Thoughts on Brilliant Earth Engagement Ring

I’ve been wanting to talk about my engagement ring for a while because a). it means a lot to me and b). Alex put a lot of hard work and research to finding a ring we both love. I want to mention this now – this won’t be a review on the 4c’s of the ring but rather my take on the company and their ethical practices. Alex has been a big supporter in my interest and transition to a more conscious lifestyle. He understands how important it is to me to consume from brands / stores that reflect my values. Once we calmed down from the engagement, he was so excited to share and talk about the ring he bought from Brilliant Earth.  I had never heard of the company before (nor am I that educated on jewelers), but I was excited to hear what he had to say since he was so proud and happy about his decision.

Alex searched for jewelers that supports sustainability and ethical workers. He also laid it on me with how much he learned about the diamond industry and the so called “blood diamonds.” It’s a saying we’ve heard before, so what does it actually mean? Click here to learn more. It meant a lot to me that he took the time to do his research and educate himself. He found Brilliant Earth in the mix of his search and luckily the brand matched up to a lot of his standards.

Brilliant Earth is one of the largest online jewelers and only has a select number of showrooms in major cities across the US. Luckily, there’s a showroom in Boston right on Newbury street. The company is known for their ethically sourced fine jewelry and they’re dedicated to being a more transparent, sustainable and compassionate jeweler of the industry. Here’s how they break it down when it comes to buying their types of jewelry:

Beyond Conflict Free Diamonds – Their beyond conflict diamonds are sourced from mines that are not involved with violence, child labor, environmental devastation and other abuses that’s currently happening in diamond mining. To give you more background on this, conflict diamonds are defined as diamonds that finances rebel movements against recognized governments. Brilliant Earth says their diamonds are mined under strict international environmental standards in countries that include Canada, Botswana, Namibia, Russia and South Africa.

Recycled Metal – Another option is to use their recycled metals rings. Brilliant Earth uses a third party vendor, SCS Global Services, to certify and confirm their metals to be recycled. Gold mining is one of the most environmentally destructive types of mining – 20 tons of ore is required to produce enough gold for a single ring.

Lab-Created Diamonds- Brilliant Earth’s lab-created diamonds are grown in a controlled environment using advanced technology. This means there was no diamond mining involved to produce these diamonds. The production has a much smaller carbon footprint than the traditional production of diamonds, which is always a plus. Now, there’s going to be some environmental impact to create these diamonds in a lab but their’s overall less impact to the environment.

Vintage Jewelry- Brilliant Earth’s Vintage Collection contains original pieces that are hand selected for their unique quality and look. Obviously shopping vintage and second-hand is a great alternative to purchasing brand new and is an ethical and eco-friendly way to buy a ring.

Side note: I do love the box the ring came in. It’s a handcrafted wooden box made from New Zealand and it’s one of Alex’s favorite part of the overall packaging. Alex and I have a thing for wooden anything so of course the wooden box was going to be a fav.

Now after doing my own research on the company, I did come across negative articles and videos. Most of the information was around their conflict free diamonds and the truth behind their processes….is it true or just another marketing scam to the millennial generation? Here’s how I see it, there needs to be more research and digging around on this subject and more investigation on the company. So take what you want if you do your own research. From what I’ve read, I’m not that pleased and it reminds me why it’s so hard as a consumer to believe a brand or the press for that matter. On the other hand, Brilliant Earth has done a lot more than other jewelers with their practices like lab-created diamonds and vintage jewelry- and I applaud them. Alex actually came across the same articles which is why he ultimately chose the lab-created diamond for my ring. There’s no guessing game if the actual diamond is conflict free and there’s an eco-conscious aspect to it.

Before even knowing where my ring came from, I loved the design and simplicity of it. It’s a solitaire diamond in a gold band and that’s it. My motto is less is more and I’ve always wanted a ring that’s timeless. This ring captures my style perfectly. I mentioned once in passing that I’d like a simple ring and that’s exactly what I got. He didn’t tell anyone or even ask my family nor his for advice! He always has a great eye and whether I like it or not, he knows me very well so it wasn’t a surprise that with little explanation of what I wanted, he nailed it. I honestly think this is the most important part about the ring- that he truly took a lot of time, energy and money (let’s be real engagement rings AREN’T cheap) to make me happy. Not to mention what the ring represents for our relationship. I will say I’m happy with all of the research I did to write this review because it will make the search for our wedding bands that much easier and ultimately we’ll be able to make smart choices.

xx