Brilliant Earth Review: The Brand that Redefined Conflict Free Diamonds

This guide aims to provide comprehensive information to assist consumers in making informed purchase decisions. We carefully analyze every diamond jewelry and diamond engagement ring retailer to deliver the best advice on how to optimize value and where to get the most for your money. Our goal is to organize and present all the things that consumers should know before buying. We writes these articles personally (never with AI) and we update them regularly based upon our understanding only an insider would know. Our Editor has spent four decades as a global leader in the diamond jewelry industry having led six wholesale and retail jewelry companies, been a select client of DeBeers and a pioneer in the birth of lab grown diamonds. His family has been in the diamond business for over a century.

Purchasing a diamond or diamond engagement ring is a significant investment and can be intimidating and even frightening. Consumers often worry about making informed decisions and finding trustworthy retailers. When purchasing a product with which one is unfamiliar, it is important to invest the time to get educated on both the product, and the sellers of that product. A diamond engagement ring will symbolize a lifetime commitment and is a permanent display to friends, family and colleagues. The diamond, ring design, quality and the craftsmanship must meet or exceed all expectations. All data referenced in these reviews are as of the date of the review, we are not responsible for updating information as prices change constantly. Also, we are not compensated to write these reviews as they are independent of any given retailer or brand.

Summary of Findings

Brilliant Earth was one of the very first diamond engagement ring jewelers to make the ethical sourcing of diamonds their guiding principle. At the same time they became the jewelry industry’s leader in innovative style and the art of design for fashion, wedding band and diamond engagement ring jewelry. They are the only major diamond retailer founded by a woman. Her vision and influence distinguish the brand from all others in its focus on ethical sourcing and design first.

Pros

• Beyond Conflict Free Diamonds: highest standard in the industry

• Largest selection of certified lab grown diamonds: nearly 400,000

• Largest selection of non-diamond gemstones anywhere: 23,531

• Curated natural diamond selection of better color and quality only

• Design driven culture of innovation, luxury and creativity

• 41 showrooms, nationwide, in 20 states and D.C.

• Upscale craftsmanship and impeccable manufacturing quality

• 24/7 customer service

• Best lifetime natural diamond trade up policy

• Best resizing post purchase policy

• Excellent return and warranty policy

Cons

• The enormous number of diamonds and designs may be overwhelming

• Lower color and quality certified natural diamonds are not offered

• As a publicly traded company, there may be additional influences on their growth and profitability based on the results of their business performance relative to the expectations they have set for shareholders

Brilliant Earth Overview

Brilliant Earth Review 2025: Leading Ethically Sourced Online Jeweler for Natural and Lab Grown Diamonds, Diamond Engagement Rings, Wedding Bands and Jewelry

This in-depth review of Brilliant Earth, examines and evaluates its history as an industry pioneer in ethical sourcing, quality and cutting edge design. We will discuss its unique positioning as the premium luxury brand of online jewelers that has made it the fastest growing jewelry company in America and why it remains a top choice for diamonds, jewelry and diamond engagement rings.

Introduction to the Brilliant Earth Brand

Brilliant Earth was founded in 2005 by two business school students who were deeply dissatisfied with their experience shopping for diamond engagement rings. Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg wanted wedding rings that respected the values of their generation and an honest and open process that educated them on diamonds so they could make their own choices. They experienced a process that lacked all transparency in sourcing and the well known ethical transgressions of ‘blood diamonds’ and a culture of pushing customers to buy whatever diamond engagement ring stores owned. They set out to create a company that educated consumers on ethical diamonds and then let them design their own engagement rings from thousands of possible ring styles and hundreds of thousands of conflict free diamonds.

Brilliant Earth's Brand Heritage, Background and Evolution

Brilliant Earth, only twenty years old at the time of this review, is the second largest middle market diamond, diamond engagement ring and jewelry retailer in America. They are at the same time the nation’s largest independent online diamond jewelry retailer. Brilliant Earth went public on September 23, 2001 with reported annual 2020 sales of $251. In their most recent statement of annual sales, fiscal year 2023, they reported sales of $446m, a staggering 77% growth.

Some of the brand’s growth may be attributed to their early adoption of lab grown diamonds as a legitimate alternative to mined. True to their culture of perpetual innovation, Brilliant Earth was the first major diamond and diamond engagement ring retailer to offer lab grown diamonds way back in 2012. Lab grown diamonds did not begin to appear on any other major online retailer until 2019.

Brilliant Earth’s designs and styles are not merely on trend–they set trends. We believe much of this may be attributed to the vision and leadership of Co-Founder and CEO Beth Gerstein. As the only major retail jeweler founded by a woman, the brand seems to have an intuitive and now institutionalized understanding of the evolving stylistic and shopping preferences of women. From our experience no less than 88% of all jewelry is worn by women and nearly 100% of diamond engagement rings. Increasingly the process of choosing a diamond engagement ring, though made jointly by a couple, is still worn by women.

Of the three largest retail middle market jewelers in America, the largest is part of a $7bn conglomerate and the third largest is owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway. Both were founded by men long retired or long gone. Brilliant Earth stands apart as the only founder owned and founder run jeweler, a jeweler for a new generation with a mission: to disrupt the industry and drive it forward. Mission accomplished.

Brilliant Earth Product Range and Quality

Brilliant Earth Diamonds

Most reputable jewelers comply with the Kimberley Process, the global protocol created by the diamond trade to stop the mining and the sale of conflict diamonds. And most are also members of the Responsible Jewelry Council. Brilliant Earth founders Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg found both of these to be a good start, but insufficient to satisfy the values and ethics of their generation. Conflict-free diamonds is a loose and very porous definition that omits many kinds of oppression. As Founders in their twenties often do, they set out to disrupt the status quo. As the late Robert F. Kennedy Senior once framed it "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"

Our Editor spent years in the mined diamond business but left in part as he learned more about the legacy of mined diamonds and the many loopholes within the Kimberly Process. His early involvement in lab grown diamonds was largely driven as an effort at personal redemption. He believes that in our efforts to perpetually improve the enforcement of conflict free diamond mining and trading we must be ever vigilant and relentless. The Kimberly Process was established in 2003 and the Responsible Jewelry Council was founded in 2005. As an industry, little if anything more has been done in the ensuing decades. The exception is the Beyond Conflict Free Diamonds, recycled gold and support for nascent and ongoing sustainable initiatives that distinguish Brilliant Earth.

It is essential that a consumer come to understand the difference between price and value when buying a diamond. All four C’s (color, clarity, cut and carat size – see our section on certification below) impact the price of a diamond and must be considered before determining value. Quality of craftsmanship is also critical. Integrity and trustworthiness of the jeweler, however, are of paramount concern when spending thousands of dollars buying a diamond. As a buyer, you can be confident that Brilliant Earth’s diamonds are conflict free, by a far stricter definition of ‘conflict’, than any other diamond jeweler. They assert that only 1% of the world’s diamonds meet their standards. For customers who seek even further assurance, they alone among major online jewelers offer Blockchain natural diamonds. All of Brilliant Earth’s diamonds are carefully curated for best gemological laboratory certification and best of all four C’s. Our Editor has spent time with the Founders of Brilliant Earth and can personally certify them as authentic in their ongoing dedication to lead the diamond jewelry industry to a future that is better for producers, sellers and the earth we share.

Brilliant Earth's Natural Diamonds

We appreciate and respect that unlike most other online jewelers, but like most guild or luxury stores, Brilliant Earth will not offer for sale a mined diamond of lower color or clarity than J SI2. We do recommend this as the minimum color and clarity a shopper should consider and Brilliant Earth does customers a great service by completely curating inferior diamonds out of their offering. Further testament to their positioning as an premium luxury brand is that the vast majority, ( 87%) of the natural diamonds offered for sale are ideal cut according to their standards. Finally nearly every single mined diamond (97%) of the natural diamonds offered for sale by Brilliant Earth are certified by the GIA. This is of great help to consumers because they can comfortably look at any diamond on their site and trust that Brilliant Earth has curated their offering to the very top colors, qualities, cut and certification.

The GIA is not only the oldest and most respected gemological laboratory in the world, but they are also a nonprofit organization and a school. It is quite telling that their URL is not GIA.com, but rather GIA.edu. The GIA invented the 4c’s system of diamond grading and their website is among the very best resources by which a consumer can educate themselves on mined diamonds.

Diamond certification by smaller and for profit gemological laboratories like the IGI or HRD is less expensive than the GIA, but does not carry the same authority. By offering consumers GIA certified natural diamonds, Brilliant Earth is making clear that it is a jeweler that prioritizes quality and luxury. Brilliant Earth is a brand for the customer who wants to buy the best.

But Brilliant Earth goes a step further than any other diamond jeweler by also disclosing the provenance of every diamond and allowing customers to select their diamond according to the country of origin.

This is part of the Beyond Conflict Free Diamond, standards that surpass those of the Kimberley Process and that exceed those of all other jewelers surveyed.

For diamond shoppers who seek even further assurance of the conflict free provenance of their diamond, Brilliant Earth is the only diamond jeweler retailer surveyed that can satisfy their requirements, because Brilliant Earth offers more than 6,000 blockchain enabled diamonds like this 2.03ct pear shape:

And for the consumer to whom sustainability is important, Brilliant Earth again sets a standard of transparency by disclosing specifics about the cutting and polishing factory of an individual diamond. Here are a few examples:

While other online jewelers clutter their site with many diamonds of lower quality, we believe shoppers will appreciate how Brilliant Earth makes the shopping experience much easier by curating a selection of only the very best diamonds. We also like that many of the diamonds on Brilliant Earth are both blockchain enabled and screened for sustainable practices in their cutting and polishing. The diamond experts at Brilliant Earth are very careful, methodical and strict in ensuring that only the best, the most sustainably manufactured, beyond conflict free diamonds are allowed for sale on their site or in their showrooms.

Drawing on over four decades of experience, our Co-Founder deeply admires Brilliant Earth’s sincere and authentic commitment to improving the standards for conflict free diamonds. The spirit that inspired these two young entrepreneurs with no prior ties to the worlds of diamonds or jewelry, to innovate, disrupt and revolutionize the retailing of diamonds and diamond engagement rings have given consumers one of the very best places to shop. At the same time their brand positioning as an premium luxury brand is extended to everything they do–from the diamonds they curate to the services they offer. Brilliant Earth’s natural diamonds are evaluated not only by the industry’s most respected grading authority, the GIA, –known for its strict standards in assessing the 4C’s, cut, color, clarity and carat weight –but that also meet the rigorous ethical and luxury quality standards of their gemologists.

A Brilliant Earth diamond engagement ring box is a declaration of love but also a declaration of the shared values of a bride and her partner. As the second largest diamond jeweler in the United States, Brilliant Earth is a recognized luxury brand by discerning buyers and brides. When opened, customers behold a diamond that sparkles with explosive brilliance and uncompromised ethics.

Summary of Brilliant Earth natural diamonds:

• Beyond Conflict Free Diamonds: highest standard in the industry

• Curated selection for best color, quality, cut and certification

• 97% are GIA-certified

• 87% are Ideal cut

• Blockchain enabled diamonds: not available on other websites

• Sustainable diamond standards for all diamonds

Brilliant Earth's Lab Grown Diamonds

Brilliant Earth was one of the first major diamond jewelry retailers to offer lab grown diamonds and they remain leaders in the space. There are many more lab grown diamonds available on Brilliant Earth than any of the other major online brands.

Because of the much lower price of lab grown diamonds, Brilliant Earth saves consumers money by using certificates from the International Gemological Institute, IGI, for virtually all of their lab grown diamonds. We agree with this decision because the cost for certification from the IGI is markedly less than the GIA. A GIA certificate could increase a diamond shopper’s cost of a lab grown diamond by a double digit percentage.

Brilliant Earth does an amazing job of curating their lab grown diamond selection for their customers. Of all the lab grown diamonds observed on Brilliant Earth 315, 983 are “colorless”, meaning the top three colors D, E and F. And nearly every “colorless” lab grown diamond offered for sale on Brilliant is both VS2 or better, a very high clarity and of Ideal cut, the very best cut.

Our Editor was an early pioneer in the validation and acceptance of lab grown diamonds in 2017. Over the last eight years, the technology for growing gem quality diamonds has improved, expanded and consolidated in the low cost centers of India. This has resulted in the price of lab grown diamonds coming down enormously. Because the cost of lab grown diamonds have corrected so much, we strongly advise consumers to only consider buying the topmost qualities, with 1 carat, F VS2, ideal cut as the minimum carat, color and clarity (more on this later). Brilliant Earth simplifies the shopping for a lab grown diamond by curating and limiting their assortment to what is best for consumers. We appreciate Brilliant Earth doing the work for consumers by selecting the lab grown diamonds available on their site to what is best for consumers.

We also appreciate that Brilliant Earth does not needlessly clutter their site with smaller sizes of lab grown diamonds, which would only serve to confuse diamond shoppers.

With an ideal cut certified 1.00ct D VS2 round lab grown diamond selling for $700, a 1.50ct selling for $1310 and a 2.00ct selling for $2,390 we believe consumers should not consider anything less than a full 1 carat certified diamond when buying a lab grown diamond from Brilliant Earth.

Brilliant Earth is serious in their commitment to transparency and to giving consumers choices that align with their personal values. For the consumer for whom environmental concerns are paramount they offer thousands of specially certified lab grown diamonds. These include more than 7,000 that are independently certified as having been produced with 100% renewable energy.

These diamonds come with a Certificate of Sustainability like the one pictured below.

Brilliant Earth has something for everyone, no matter your budget, taste and level of environmental concern. They have by far the largest lab grown diamond assortment of any major online jeweler. And they alone offer specially certified diamonds for the consumer particularly conscious of the environment and sustainability. We can’t imagine a lab grown diamond a consumer might want that is not available on Brilliant Earth.

Brilliant Earth's Diamond Pricing and Value

Brilliant Earth Value

Whether you are buying natural or lab grown diamonds, the quality, reputation and broad consumer recognition of Brilliant Earth as an premium luxury brand with an environmental conscience sets them apart from all other jewelers, on or off line. In a side by side comparison with the other two major online diamond retailers, Brilliant Earth’s natural diamond prices were similar or within a few points, in the categories we surveyed. Their trade up policy for natural diamonds was however far better than any other in our survey group ( see detailed analysis below). Their lab grown diamond selection was the lowest price and best value in many categories surveyed.

As a digital first, online diamond jewelry company, the prices of Brilliant Earth’s diamonds are a fraction of what a consumer would pay in a traditional store. But unlike any other major online jeweler, you still can see the diamond or diamonds of your choosing in one of their 41 regional showrooms. Many consumers still may prefer to examine what will become a family heirloom in a showroom where they can privately meet with a trained diamond consultant. Couples are increasingly shopping together for diamonds and diamond engagement rings. Many of these couples prefer to examine, learn and choose the symbol of their bond together in the private surroundings of a Brilliant Earth store.

In addition to Brilliant Earth’s unique ability among online jewelers to show diamonds in a private showroom, their aftercare is also everything you would expect from a luxury diamond engagement ring brand. A customer has 30 days to return any purchase for a full refund and Brilliant Earth will pay the return shipping. Their lifetime trade up policy for natural diamonds asks a buyer to purchase a diamond of 1 ½ times the value of their original purchase, whereas the others surveyed require 2 times the original amount. This makes it far easier for a consumer to upgrade should they ever wish to have a larger or better quality diamond. The Brilliant Earth lifetime manufacturer’s warranty is equal to or better than our survey group ( see detailed analysis below). Most of all when a consumer chooses to purchase a diamond, diamond engagement ring or fine jewelry from Brilliant Earth they know they are buying from the company that does more than any other brand ever has to limit the environmental impact and ethical lapses of the diamond world. Our Editor has had many interactions with Brilliant Earth’s Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Eric Grossberg. He is delighted to go on record in support of Eric as sincere in his decades long dedication to building a socially-responsible and environmentally-friendly fine jewelry company. He knows the company well and is confident Brilliant Earth has the means to source their diamonds more ethically than others, deliver them at market-beating prices to consumers worldwide, and the staying power to be in business while others come and go.

Brilliant Earth Natural Diamond Price Comparison

When we compared the price of a J Si1, Ideal cut GIA certified, 1ct diamond Brilliant Earth was the same or better price as the other two major online brands, but offered so much more value. The Brilliant Earth diamond was the only one that was blockchain enhanced.

We know that some natural diamond shoppers may prefer to select a smaller diamond of a higher color and clarity but smaller carat weight. So we next surveyed D VS2 GIA certified .75ct diamonds that were ideal cut and had no fluorescence. Again, Brilliant Earth was able to provide the best price.

Brilliant Earth Lab Grown Diamond Price Comparison

In our survey of the largest three online retailers of diamonds, we compared the prices on many categories and in several we found that Brilliant Earth had the lowest price, and in some cases by a significant amount.

Brilliant Earth offers incredible value for consumers seeking a diamond, diamond engagement ring or jewelry. Their pricing is often the best and the other services they offer combine to make them one of the very places to shop.

Brilliant Earth's Diamond Buying Experience

Brilliant Earth's Website Usability and User Experience

Being able to navigate a website with 400,000 diamonds and filter the ones a shopper wants to explore requires fast, first rate technology that works on your phone as well as it does on your laptop. Brilliant Earth’s cutting edge technology does both and their user experience is designed to be intuitive.

Whether in a store or online, a careful consumer will want to closely examine and compare many different diamonds. Brilliant Earth offers 360 degree unique videos for nearly all their diamonds. We believe their viewing and comparing system is vastly superior to what is available in traditional jewelry stores. Because of Brilliant Earth’s many showrooms, however, consumers can have the best of both.

In a traditional store consumers might get to compare a few diamonds, and not the diamonds they choose but the diamonds the store already has and wants to sell. Sometimes a shopper might even be handed a 10x magnifying glass or loupe with which to examine the diamond. Looking at a diamond through a 10 x loupe is a specialized skill. It can take weeks of training to begin to understand how to even hold and position it. Knowing how and what to look for takes many months and evolves over a lifetime. With the loupe in one hand you are also expected to hold the diamond in a specialized, nearly 7 inch tweezer in the other hand.

If a shopper can manage a brief glimpse of a diamond this way–which is doubtful–, they are only able to view each diamond one at a time, preventing them from actually comparing side by side. On rare occasions a store might have a stereo microscope like this:

Under special LED white lighting meant to enhance the apparent color and sparkle, a buyer is shown one diamond at a time, and seldom at full magnification. Moreover, the prospective buyer is only able to view the top of the diamond and not the sides and bottom.

The Brilliant Earth video diamond imaging system magnifies every diamond 10x-30x and allows a buyer to view top, bottom and sides. This is a significant leap beyond the10x top only magnification you might get in a traditional store. Through this technology a buyer is afforded a detailed inspection of all the diamond’s facets, top and bottom. As importantly, it also reduces the risk of misrepresentation, a common concern in online purchases. We like that Brilliant Earth can display actual diamonds when you search their website or just lists because it gives the buyer control of how they prefer to shop. Both ways make it easy for a shopper to compare different diamonds. In our test we were able to compare four certified diamonds simultaneously on an iPhone.

and six online diamonds simultaneously on a 15 inch MacBook pro.

We could instantly rotate the diamonds on our screen as slowly or quickly as we wanted and we could see the top, bottom and sides of every diamond. Being able to compare diamonds is the best way for a buyer to learn about diamonds and to identify the one they desire most.

We also like that each and every one of the 17 different filter options remains visible on the left side of the screen and can be scrolled up or down independently of the six diamonds on the right.

Looking at multiple diamonds at the same time on Brilliant Earth is far better than looking at a diamond under a microscope in a store. And perusing diamonds on your couch and in the privacy of your home or office is a less pressured experience. On your phone, ipad or desktop you can magnify any natural or lab grown diamond 30x and rotate it 360 degrees. The GIA, the most trusted geological laboratory in the world, certifies your diamond based upon 10x magnification. So having a technology that allows a diamond or diamond engagement ring buyer to examine any one of the hundreds of thousands of online diamonds by a magnification of 30x is clearly an advantage for the consumer. The advanced and intuitive filters of Brilliant Earth make it easy.

Brilliant Earth's Customer Service and Support

Most first time buyers do not understand how to evaluate a diamond. Brilliant Earth is staffed with experts who are available to help answer all your questions. We appreciate that these are experts trained to serve customers and answer questions, not commissioned salespeople. No consumer wants to be rushed, pushed or manipulated into making a decision. They will also aid customers in deciding between a lab grown diamond or a natural diamond.

Our Editor mystery shopped Brilliant Earth several times over the first week of March 2025. What he liked most was their willingness to let him select any four diamonds he wanted and have them mailed to a Brilliant Earth showroom for him to view.

Whether by making an in store appointment or a virtual appointment, Brilliant Earth always tries to make a personal connection with each shopper and give them the respect and attention of uninterrupted time with one of their consultants. Rather than sell you what they want, it’s all about understanding each customer's needs. What Brilliant Earth offers is really a ‘concierge’ service. Here was the questionnaire I had to fill out to schedule my virtual appointment:

Our Editor’s mystery virtual concierge appointment could not have been more refreshingly honest and informative. The woman who came on the zoom call was a GIA trained gemologist with many years of experience at Brilliant Earth, James Allen and other tier-one jewelry retailers. She was extremely knowledgeable on the 4 c’s. More importantly, she was practical in her approach to diamonds. “More money does not mean better”, and “You don’t need to go beyond your own budget”, was the guidance she shared with me early on.

She made clear how Beyond Conflict Free and Sustainable natural diamonds offered by Brilliant Earth were something not easily available elsewhere. But she was transparent in explaining that all lab grown diamonds are beyond conflict free and that was not exclusive to Brilliant Earth. This is critical for diamond shoppers. When a consultant begins with an honest review of what makes them different and what does not it is a good indication you can trust them. The consultant made clear that she is not on commission and stated that she was “neutral and try to be as unbiased as I can”.

Our Editor is of the opinion that a consumer should not buy a lab grown diamond lower than an F color. The Brilliant Earth consultant suggested that no one would be able to see the difference between an F and a G once set and mounted, which is largely correct. Her express opinion was that our Editor should strongly consider buying a less expensive G color rather than the F he liked. That is not something a customer could expect if he or she were facing a commissioned salesperson in a store.

As we closed our virtual appointment, she invited me to select any 5 diamonds I wanted to see and she would arrange a private viewing with a trained gemologist at their showroom very near me.

Consumers will ultimately make their own choice on how much or less they want to pay for color in a diamond. Having a Brilliant Earth expert to explain the pro’s and con’s of each choice is of great value. And when they advocate for saving a diamond shopper money, they certainly win our trust. Most importantly, the ‘hybrid’ online model of Brilliant Earth is probably the most user-friendly way to buy a diamond anywhere: start online to get educated and to shop and finish with a comparison of personally selected actual diamonds in person in a showroom.

At our Editor's request the Brilliant Earth consultant followed up our appointment with an email. The email merely offers more help and ways to get directly in touch, but only if I want to. She is not pushing a sale, which is very different from a traditional store experience.

In a subsequent email she sent our Editor links to the five diamonds we discussed at the appointment. If we were a real customer, we would have her arrange for them to be shipped to the Brilliant Earth showroom nearest me for a private, in person appointment with one of her colleagues. The exceptional Brilliant Earth diamond consultants are an important advantage for consumers. First, a diamond customer can take all the time he or she needs to get educated on diamonds by having this free teacher. In addition to cut, color, clarity and carat weight these experts can go deeply into the minutiae of diamond cutting like table and depth percentage. Though few if any one can detect these differences after a diamond is mounted and set, there are buyers who wish to explore this level of technical detail and Brilliant Earth’s trained gemologists experts are ready to do so. Secondly, the diamond expert can pull from any one of 450,000 different diamonds, offering a customer myriad options of every kind and at every price point and explaining the pros and cons of each. This is not something available in a store and not a service we have seen done nearly as well anywhere online. Thirdly, the Brilliant Earth diamond experts are truly “neutral”. They are there to educate a customer and help him or her find the diamond that best fits their budget and desires. They are not commissioned salespeople compelled and trained to force a sale.

Diamond Certificates and the 4 C's

The diamond will be the most expensive part of any diamond engagement ring purchase so it is important to take the time to research and learn about the 4C’s. Our Editor explains in detail how to understand the GIA 1ct Oval certificate below:

Date

The date the diamond was examined and certified by the gemologists at GIA. This is important for consumers because if a diamond is old inventory, there is probably something undesirable or substandard about it.

Report Number

This is the individual GIA certificate number unique to this diamond. It has also been microscopically laser inscribed on the side of the diamond. It does not impact the refraction or shine and will not be visible without at least 10x magnification. This is important because it can protect buyers from diamond fraud or substitution, which, though rare, is a risk when repairing a ring at an unethical jeweler. The number is also logged on the global database of GIA certificates, providing a permanent record of your diamond. This can prove very important should a consumer need to make an insurance claim and cannot locate the printed certificate received when the purchase was made.

Shape

The outline of the diamond when viewed from the top down, while the cut is defined by the pattern of the facet arrangement. Most buyers prefer a round also known as a brilliant cut diamond. Other shapes are collectively referred to as fancies. The most popular of these today are oval, pear and emerald. Historically marquise and princess cuts were also popular,

Measurements

The diamond’s dimensions are in millimeters. For a round diamond it is the minimum and maximum diameter and the depth. Non round diamonds will use the length, width and depth. This is important information a buyer should learn and understand as these impact the brightness, fire or light of the diamond.

Carat Weight

The weight as measured in carats to the nearest 1/100th of a carat. A carat is equal to 0.2grams.

Color

Describes the degree to which a yellow hue is present. Color is graded on a scale from D-Z though most gem quality diamonds are within the D-J colors. D is the whitest and by K even an untrained eye can detect the yellow hue. This will be an important consideration for buyers as prices of a D color will be higher than a J, particularly for a natural diamond. The tradeoff a consumer will often have to make is between color and carat weight.

Clarity

Describes the degree to which natural inclusions or blemishes are visible under 10x magnification.

Cut

Determines the light reflecting properties, also known as the fire, scintillation or brilliance of the diamond’s appearance. In the opinion of our founder, cut is the most important of the 4C’s because even the finest diamond if poorly cut will not refract light optimally and thus will emit inferior fire and brilliance.

Polish

Polish describes the smoothness of a diamond's facets. A high-quality polish will leave little to no scratches and slightly optimizes for maximum brilliance.

Symmetry

Symmetry describes the degree to which a diamond's facets are mathematically aligned to emit maximum light. A symmetrical diamond emits high levels of fire and brilliance.

Fluorescence

Fluorescence causes diamonds to emit a soft, bluish glow when exposed to UV light. The Fluorescence grade describes the color, and strength of color when a diamond is graded under UV light. The founder prefers diamonds with no fluorescence.

Conclusion on Brilliant Earth Diamonds

Brilliant Earth is the premium luxury online jeweler of choice. They are distinguished from all other online jewelers because they have by far the most showrooms, 41, across the country. Some diamond or diamond engagement ring shoppers prefer shopping in a store or knowing there is a store nearby, just in case. Whatever your preference, Brilliant Earth makes it easy to shop for the right diamond or diamond engagement ring in the quality and design you want and at a price that fits your budget.

Brilliant Earth is a values driven company. They have successfully disrupted the centuries-old diamond business–and made it better. Their focus on the environmental and human impact of mining, cutting and polishing of diamonds is both innovative and sincere. More than any other diamond retailer, they aspire to be as transparent with consumers as is possible.

Brilliant Earth were first among the leading online jewelers to embrace lab grown diamonds. And whereas those competitors count their lab grown offering in tens of thousands of diamonds, Brilliant Earth counts in hundreds of thousands, and have more than 8 times as many from which a consumer can choose.

Brilliant Earth offers a customized, concierge style personal shopping experience for every diamond buyer. They offer three personalized diamond shopping experiences: online, by virtual appointment or in person. In all cases the information, education and ease of shopping they offer is born of a deep understanding of the 4C’s of diamond quality and their environmental and ethical focus. Every diamond they offer for sale is further testimony to the dedication to luxury and environmental consciousness that has always defined the brand.

Each diamond is independently certified. Many are evaluated for sustainable manufacturing practices and further certified for being blockchain enabled. Brilliant Earth provides lifetime warranties on all diamond engagement rings and jewelry for manufacturer’s defects. Their trade up policy for natural diamonds is better than all others in the survey group. Their highly personal, pre-purchase educational process is unrivalled. Post purchase they match or exceed the services, warranties and trade up of all others on our survey group.

Brilliant Earth Diamond Engagement Rings

Brilliant Earth has one of the most extensive and beautifully designed diamond engagement assortment of designs available anywhere. The breadth and the sheer variety of unique and innovative collections and designs available on their site is astounding. And the manufacturing quality and craftsmanship of their rings meets or exceeds the very high standards of our Editor by all criteria. Brilliant Earth’s intuitive and user friendly unique filtering technology makes it easy for couples shopping for a diamond engagement ring to explore and discover the perfect design to forever symbolize their love:

Brilliant Earth’s quality control of the manufacture of their diamond engagement rings is legendary for it’s strictness.Though Brilliant Earth makes fine jewelry all over the world, including factories in the United States, India, Thailand and China, they directly employ rigorous quality control officers to carefully and thoroughly inspect every diamond engagement ring. This is important because consumers want their diamond engagement ring to come in right the first time. Sometimes ring sizes do need to be adjusted and Brilliant Earth handles all of this at no cost including round trip shipping. Their 60 day free resizing policy is the very best, with most others only offering 30 days. The quality, service and jewelry manufacturing capabilities of Brilliant Earth set them apart from most every jeweler online or in stores.

The breadth of the Brilliant Earth diamond engagement ring assortment should cover everything you might want. Still, they go a step further with Collections unlike those available on any other websites. World renowned diamond engagement ring designer brand TACORI works exclusively with Brilliant Earth among all online jewelers. Our Co-Founders know from personal experience how particular the Tacorian family is about whom they allow to carry their coveted designs from their own meetings with Paul Tacorian, his sister and father. Nearly every luxury online jeweler has tried to get Tacori on their website, including our Co-Founders. In choosing Brilliant Earth alone among all others, Tacori is making a statement about the luxury positioning and commitment to quality that are elemental to the culture of both Tacori and Brilliant Earth. Their gorgeous designs include this Tacori Petite Crescent Bloom Diamond Engagement Ring:

Brilliant Earth also features myriad nature inspired unique and elegant designs in their Signature Collections like this stunning Secret Garden Lab Diamond Engagement Ring:

Brilliant Earth also has many of the classic styles that never go out of style like this Four-Prong Comfort Fit 1.5mm Engagement Ring:

Taken together with a diamond like the F VS2 1.00ct diamond mentioned above in our section on lab grown diamonds a Brilliant Earth diamond engagement ring customer need only spend $1,200 (before sales tax, if applicable) to get a scintillating, perfectly cut colorless certified diamond set in a beautifully manufactured custom made 18kt gold ring. Our Co-Founder considers this to be one of the best entry level diamond engagement ring values available anywhere. It checks all the boxes an informed and discerning consumer should want.

Brilliant Earth’s designer diamond engagement ring selection should have something to satisfy every shopper. Should a bride still be unable to find a design that satisfies her aesthetic or a couple together have an idea for a style that is both distinct and highly personal, Brilliant Earth will Custom Design any ring your heart desires.

Brilliant Earth’s quality control on the manufacture of their diamond engagement rings is legendary for it’s strictness. Though Brilliant Earth makes fine jewelry all over the world, including factories in the United States, India, Thailand and China, they directly employ rigorous quality control officers to carefully and thoroughly inspect every diamond engagement ring before it is shipped to a customer. This is important because consumers want their diamond engagement ring to come in right the first time. Sometimes ring sizes do need to be adjusted and Brilliant Earth handles all of this at no cost including round trip shipping. Their 60 day free resizing policy is the very best, with most others only offering 30 days. The quality, service and jewelry manufacturing capabilities of Brilliant Earth set them apart from most every jeweler online or in stores.

Brilliant Earth Fine Jewelry

Brilliant Earth has a vast and diverse assortment of ethically sourced jewelry in lab grown and natural diamonds. Theirs is a fully stocked diamond jewelry store with more designs, styles and options than most any online diamond jeweler or traditional jewelry store. The designs range from the most basic to cutting edge with every stop in between. The quality of the craftsmanship is excellent and mirrors the exemplary standards of their diamond engagement rings. The breadth of the assortment covers basics like diamond stud earrings, diamond tennis bracelets and anniversary rings, but the brand really distinguishes itself from all others in its unique designer collections that are both innovative and elegant.

We are particularly impressed by the graceful and nature inspired jewelry of the Jane Goodall Collection. It is some of the most delicately bold and beautiful jewelry we have seen in a long time.

The Leaf Lab Diamond Pendant picture above is an instant classic and reminiscent of the high jewelry once produced by Cartier or Tiffany. It is the perfect gift for every woman for any occasion. The entire collection is specially produced with Brilliant Earth’s Carbon Capture lab grown diamonds and recycled gold, in tribute to Dr. Goodall’s lifelong commitment to conservation and humanitarianism. And true to the values and mission of Brilliant Earth, 10% of each net purchase price of any design in the collection will be donated to the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation.

For shoppers looking for a more cutting edge, fashion forward brand, Brilliant Earth exclusively presents the Sol Collection.

The Sol Collection is perfect for the woman who wants to treat herself to something spectacular as well as the man who knows just how spectacular she is and wants to celebrate her.

We are seriously impressed by the design-first culture of Brilliant Earth. They have more new and different diamond jewelry than any other site we surveyed. Brilliant earth is an excellent place to shop for that perfect gift for any occasion.

Brilliant Earth Aftercare

Shipping

Brilliant Earth offers free FedEx shipping both ways on all orders regardless of the price of the order. Because a buyer has 30 days to return any purchase for a full refund, there is no risk in buying online before a consumer can actually see and touch the actual jewel as they might in a store. We believe this is better for consumers because the buyer can wear, examine and show others their jewelry without the pressure often associated with store salespeople.

Returns

Brilliant earth stands behind their product with an industry standard 30 day return policy offering a 100% refund, and they will pay return shipping. Because you are buying your diamond ring or jewelry sight unseen, this is really important for buyers. This takes all the risk out of an online purchase versus being in a store. More importantly a customer can wear, examine and show others her diamond engagement ring, wedding band or jewelry in their own home and under their natural light. Jewelry stores spend a fortune on the best, whitest ceiling lights. And most in-cabinet lighting is just 18 inches from the jewelry. This kind of light is entirely different from most people’s homes or normal outdoor daylight. Jewelry store lights are engineered to make all their diamonds explode with light. Better to select your diamond, diamond engagement ring or diamond jewelry in the lighting of your own home.

Warranty

Brilliant Earth offers an industry standard lifetime warranty against manufacturer's defects.

Ring Resizing

Brilliant Earth offers an industry best 60 day one time free ring resizing within the first year.

24/7 Customer Service

Having a person and not a robot on the other end of a phone call or a chat to discuss a diamond, jewelry style or the status of a purchase, repair or return distinguishes Brilliant Earth from most other jewelers. Having 41 showrooms nationwide, the most of any online jeweler, is even better.

Lifetime Trade-in

The Brilliant Earth lifetime trade in/trade up policy is the very best of the websites surveyed for natural diamonds. They ask the buyer to purchase a new diamond for 50% more than the price of the original diamond to apply 100% credit for the initial purchase.

Brilliant Earth Review Final Verdict

In conclusion, Brilliant Earth stands out as, well, a brilliant place to buy a diamond, diamond engagement ring or fine jewelry. They have the largest selection of lab grown diamonds and the most ethically sourced natural diamonds of our survey group. Their engagement ring styles are unique and feature collections not available anywhere else. Their jewelry designs are absolutely outstanding-artistic, innovative and simply beautiful. And the quality of everything they sell is excellent. The competitive pricing, innovative website technology and diamond expertise makes buying anything on Brilliant Earth easy. Their commitment to customer satisfaction is evident through comprehensive services like 24/7 support, lifetime warranty and 60 day resizing. Having 41 showrooms across the country is a feature and a benefit no other online jeweler can match. Brilliant Earth is a top choice for purchasing diamond engagement rings and jewelry.