Variety
The unique value proposition of Brilliant Earth is its pledge to “Beyond Conflict Free”. Their diamonds are claimed to adhere to five notable standards: they do not finance civil wars (conflict diamonds), they are free of human rights abuses, are environmentally responsible, mined using fair labor practices, and finally, they’re involved in community development through the mining activities.
Brilliant Earth offers 5 different categories of diamonds:
- Lab-Grown Diamonds
- DeBeers sourced diamonds purchased in Botswana
- Canadian Diamonds
- Recycled Diamonds
Lab-Grown Diamonds
Brilliant Earth’s claims regarding its “higher ethical standard” may be overstated. In any case, we know for sure (from the comparison of lab-grown diamonds) that their enormous premiums cannot be justified by those claims alone.
Botswana Diamonds
According to Brilliant Earth, when you buy a diamond from a regular vendor who hasn’t tracked the diamond’s origin, you might be buying one that was mined in an artisanal mine, which might be tainted by a human rights violation.
Purchasing a “Botswana Sort” diamond does not only alleviate that concern, but also contributes to sustainable diamond mining, which provides meaningful benefits to the local community.
While they say they audit their suppliers, we’re unsure how thorough these audits are. Additionally, they are static events in time by their very nature.
Canadian Diamonds
Diamonds from Canada are tracked from mine to store, thanks to their inscribed inscriptions. Known as CanadaMark diamonds, these diamonds are regulated by the Canadian Diamonds Code of Conduct (CDCC).
You can therefore trust that a store listing Canadian diamonds is, in most cases, correct. Strangely, though, while Brilliant Earth lists Canadian diamonds, they do not offer traceable CanadaMark diamonds.
Recycled Diamonds
There is no better way to reduce your diamond’s ethical and environmental footprint than to buy a diamond that someone else no longer wants. However, just be wary you are paying for the privilege and you could get the same quality diamond, new, from another retailer for less.
For our environmentally conscious consumers, the extra cost might be worth it to you to live by your commitment – regardless of price. From our experience, competitors will be able to offer similar claims at a lower cost.
In fact, Whiteflash run several social responsibility programs and Blue Nile also promote Ethical diamond sourcing and responsible mining.
Ease of Use
As a whole, the Brilliant Earth website offers a straightforward process and a smooth user journey. Everything is broken down clearly, and navigation is easy.
In addition to the education section, they have a helpful diamond buying guide, as well as information on their name, their mission, and conflicts around the world.
Depending on what diamond is selected, certain rings may be more expensive when combined with the ring itself. Pricing fluctuates across certain categories and depending on the type of diamond selected – nothing new here.
The diamond filtering options available through Brilliant Earth allow you to easily view and adjust search criteria to find a diamond that will fit your budget, without compromising quality.