Brilliant Earth’s Sustainable Lab Grown Diamond Jewelry Review
Brilliant Earth is an ethically sourced fine jewelry brand focusing on Beyond Conflict FreeTM diamond jewelry. Brilliant Earth is on a mission to cultivate a more ethical, transparent, and sustainable jewelry industry.
This socially responsible jewelry brand was founded in 2005 with the goal of providing consumers with a better way to buy diamonds.
The company was created in response to the devastating environmental and social impacts of the diamond industry. Since launching, Brilliant Earth has been a leader in advocating for transparency and accountability within the diamond industry.
They have raised the industry standard with ethical initiatives such as Beyond Conflict FreeTM Diamonds. While best known for their conflict-free engagement rings, Brilliant Earth has a lot more to offer when it comes to fine jewelry.
Let's explore some of their ethics, sustainable diamond offerings, and I'll share my review of Brilliant Earth lab grown diamond jewelry.
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What Does Beyond Conflict Free TM Mean?
With Brilliant Earth's Beyond Conflict FreeTM Diamonds, this socially responsible brand is taking action beyond the Kimberley Process.
While a lot of diamond retailers view the Kimberley Process as an ethics certification, this certification has a very narrow view as to what conflict diamonds are, only defining conflict diamonds as rough diamonds used to finance wars against governments.
This definition doesn't take into consideration human rights, poverty, violence, and environmental impacts from mining activities.
Brilliant Earth's mined diamonds are Kimberley Process certified, but also take into account protection against human rights abuses, supporting community development, maintaining safe labor practices, not financing rebel movements, and minimizing environmental degradation, going above and beyond the Kimberley Process.
Does Brilliant Earth Have Real Diamonds?
Yes, Brilliant Earth offers a range of ethical and sustainable diamonds including natural diamonds, lab grown diamonds, and recycled diamonds.
The variety of diamonds makes this a great choice for conscious consumers because shoppers can choose a diamond that best matches their values. Let's learn a bit more about the different types of conflict free diamonds below, so you can make the best choice for your jewelry!
Responsibly Mined Natural Diamonds
Brilliant Earth's natural mined diamonds are a better choice for anyone who still wants a natural diamond, but is concerned about the ethics. As stated above Brilliant Earth's mined diamonds go above and beyond the Kimberley Process.
Brilliant Earth works with suppliers that are required to source diamonds that originate from specific mine operations or specific countries that have demonstrated their commitment to follow internationally recognized labor, trade, and environmental standards.
These socially responsible diamonds originate from Canada or Botswana Sort. To further the transparency of their diamonds Brilliant Earth uses blockchain-based technology to track gemstone origin and assure responsible practices.
One of the aspects I love is that on the Brilliant Earth website they have an interactive map which allows consumers to learn more about their natural diamond origins and the sustainable practices of the specific mines.
Lab Grown Diamonds
Lab grown diamonds are a great choice for sustainable shoppers as lab grown diamonds have a lower environmental impact than mined diamonds. Natural diamonds develop naturally when they form in the mantle, beneath the Earth’s crust. Once they have formed they are mined which can cause damage to the land and mining communities.
However, lab grown diamonds are made of actual carbon atoms arranged in the characteristic diamond crystal structure. Since there is no mining involved, lab grown diamonds typically have a lower environmental impact when compared to natural diamonds.
Plus, these diamonds are made in a lab so the supply chain is easier to track for ethics and transparency. Lab grown diamonds have the same physical, chemical, and optical properties as mined diamonds, so the naked eye can't tell the difference!
Lab grown diamonds are also typically a bit cheaper than mined diamonds, so this can be a good option if you're looking for a great value or affordable engagement ring. Brilliant Earth has some great resources and blog posts featuring more in-depth guides on how lab grown diamonds are made.
Recycled Diamonds
Recycled diamonds are a sustainable choice because they require no new mining! Brilliant Earth's recycled diamonds were previously purchased, and are now being made available again.
By choosing recycled diamond jewelry this can help reduce the demand for newly mined diamonds limiting environmental impact and abuses within the diamond mining industry.
Brilliant Earth's recycled diamonds have been graded by an independent gemological lab, so they can be compared to newly mined diamonds for their quality characteristics.
Sustainable Initiatives from Brilliant Earth
Along with offering socially responsible diamonds, Brilliant Earth demonstrates sustainability throughout their company in other ways.
Recycled Metals
Similar to diamond mining, gold mining is known for harming the environment and risking human rights.
It’s reported that gold mining in particular is one of the most environmentally destructive types of mining with 20 tons of ore required to produce enough gold for one ring.
One top of this, gold mining contributes to water pollution, inhumane labor, and rights violations. This is why Brilliant Earth chooses to use primarily recycled metals.
Currently Brilliant Earth’s gold fine jewelry is made of 93% recycled gold and their silver fine jewelry is made of 99.8% recycled silver and they are working to increase these numbers.
Their precious metals come from a variety of post-consumer materials, such as jewelry, industrial-use metals, and electronics components; material from in-house recycling, refining, and product manufacturing or other secondary sources; and investment gold and gold-bearing product.
Brilliant Earth partners with refiners who have been audited for standards set by organizations such as the Responsible Minerals Initiative and London Bullion Market Association to ensure high quality recycled metals.
To further their impact in responsible metals, Brilliant Earth also has a Fairmined Jewelry Collection which is crafted by Fairmined Certified. This means the gold has been mined by artisanal and small-scale miners who are committed to responsible practices, reducing or eliminating pollution, and joining the formal sector.
Carbon Free
Brilliant Earth is Carbonfree by calculating and off-setting their carbon footprint. They have partnered with Carbonfund.org to offset our carbon emissions by contributing to Tropical Rainforest Conservation in Brazil.
Lifetime Guarantee
A key aspect of sustainable living is choosing high quality products that are made to last. With Brilliant Earth’s free lifetime manufacturing warranty customers can feel confident knowing this jewelry is crafted to last for years to come.
FSC Packaging
Brilliant Earth’s ring boxes are made with wood from Forest Stewardship Council certified forests. This means the wood used to make the boxes comes from responsibly managed forests. Plus for orders over $1000 they include complimentary non-toxic biodegradable jewelry cleaner.
What Type of Diamond Jewelry Does Brilliant Earth Offer?
Brilliant Earth has a wide range of sustainable wedding jewelry such as engagement rings and wedding rings for men and women. On top of their wedding jewelry, conscious consumers can find necklaces, bracelets, and earrings featuring ethical diamonds, lab grown diamonds, and recycled materials.
Is Brilliant Earth Legit?
Yes, Brilliant Earth is a fine jewelry company with a design studio in San Francisco. If you Google the company you can read reviews from customers who have had a great experience.
Conscious consumers can also take part in Brilliant Earth's live chat if they have any questions.
Plus, if you're looking for an in-person shopping experience you can head to one of their retail locations to check out the showroom and learn more from a sales associate. This can be a great option if you're a couple looking for an ethical engagement ring and are not sure of ring size or cut.
Can Brilliant Earth Jewelry Be Customized?
Yes, the amount of customizations depend on the type of jewelry you're looking to purchase! Brilliant Earth's rings have the most customization options allowing an ethical consumer to pick metal colors, diamond size, type, shape, and more. This is great for when shopping for a diamond engagement ring.
Is Brilliant Earth Greenwashing?
I think that Brilliant Earth's values match their marketing claims. I sincerely value their transparency.
The truth is no brand is 100% perfect, but the fact that Brilliant Earth has so many sustainable initiatives currently in place and multiple statements on their website talking about how they can continue to improve their current practices speaks volumes in my book.
We see transparency demonstrated when they're talking about accent diamonds stating:
"Diamond accents are challenging to track and segregate by origin due to their small size. Our diamond accents are Kimberley Process certified, but, unless otherwise specified on the product page, we do not identify an origin for our diamond accents. Where possible, our suppliers will prioritize sourcing accent diamonds that originate from Canada, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, or Lesotho. Where available, we also match the type of accent diamonds with the type of selected center diamond. If a lab created center diamond is selected, then the accent diamonds may be lab created, as indicated in the product details."
And when discussing how their use of recycled metals in jewelry creation is already above 93%, but they're still working to increase that number. The acknowledgement to continue to do better on-top of their current social impact initiatives makes me feel confident in Brilliant Earth. I admire the honesty and full transparency.
Brilliant Earth Review: Lab Grown Diamond Jewelry
Recently I was gifted a few pieces of Brilliant Earth's lab grown diamond jewelry. Personally I love lab diamonds because I feel more confident knowing the stone was made in a controlled environment that did not negatively impact the land or put anyone's rights at risk.
Plus, lab grown diamonds are just as beautiful and durable as mined diamonds.
Upon receiving my ethical jewelry in the mail I was impressed with the beautiful packaging.
The boxes created a luxurious look with the necklace featuring a FSC wooden box and the earrings a minimalistic light blue box.
The items came with a small booklet that explained their Beyond Conflict FreeTM initiatives, how the company gives back, and care instructions.
Pear Lab Created Halo Pendant Necklace
The Pear Lab Created Halo Pendant Necklace is absolutely stunning. The 1/2 ct lab diamond is perfect for adding subtle sparkle and catching eyes, but not appearing too flashy. This is exactly what I'm looking for when I accessorize.
The 18in white gold chain allows the diamond to lay right around the collarbone. The length and the pear shape make this necklace perfect for styling with a v-neck dress for a date night out or special occasion.
I recently wore the diamond necklace to a wedding and felt like this was the perfect occasion for showing off my Brilliant Earth jewelry.
Pear Lab Created Diamond Halo Stud Earrings
The Pear Lab Created Diamond Halo Stud Earrings are the perfect compliment to the necklace.
With 1.5 carats these earrings feature a lab created round diamond halo surrounding the stunning center lab grown diamond. The 18K White Gold compliments this well. These earrings have been perfect for wearing on our date nights!
I love how they catch the light. They are the perfect size and I sincerely appreciate how lightweight they are. This makes them perfect for wearing for extended periods of time. The push back backing makes them stay in place too which is great!
I love how these two pieces compliment each other and I'm such a fan of the pear diamond shape! I've worn both lab diamond pieces a few times now and continue to be impressed with the quality of their diamonds, the durability of the jewelry, and the sparkle!
Hopefully this post has helped you understand the importance of choosing socially responsible diamonds like Brilliant Earth!
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