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Brilliant Earth Review

Tuesday, January 21st

2025 Lab Grown Diamond Store Reviews

Brilliant Earth Review 3.5 Star Rating

Brilliant Earth

3.5 Star Rating
  • About 200 pieces of lab-created diamond jewelry to choose from (not including engagement rings), priced from $225 to $75,000
  • Over 175,000 loose lab-grown diamonds to choose from, priced from $270 to $216,000+
  • Free 30-day returns
  • Free shipping
  • "A+” rated and accredited by the BBB

Brilliant Earth is one of the original jewelers that made a commitment to a more "transparent, sustainable, compassionate and inclusive jewelry industry”, so that customers would never have to choose between conscience and quality. This includes their Beyond Conflict Free diamonds (selected for being responsibly mined), their use of 100% recycled precious metals when possible, and even blockchain-enabled diamonds to track a stone's origin and ownership.

Choose among 200 ready-to-order jewelry styles

If you're looking for jewelry with man-made diamonds, you'll find just under 200 pieces to choose from at Brilliant Earth. That ranges from stud earrings priced at $225 to the Infinite Icon Choker priced at $75,000. It's easy to shop by style: just click on the images at the top of the results to show only earrings, rings, necklaces, and so forth, or use the extra filters if you have a particular metal or style in mind.

Incredible selection of loose lab-created diamonds

If you're looking for a loose lab-grown diamond to use as the foundation for an engagement ring, you can jump to the Diamonds tab and select "Search Lab Diamonds”. Brilliant Earth's selection is extraordinary, with over 170,000 stones to choose from. There are many diamonds priced under $300 that could be used as a small center stone, but you'd be more likely to use them as accents with a larger solitaire. Just how large? That's up to you, and Brilliant Earth has many lab-grown diamonds valued at over $100,000 if you're going big. At the time of this evaluation, the jeweler's most expensive man-made diamond was priced at $216,480 for a 4.52 ct round super ideal cut. Ooh la la!

Great photos and videos

Many stones allow you to view multiple photo angles or even video clips. We particularly like being able to see just how large some diamonds look against the photo of a hand for perspective. You can even move a slider to change the skin tone on that hand (now that's inclusive). Keep in mind that Brilliant Earth's design services for lab-created diamonds are limited to engagement rings; if you wanted to create earrings or a necklace, you'd have to use a mined diamond from their inventory.

Best Lab Grown Diamonds

Free shipping and returns plus occasional jewelry freebies

No matter what you buy from Brilliant Earth, you'll get free shipping and free returns (the company will pay the postage) within 30 days of your order delivery. We also spotted a promo offering free diamond studs valued at $300 with any purchase over $1,000; be sure to look at the top of the site when you visit to see if there are any deals.

High ratings, but areas of concern

We have mixed feelings about Brilliant Earth's reputation. The Better Business Bureau gives the jeweler an "A+” rating and accreditation, citing Brilliant Earth's 100% response rate to all 130+ complaints filed there over the last three years. And, when you look at other customer feedback around the internet, most ratings wind up averaging around 4 out of 5 stars. However, as we read through the resolved BBB complaints and client comments, we found a few areas of concern.

Gets it right... eventually

The most frequently-mentioned issue is that the jewelry (rings in particular) arrives looking different than what was pictured. Some customers described having their Brilliant Earth pieces evaluated by a local jeweler who confirmed that the jewelry didn't match the description/image and often that it was poorly made. Brilliant Earth's response has been "We'll make it again”. While this it's encouraging that they want to make their customers happy, it's unfortunate that there are quality problems in the first place. Sometimes getting a suitable replacement - or even a refund under the jeweler's 30-day policy - can take a long time.

Impressive diamonds, but room for improvement

Make no mistake - we're impressed with Brilliant Earth's commitment to conflict-free diamonds and their selection of stones. We also like to see that they seem to do whatever's needed to make their customers happy. However, their customer reviews indicate that they've been suffering some quality issues with their jewelry. If you're looking for lab-grown loose diamonds, you don't want to miss the impressive selection at Brilliant Earth. However, for pre-made jewelry pieces, there is room for improvement.

Where Can You Find the Best Lab Grown Diamonds?

Lab-grown diamonds, also known as synthetic or cultured diamonds, are man-made gemstones that are created in a laboratory environment using advanced technological processes that mimic the natural conditions under which diamonds form in the earth's mantle.

Sounds pretty technical, but the amazing thing is that these diamonds are essentially identical in chemical, physical, and optical properties to natural diamonds mined from the earth. They are also graded on the same 4Cs scale used for natural diamonds, which stands for cut, clarity, color, and carat weight. All of the same sparkle factor? Yes, please!

The Best Lab Grown Diamond Stores Compare Lab Grown Diamond Stores Compare Lab Grown Diamond Store Reviews What are the best Lab Grown Diamond Stores Best Lab Grown Diamond Store Reviews

Lab Grown Diamond Store FAQ

Lab-created diamonds are gemstones that are grown in a laboratory instead of being mined from the earth. They have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as natural diamonds.
Yes! They have the same characteristics as natural diamonds and can only be distinguished from natural diamonds using specialized equipment. Your lucky recipient - or your friends at girls' night - will never know.
Lab-created diamonds are usually considered more ethical than natural diamonds because they are not associated with environmental destruction or human rights abuses. However, the environmental impact of producing lab-created diamonds and the working conditions of lab workers may also be factors to consider.
Yes, lab-created diamonds are typically less expensive than natural diamonds of the same quality and size. This is because the cost of producing lab-created diamonds is lower than mining natural diamonds.
Unfortunately, no. These man-made gemstones have lower resale value than natural diamonds because they are not as rare. However, this may change as lab-created diamonds become more popular and widely accepted in the jewelry industry.
Lab-created diamonds are made using two different methods: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). HPHT mimics the natural diamond formation process by subjecting a small diamond seed to high temperature and pressure. CVD uses a gas mixture to deposit carbon atoms onto a diamond seed, which eventually grows into a diamond.
100%. They have the same hardness, toughness, and resistance to scratching and chipping.
Absolutely! They are a popular and ethical alternative to natural diamonds and offer the same beauty and durability. It's a great way to get a stunning ring at a much lower price than you'd spend for jewelry with natural gemstones. And unless you tell her (or him), your intended will never know the difference.
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Continued from above...

Better yet, lab-grown diamonds are generally less expensive than natural stones of the same size and quality. And, if you've ever been concerned by the idea of "blood diamonds”, lab-grown stones are perfect for you: they don't involve the environmentally damaging (and often unethical) practices associated with natural diamond mining.

However, lab-grown diamonds have a few small drawbacks. One major concern is that they may not hold their value over time as well as natural diamonds, since they aren't as rare or unique. Additionally, some people may prefer the idea of owning a natural diamond as a symbol of their love or commitment - even if lab-created stones are undetectable as such to the average person's eye.

When you realize that some jewelers offering lab-grown diamonds have an inventory of over 100,000 stones to choose from, you might feel a little overwhelmed. Take a deep breath, try to enjoy the process a little, and use these ideas to make your shopping easier:

  • Filters. The quickest way to narrow down thousands upon thousands of choices is through smart use of filters. Most sites will let you select your preferred stone shape (round, oval, heart, pear) and set a price range. If you already know what clarity or color parameters you'll accept, indicate those as well.
  • Consultations. It can be confusing to create an engagement ring or other custom piece of jewelry, or even to understand the ins and outs of lab-grown diamonds. Some retailers offer consultations, either virtually via video call or in-person at a location near you. Take advantage of this service if you're feeling nervous or you just want an extra set of eyes to look over your design or purchase.
  • Customer benefits. Know what to expect with any jewelry store you're considering. How long will you have to make a return if the "Will you marry me?” doesn't get a "yes” answer, or if those earrings just don't look as good in person as they did online? What's the warranty coverage? Is there a price match guarantee if you find a similar lab-created diamond somewhere else?
  • Reputation. Other shoppers' feedback is a great way to gauge if a retailer of lab-grown diamond jewelry is doing a good job. Check out customer photos of the rings, bracelets, and so on: how do they look in the "real world”? Is there any pattern of complaints? Has the store received a favorable grade from the Better Business Bureau?

Shopping for jewelry made with lab-grown diamonds can be an exhilarating experience, and Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked today's most popular retailers to give you an advantage as you browse. We hope this information helps take the edge off any nervousness you might be feeling, so that you can find - or create - the perfect piece of jewelry for that proposal, anniversary, or "just because” moment.

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Select any 2 Lab Grown Diamond Stores to compare them head to head

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  • James Allen
  • Grown Brilliance
  • Ritani
  • 12FIFTEEN
  • VRAI
  • Blue Nile
  • Brilliant Earth
  • Zales
  • Reeds Jewelers
  • Helzberg Diamonds
  • Kay Jewelers
  • Jared
James Allen vs Grown Brilliance James Allen vs Ritani James Allen vs 12FIFTEEN James Allen vs VRAI James Allen vs Blue Nile James Allen vs Brilliant Earth James Allen vs Zales James Allen vs Reeds Jewelers James Allen vs Helzberg Diamonds James Allen vs Kay Jewelers James Allen vs Jared Grown Brilliance vs Ritani Grown Brilliance vs 12FIFTEEN Grown Brilliance vs VRAI Grown Brilliance vs Blue Nile Grown Brilliance vs Brilliant Earth Grown Brilliance vs Zales Grown Brilliance vs Reeds Jewelers Grown Brilliance vs Helzberg Diamonds Grown Brilliance vs Kay Jewelers Grown Brilliance vs Jared Ritani vs 12FIFTEEN Ritani vs VRAI Ritani vs Blue Nile Ritani vs Brilliant Earth Ritani vs Zales Ritani vs Reeds Jewelers Ritani vs Helzberg Diamonds Ritani vs Kay Jewelers Ritani vs Jared 12FIFTEEN vs VRAI 12FIFTEEN vs Blue Nile 12FIFTEEN vs Brilliant Earth 12FIFTEEN vs Zales 12FIFTEEN vs Reeds Jewelers 12FIFTEEN vs Helzberg Diamonds 12FIFTEEN vs Kay Jewelers 12FIFTEEN vs Jared VRAI vs Blue Nile VRAI vs Brilliant Earth VRAI vs Zales VRAI vs Reeds Jewelers VRAI vs Helzberg Diamonds VRAI vs Kay Jewelers VRAI vs Jared Blue Nile vs Brilliant Earth Blue Nile vs Zales Blue Nile vs Reeds Jewelers Blue Nile vs Helzberg Diamonds Blue Nile vs Kay Jewelers Blue Nile vs Jared Brilliant Earth vs Zales Brilliant Earth vs Reeds Jewelers Brilliant Earth vs Helzberg Diamonds Brilliant Earth vs Kay Jewelers Brilliant Earth vs Jared Zales vs Reeds Jewelers Zales vs Helzberg Diamonds Zales vs Kay Jewelers Zales vs Jared Reeds Jewelers vs Helzberg Diamonds Reeds Jewelers vs Kay Jewelers Reeds Jewelers vs Jared Helzberg Diamonds vs Kay Jewelers Helzberg Diamonds vs Jared Kay Jewelers vs Jared
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