Are Brilliant Earth Diamonds Real?
This is a question we get asked a lot and we’re here to answer that burning question: are Brilliant Earth diamonds real?
In a short answer: yes.
All Brilliant Earth diamonds are real diamonds, either mined ‘natural’ diamonds (click to see selection), or lab-created ‘grown’ diamonds (click to see selection).
You can read about their diamond sourcing policy here – it’s definitely worth checking out to understand how much Brilliant Earth put responsible sourcing at the front of everything they do.
While Brilliant Earth does sell moissanite, if it says it’s a diamond, you can be assured that it is.
If you want to read our detailed Brilliant Earth review click here.
How Brilliant Earth verify that their diamonds are real
All diamonds available on Brilliant Earth are certified by either GIA (Gemological Institute of America) or the IGI (International Gemological Institute). These are both independent grading labs that look at diamonds and grade their carat, color, clarity and cut, as well as confirm that they are real diamonds and whether they have been treated in any way.
You can see the diamond certification in each diamond’s details on the Brilliant Earth website:
You can check this out for yourself on any of the diamonds listed here:
Clicking the certificate allows you to see it in greater detail, and the reports can also be checked on the respective websites of the grading authorities.
By only selling diamonds that have been verified by reputable grading authorities, Brilliant Earth can ensure that their diamonds are real.
The report number of the diamond can also be matched to the actual diamond itself by the laser inscription on the ‘girdle’ of the diamond – the band that runs around the center of the stone:
This requires a microscope or jeweler’s loupe to see, but it’s reassuring to know that it is there so that you can always be certain that the diamond in your ring is the one that you originally bought from Brilliant Earth.
Read related article: Brilliant Earth refund policy
Beyond conflict free diamonds
Brilliant Earth also go a step further than most other retailers when it comes to the origin of their diamonds.
As we detailed in our Brilliant Earth review, their main point of differentiation is the ethical sourcing of their diamonds – they call their commitment to this ‘beyond conflict free’ to show that they go above and beyond the minimum standard.
According to the founders: ‘We started Brilliant Earth in 2005 to raise the ethical standards of the diamond industry and create a new way to buy beautiful fine jewelry.”
Most retailers sell ‘conflict free’ diamonds and have to adhere to the Kimberly Process. This is a certification that tries to eliminate conflict diamonds or ‘blood diamonds’ that are used by rebel movements to finance armed conflicts against legitimate governments.
While regulating the industry in this way is really important, there are still major problems in the areas of human rights abuses, unsafe working conditions and unfair pay and environmental degradation that need to be addressed. You can read more about this is on Brilliant Earth’s conflict diamonds facts.
Brilliant Earth only source diamonds from suppliers and mines that can demonstrate that they uphold internationally-recognized standards across environmental, labor and trade.
How do they do this? All diamonds have rigorous traceability requirements, suppliers are able to prove where a particular diamond is from. Additionally suppliers have to adhere to Brilliant Earth’s Chain of Custody Protocols which are requirements around sourcing, operations, tracking, purchasing, inventory and quality assurance.
Read related article: Are Brilliant Earth Legit?
Why we recommend Brilliant Earth:
Brilliant Earth are an excellent choice for the conscious consumer.
If you care about where about where products come from and the effect that they have on the earth, it should be an easy decision to choose Brilliant Earth for your diamond ring.
- Blockchain-tracked diamonds are a great innovation that allows you to understand the provenance of your stone
- Impressive sourcing policies.
- Excellent selection of beautiful and on-trend settings
- Very well priced, even compared to larger online jewelers
- Excellent service guarantees
Where are Brilliant Earth diamonds from?
Brilliant Earth source all of their diamonds from Canada, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Lesotho.
The mines in these countries are committed to a high level of human rights and environmental standards.
Brilliant Earth’s Canadian Diamonds
The diamonds are predominantly from the Diavik and Ekati mines – both mines are committed to the local indigenous community and have an apprenticeship and sponsored scholarship program.
The Diavik Mine has built a large-scale wind farm that powers half of the mine’s energy needs.
Brilliant Earth’s Botswana Sort Diamonds
These are diamonds that are mined in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Lesotho (a small land locked kingdom in South Africa).
As a result of the diamond industry, Botswana has become one of the most prosperous countries in Africa, with a lot of the wealth generated from the mines reinvested back in to education, healthcare and infrastructure.
The different types of diamonds Brilliant Earth offer
Brilliant Earth offer:
- Blockchain natural diamonds
- Lab created diamonds
Brilliant Earth’s Blockchain diamonds:
Brilliant Earth are one of the first jewelers to offer block-chain enabled diamonds at scale. Block Chain technology enables you to see exactly where a particular diamond is from – where it was mined, the actual rough diamond it was cut from and where it was manufactured. Pretty cool to have this level of traceability!
You can read more about this in our Brilliant Earth review here.
Brilliant Earth’s lab-created diamonds:
As the name suggests, these are diamonds that have been grown in a lab rather than mined. They have exactly the same physical and chemical properties as natural diamonds, and they are often offer better value than their natural counterparts.