need to mine new metals.
All the metals Brilliant Earth uses are pure. You don't have to worry about receiving a lower quality of metal by going in this direction.
Unique and Beautiful Settings
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Brilliant Earth has beautiful rings that stand out from other jewelers. They specialize in vintage-inspired and nature-inspired designs.
Just about all the rings can be made in:
- 18k white gold
- 18k yellow gold
- 14k rose gold
- Platinum
They also have a selection of one-of-a-kind antique jewelry if you want something truly unique.
If you can't find a ring you like, you can work with the company's designers to create your own.
Eco-Friendly Packaging
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| via Brilliant Earth |
Brilliant Earth aims to be as sustainable as possible - even down to the ring box and shipping packaging,
The elegant ring boxes are made from responsibly sourced natural wood. The shipping packaging has been redesigned to decrease paper packaging use.
All the packaging are FSC Certified, which ensures that the materials come from responsibly managed forests.
Customer Service
Brilliant Earth offer excellent customer service. You can reach reps 24/7 via phone, email, and live chat.
The really outstanding thing is that Brilliant Earth offers complimentary 1-on-1 virtual appointments. You get a private 50-min Zoom appointment with a jewelry specialist.
The session is completely personalized, so you can ask anything about jewelry, the 4Cs, and gemstone education. There is no pressure to buy.
Light Performance Upon Request
For any diamond, you can for their Idealscope and ASET images. These images show the light performance of a diamond by mapping out areas of light return and light leakage.
Having this gives you greater confidence in your purchase. It's scary to buy a diamond blind. But with this data, you'll get a good idea of how sparkly it will be.
Just contact Brilliant Earth by live chat, email, or phone to ask for a diamond's light performance images. They can also help you read these images so you understand what you're looking at.
Buying Process Online
If you prefer to shop online, Brilliant Earth delivers a pleasing experience. The website is easy to navigate. It's well organized by category and has a good search function. It's easy to find the exact specs you want using the filters.
The advanced filter settings let you search for the factors important to you, such as blockchain diamonds, country of origin, and diamond report.
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As you go through the list of results, you can see a preview of the diamonds before clicking through to the individual pages.
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Brilliant Earth has recently stepped up their photo game too. Now, over 80% of the diamonds on their sites have a real photo and/or 360-degree video. This allows you to see a magnified photo of the actual stone. You'll be able to see any flaws on the diamond. So you can look for cheaper eye-clean diamonds.
Here's what Brilliant Earth's videos look like:
| via Brilliant Earth |
Being able to "see" the diamond is important on such a huge item. You can have more confidence in your purchase.
Another pretty cool feature is the skin tone slider. This is especially helpful if you're not sure which color metal looks best for your skin tone.
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Virtual Ring Try On
If you don't live near a Brilliant Earth showroom, you can virtually try on rings from your smartphone.
To access this feature, just go to brilliantearth.com on your phone's web browser. Find rings you like and click on the "Virtual Try On" button under the image. Then just upload or take a photo of your hand to try on the ring.
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You can select different diamond shapes, sizes, and metal color to see what looks best on your finger.
Buying Process in Person
Brilliant Earth does have 40 showrooms in America. If you want to visit one, you'll want to make an appointment. A sales associate will take you through the inventory of rings.
You can create a ring with their stones and settings. Or you can bring in your own rings to melt down and be remade into a newly designed ring. The stores also sell vintage rings.
You won't feel short on options when you shop at a Brilliant Earth store. The company may have a smaller selection than other jewelers, but they have a lot of unique rings. You'll have plenty of options to see.
Returns, Warranty, and Other Policies
- Free shipping. Your purchase will be shipped to you for free. Returns within 30 days can be sent back for free too. This is for all U.S., Canada, UK, and Australia orders. [1]
- 30-day free return. If you're not happy with your purchase for whatever reason, you can get a full refund within 30 days, as long as it meets the eligibility criteria.[2]
- 60-day free resizing. Brilliant Earth offers one free resizing. But some styles cannot be resized. Custom or engraved rings have a resizing fee.
- Free lifetime warranty. You get free lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects. This does not include wear and tear, loss of gemstones, loss or theft.
- Lifetime diamond upgrade. At any time, you can trade in your Brilliant Earth loose diamond for 100% credit towards a new diamond. The new diamond needs to be of at least 1.5x greater value for natural diamonds, and at least 2x for lab grown diamonds.[3] This does not apply for their gemstones or lab-created diamonds.
- Financing. If you're unable to pay in full, Brilliant Earth offers a 12-month interest free option, or special financial payment plans of up to 36 months.[4]You can also use a layaway plan and make monthly payments after an initial deposit.
Disadvantages of Brilliant Earth
- More expensive. Some diamonds cost more at Brilliant Earth. Generally, we've found that smaller diamonds (less than 1 carat) tend to be pricier than a diamond with the same specs at James Allen (read review). However, if you're looking for a bigger diamond (over 1 carat), then the prices are very comparable.
If you're interested in going a bit bigger, be sure to check our guides for 2 carat and 3 carat diamond rings.
- No price match guarantee. Some other online jewelers (like James Allen and Blue Nile) offer diamond price match guarantee. Brilliant Earth does not offer this, since they differentiate themselves by sourcing only ethical diamonds. So it makes sense for prices to be slightly higher.
Charitable Giving
If you're not sold on Brilliant Earth's value, perhaps you'll support its social mission.
Brilliant Earth has always supported mining communities and environmental causes. In 2021, the Brilliant Earth Foundation was launched to promote growth and support organizations around the world. Their contributions have doubled since 2020.
Some of the projects the foundation supports include:
- Partners with Moyo Gems to fund literacy trainings in rural diamond mining communities. They provide education for female artisanal gemstone miners so that they can have secondary sources of income.
- Partners with PureEarth to provide training for mercury-free mining to artisanal gold miners in Peru's rainforest. Also works to restore rainforests degraded by gold mining.
- Partners with Resolve to help restore abandoned diamond mining sites through the Peace Diamonds Restoration Initiative.
- Donates to Feeding America to fight hunger in the US.
How it Compares
Brilliant Earth vs Blue Nile:
Brilliant Earth | Blue Nile | |
|---|---|---|
Benefits and Features | ||
| Selection | Natural, lab created, and recycled diamonds. Natural diamonds are ethically-mined from Canada and Botswana. | Natural and lab created diamonds |
| Photos | Most diamonds have 360-degree HD video; Grading report | 360 degree videos for most of the diamonds; Grading report |
| Return Policy | 30 day free return policy. Brilliant Earth provides the FedEx shipping label and free return shipping on all ring, loose diamond, and loose gemstone orders. | 30-day money back guarantee. Blue Nile will send you a fully insured free shipping label via email. Items must be in their original purchase condition, including all product documentation. |
| Warranty | Lifetime warranty against on all manufacturing defects. This does not apply to Brilliant Earth's collection of estate and vintage jewelry. | Lifetime manufacturer warranty. Terms and exclusions apply. |
| Buyback | Diamond buyback program through CIRCA based on current market value. | |
| Certification | GIA, IGI, HRD, GCAL, Sustainably Rated | |
| Customer Service | 24/7 customer service via phone, email, and live chat; Free 1-on-1 virtual appointments | 24/7 customer service via phone, email, and live chat; Free 1-on-1 virtual appointment |
| Packaging | Eco-friendly ring boxes made from responsibly sourced natural wood; All packaging are FSC Certified (materials come from responsibly managed forests) | Silvery-white presentation box containing diamond certification and documents. Ring box is an elegant light grey fabric covered box |
| Price Match | ||
| Resizing | 1 free ring resizing within 60 days of purchase for US, Canada, UK, and Australia customers. Free shipping both ways. Custom and engraved rings are subject to resize fees. Eternity rings cannot be resized. | Blue Nile provides complimentary resizing to most engagement rings and wedding bands when within the manufacturer's recommended sizing range, during the first year. |
| Upgrade Policy | Get 100% credit when you upgrade your loose diamond. New diamond must cost at least 1.5x more than the original diamond's value for natural diamonds, and at least 2x for lab grown diamonds. Diamond must be in saleable condition with the original grading report. Upgrades are not available for lab-created diamonds. | Lifetime diamond upgrade program on all GIA and IGI graded diamonds. You will receive credit equal to 100% of the original price toward the purchase of a new diamond. The price of your new diamond must be at least twice the price of your original diamond. Your diamond must be in its original condition with the original diamond grading report. |
| Price |   | |
| Selection | |  |
| Photos | | |
| Customer Service | | |
| Social Responsibility | | |
| Unique | | |
| Visit Site | Visit Site | |
Brilliant Earth vs James Allen:
Brilliant Earth | James Allen | |
|---|---|---|
Benefits and Features | ||
| Selection | Natural, lab created, and recycled diamonds. Natural diamonds are ethically-mined from Canada and Botswana. | Natural and lab created diamonds |
| Photos | Most diamonds have 360-degree HD video; Grading report | 360-degree HD video for all diamonds; Super zoom; Grading report |
| Return Policy | 30 day free return policy. Brilliant Earth provides the FedEx shipping label and free return shipping on all ring, loose diamond, and loose gemstone orders. | If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, you may return it in its original, unworn condition within 30 days for a full refund or exchange. Free return shipping applies to customers worldwide but is limited to three per customer. |
| Warranty | Lifetime warranty against on all manufacturing defects. This does not apply to Brilliant Earth's collection of estate and vintage jewelry. | James Allen warrant that all items will be free from any manufacturing defects at time of delivery. James Allen will repair and maintain your jewelry for a lifetime. Lifetime warranty offers free prong tightening, re-polishing, rhodium plating and cleaning services. |
| Buyback | ||
| Certification | GIA, IGI, HRD, GCAL, Sustainably Rated | |
| Customer Service | 24/7 customer service via phone, email, and live chat; Free 1-on-1 virtual appointments | 24/7 customer service via phone, email, and live chat; Free instant real-time diamond inspection |
| Packaging | Eco-friendly ring boxes made from responsibly sourced natural wood; All packaging are FSC Certified (materials come from responsibly managed forests) | Large elegant white and silver presentation box with pull-out drawer containing diamond documents and cleaning cloth; Ring box is a glossy red plastic lacquered box. |
| Price Match | Yes; if accepted, the price will be honored for 48 hours. | |
| Resizing | 1 free ring resizing within 60 days of purchase for US, Canada, UK, and Australia customers. Free shipping both ways. Custom and engraved rings are subject to resize fees. Eternity rings cannot be resized. | All engagement rings and wedding bands, excluding eternity bands and alternative metals, may be resized once for free within the first year of purchase. |
| Upgrade Policy | Get 100% credit when you upgrade your loose diamond. New diamond must cost at least 1.5x more than the original diamond's value for natural diamonds, and at least 2x for lab grown diamonds. Diamond must be in saleable condition with the original grading report. Upgrades are not available for lab-created diamonds. | Any loose diamond purchased from James Allen can be exchanged at 100% credit for any replacement diamond of at least 2X or greater value. The diamond that is being upgraded must be in original condition and accompanied by the original laboratory grading document. |
| Price | | |
| Selection | | |
| Photos | | |
| Customer Service | | |
| Social Responsibility | | |
| Unique | | |
| Visit Site | Visit Site | |
Bottom Line
Brilliant Earth has a great philosophy of going beyond just conflict-free. We really appreciate their mission. We also love their commitment to help mining communities and the environment.
Generally, the value is good for socially-responsible diamonds. Larger diamonds have very comparable prices with other online jewelers. However, smaller diamonds tend to be more expensive.
Brilliant Earth does have a large selection of lab-grown diamonds. If you want an ethical diamond at a lower price point, we highly recommend looking into that.
One thing for sure though, is that Brilliant Earth does offer gorgeous, unique settings. That too, may sway your decision.
References
- ^ Brilliant Earth.Free Shipping Both Ways With FedEx, Retrieved 10/13/2024
- ^ Brilliant Earth. Return & Exchange Policy, Retrieved 10/13/2024
- ^ Brilliant Earth.Free Lifetime Diamond Upgrade, Retrieved 10/13/2024
- ^ Brilliant Earth. Jewelry Financing Terms & Conditions, Retrieved 10/13/2024
Search for Beyond Conflict-Free Diamonds
Shop for diamonds at Brilliant Earth, a CreditDonkey recommended partner for socially-responsible diamonds.
Write to Kyle Schurman at feedback@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.
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