Brilliant Earth Vs. Local Jewelers | Which One To Go For?

During their search for the perfect gemstone, people always come across big online retailers, like Brilliant Earth. In almost all cases, they are also aware of some local jeweler who has done a pretty good job in the past for them. Thus, they are torn between the two regarding which one to go with their next high-end purchase.

If you find yourself in such a situation, this comparison is for you. Some elements that we will talk about in detail in the following article include; the quality of diamonds, grading, and certification, pricing, and the size of inventory.

Table of Contents

Diamond Quality

As mentioned earlier, multiple factors play a determining role when buying diamond jewelry. However, the quality of the diamond you’re purchasing sits at the very top of the list. Let’s see how Brilliant Earth fares against the local dealers, in this regard.

Brilliant Earth is a well-renowned diamond jewelry store that only sells up-to-par products. They gained popularity due to two things. First, their values are aligned with today’s diligent world which is evident as they source their diamonds ethically. This not only makes their position in the market firm but also commendable.

Second, they help potential customers reach a rational decision by providing them with detailed information regarding the various types of diamonds they have to offer.

Brilliant Earth’s consistent quality of diamonds is both an advantage and a disadvantage for them. Since they only sell diamonds that are equal to or above a particular quality threshold, it can limit their potential audience due to the price. However, their wide array of options to choose from balances out this problem.

On the contrary, the opposite problem persists amongst local jewelers. They may have varying quality of diamonds but their options are limited. On the plus side though, they can offer a customized experience by tailoring diamonds according to the requirements of the buyers, making each product unique, which may not be possible when buying from bigger companies such as Brilliant Earth.

Grading and Certification

Grading and certification of a diamond is basically an insurance policy for customers ensuring that their product is authentic. This process includes sellers (be it large companies or local jewelers) getting their diamonds appraised and registered on a grading report by a certified gemologist on the basis of cut, color, clarity, and carat.

Pro Tip: never buy diamonds or diamond jewelry without proof of authenticity! Keeping this in mind not only helps you protect your money but also saves you from future implications such as legal troubles.

Brilliant Earth has numerous gemological laboratories that it partners up with to verify the authenticity of their products. One of the big names amongst the list is GIA, which is short for the Gemological Institute of America.

On the other hand, even though local jewelers may not always have such well-known partners, they also provide a grading certificate from varying gemological labs. If they don’t, make sure to run!

This is one of the areas where Brilliant Earth even beats other online retailers which associate with independent sellers, like Rare Carat. You can read all about the other main differences in my comparison “Rare Carat Vs. Brilliant Earth“.

Return Policy and Aftersales Support

Brilliant Earth offers their customers a no-questions-asked 30 day return policy on most of their products such as rings, necklaces and even loose diamonds along with exemplary after sales services. These include a warranty, free resizing and complimentary cleaning for up to 1 year. To make the process of return easy for their customers, Brilliant Earth goes to the extent of dispatching their products with prepaid shipping labels. The only catch when it comes to returning products is that the product should be in the condition it was delivered in, which is only fair.

Similarly, local jewelers also offer return policies and after sales services such as resizing and maintenance. However, the time window and eligibility criteria may vary from jeweler to jeweler, which is why it is important to gather such information beforehand.

Pricing

After assessing the quality of the diamond, the next significant factor is pricing. There is no doubt that buying diamonds is an expensive hobby (if one can even call it a hobby!) so it is necessary to ensure you’re getting the best deal possible.

A disadvantage of buying from bigger companies like Brilliant Earth is that even though they strive to offer competitive pricing, their price points are still significantly higher. This is because, not only do they sell the actual product, but also their brand.

For an idea, Brilliant Earth sells this beautiful 1.01 carat, super ideal cut round diamond for $5,260. The color grade is a nearly colorless “F” and the clarity is VS2. However, in this case, even though the prices are high, the quality is top-notch and customers have product authenticity and security.

Pricing works a little differently when it comes to local jewelers. They are open to negotiations, have lesser labor costs, can offer discounts and you may find something considerably cheaper due to a lower quality.

Size of Inventory

It is pretty obvious that when it comes to inventory, the bigger the name is, the more options there are. Brilliant Earth has a wide variety of products under its belt varying in price, size, quality, shape, and color. There is always something for everyone no matter how different their preference is.

Moreover, their website is extremely user-friendly, so it is easier for customers to browse and compare different products till they find the one that suits their needs the most.

In comparison to Brilliant Earth, local jewelers offer a much more limited set of options. However, they make up for it by, as mentioned earlier, adding a personal touch to each product. They can tailor loose diamonds or pre-existing jewelry pieces into something unique for each customer.

Conclusion- Which One Should You Go For?

To conclude, in our opinion, the best course of action is to buy loose diamonds from Brilliant Earth and hand them over to local jewelers to work their magic on! This way, you will get to experience the best of both worlds and end up saving some bucks that you would have otherwise spent by ordering complete jewelry pieces from Brilliant Earth.

I reached a similar conclusion in my article “James Allen Vs. Local Jeweler“.

In the end, not only will you have some sense of security that your diamonds are authentic but also a beautiful and if you want, a customized piece of jewelry.