Is Brilliant Earth Overpriced? Is it A Rip-off?

74 Comments / By Mona Jawad / July 23, 2023

Brilliant Earth is a notable option in the sea of diamond retailers online, with its reputation tarnished by the controversy surrounding the legitimacy of sustainable practices and ridiculously expensive natural diamonds.

The company claims to have an exceptional commitment to ethical practices by providing “beyond conflict-free” diamonds. However, we’re yet to explore if those claims are valid or mere marketing gimmicks to manipulate consumers into purchasing expensive diamonds.

So let’s get into the details and find out if Brilliant Earth is worth a shot.

Table of Contents

Ethical Practices & Conflict-Free Diamonds

Brilliant Earth takes pride in responsible sourcing practices and providing beyond conflict-free diamonds. They claim to go above and beyond to source diamonds that come from environmentally responsible origins.

Here’s how “beyond conflict free” at Brilliant Earth differs from conflict-free diamonds at other renowned places:

Conflict Free Vs. Beyond Conflict Free

Now the problem is that most diamonds at Brilliant Earth are not completely traceable, and we cannot merely rely on their claims. As per our research, they require you to sign a non-disclosure agreement if you wish to visit their diamond vendors and inspect their traceability standards, which is a strong indicator of the company’s lack of transparency.

Only a few diamonds, like the Canadian Marked Diamonds, offer genuine traceability of the diamonds from the mines to the retailers. On the other hand, the certificates available at Brilliant Earth are easy to fake.

So until and unless, there’s a thorough inspection of their mining practices and diamond tracing standards, we believe there’s an equal possibility for their claims to be either true or false.

Is Brilliant Earth Overpriced: Price Analysis

Compared to other online diamond retailers, Brilliant Earth has higher prices for loose diamonds and jewelry.

While their settings are fairly priced, Brilliant Earth has a higher markup for jewelry items than competitor stores. A 1 ct. engagement ring (with an ideal cut, color grade G, VVS2 diamond) at Brilliant Earth is $6,290, whereas a similarly specced ring by James Allen is around $4,600. This is a colossal difference!

The price gap is huge for the engagement rings, depsite the costlier and mostly better quality settings at James Allen.

Moving on, the difference in loose diamond pricing is even higher. A 1ct. Ideal cut, color grade G, VVS2 diamond at Brilliant Earth is $5,800, whereas a similar diamond from James Allen is just $4,500.

We compared several other diamonds and found Brilliant Earth more expensive than competitor brands. This price difference could be justified if they provided better quality, but we’re afraid that’s not the case either.

Quality and Value Evaluation

Regrettably, the quality of the products at Brilliant Earth fails to meet the standards expected at this price point. While their jewelry generally looks beautiful, the inconsistency in the manufacturing standards is particularly disappointing.

Many customers have encountered issues with their jewelry from Brilliant Earth within a month of use. Problems such as poorly set stones, flimsy prongs, and substandard materials are commonly reported by customers across the internet. All of this raises concerns about the durability and overall quality of Brilliant Earth.

Here’s a customer sharing a horrible incident with their ring:

Adding to the challenges, Brilliant Earth requires their customers to sign NDAs if they wish to get their defective items repaired. This limits the customers from leaving reviews on the internet, which makes the company’s reputation even more shady.

Having said that, Brilliant Earth is not all terrible. While their reputation is fairly unsatisfactory, numerous customers have had great experiences with them too. Just like this one:

Yet, the use of NDAs for repairs, inconsistent quality, and recurring manufacturing defects, that too after paying a premium, surely doesn’t make Brilliant Earth sound promising.

Customer Support

While there are mixed opinions about Brilliant Earth’s price and value proposition, the reviews about their customer support are consistently negative.

Resolving issues with the company is quite a task, whether it’s returns, warranty claims, or basic inquiries about your purchase. They fail to keep up with their commitments, making customers embarrassed in various instances.

Brilliant Earth’s Customer Support Reviews

Losing rings, failing to deliver on time, and not taking responsibility for it are some of the many complaints received about Brilliant Earth. Many customers have experienced frustration when dealing with Brilliant Earth for repairs under warranty and even returns.

Among other issues, a below-par customer support has left the customers skeptical about purchasing from them. Overall, Brilliant Earth needs to significantly improve its customer services if they aim to restore its reputation anytime soon.

Shipping and Returns

Brilliant Earth offers free shipping on all orders within the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK, while the shipping costs for international orders vary depending on the location.

While Brilliant Earth is notorious for unreliable shipping and delayed orders, this issue primarily stems from diamond unavailability and has nothing to do with their shipping services.

They offer the standard 30-day return policy in case you’re unsatisfied with their products. However, returns at Brilliant Earth are a hassle, particularly if you’re unaware of their undisclosed return policies.

On top of everything, they have a one-time return policy per item for a lifetime, which means if you return a ring once, you’ll not have the option to return any rings ever in the future.

Affordable Alternatives: Two Best Competitors

If you’re seeking an affordable and reliable alternative to Brilliant Earth, James Allen and Blue Nile are two great options to consider.

James Allen

James Allen is a well-known online diamond store where you can find an extensive range of loose diamonds, engagement rings, and fine jewelry at a good price point.

In contrast to Brilliant Earth, James Allen boasts a generally good reputation online. They offer commendable customer support, promising customization services, easy returns, and a lifetime warranty.

Blue Nile

Like James Allen, Blue Nile is a reputable diamond vendor online, offering a versatile range of diamonds and fine jewelry. Blue Nile has a consistent reputation for dealing with customer issues effectively, ensuring that they stand behind their products.

While the prices at Blue Nile are higher than at James Allen, the quality of their jewelry makes up for that. Hence, making them a great alternative to Brilliant Earth if you have the budget.

Final Word

Considering the poor customer support, inconsistent quality, and dominantly unsatisfactory reputation online, Brilliant Earth does seem overpriced. Higher prices combined with terrible business practices have turned out to be disastrous for the company’s reputation.

While Brilliant Earth is not a scam, its distasteful business approach makes you think twice before recommending them to anyone.