What is the difference between conflict and conflict free diamonds?
How does Brilliant Earth verify that its diamonds are conflict free?
What is the quality of conflict free diamonds?
What is the Kimberley Process? Does it guarantee that diamonds are conflict free?
What is environmentally responsible gold?
What kind of certification comes with my diamond?
Is my diamond laser inscribed?
How can I find a diamond that is not in your inventory?
Will you create a custom piece of jewelry for me?
How do prices of custom designed jewelry compare to the prices for the pre-designed settings? When will I know the final price of custom designed jewelry?
Can I buy a setting without buying a diamond?
Are your prices in US dollars?
Are your prices flexible?
Can I buy from you if I live outside the United States or Canada?
Can I see your products in person?
What payment methods do you accept?
Is it safe to use my credit card?
Will I be charged tax?
Will I be liable for my diamond or jewelry while it is being shipped?
How do I know if you received my order?
Why do I need to include my phone number and the phone number where I am shipping my order?
Can you help me keep the engagement ring a surprise?
How do I find my ring size?
Which chain length is best?
Conflict diamonds, or "blood diamonds," are diamonds that are used by militant groups in war-torn nations in Africa to fund civil wars. These diamonds are also often associated with human rights abuses, including child and slave labor. Despite widespread acknowledgement by the diamond industry of the problems associated with these gems, conflict diamonds are still smuggled across African borders and have become indistinguishable from the general supply.
Conflict free diamonds are guaranteed to originate from sources that are not associated with these war-torn regions and are mined, cut, and polished in an ethically responsible manner. These diamond sources are audited and carefully monitored to ensure they have not been contaminated by conflict diamonds. Today, the only diamonds that can be certified as completely conflict free originate in Canada. Diamonds sourced from other regions are being inaccurately marketed as conflict free. Only by confirming a certificate of origin from a Canadian mine is it possible to be sure that a diamond is conflict free.
Read more about Conflict Diamond Issues.
All of our diamonds are certified as mined in Canada and are tracked as they are cut, polished, and transported. This ensures that our diamonds are of pure origin and the chain of custody is not corrupted by illicit or conflict diamonds. Many other retailers make vague claims that their diamonds are conflict free but have no such certification process to guarantee the ethical source of their diamonds. Brilliant Earth suppliers must have certification policies compliant with one of the leading bodies for Canadian origin diamonds such as Canadian Diamond Code of Conduct, or the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Brilliant Earth's conflict free diamonds originate from the Ekati and Diavik mines in the Northwest Territories of Canada, which are consistently rated as producing some of the highest quality diamonds in the world. All of our diamonds are natural and earth-grown. We do not carry synthetic, treated, or clarity enhanced diamonds. Brilliant Earth's conflict free diamonds are graded by top gemological labs to certify their high quality characteristics. Because all of our diamonds are tracked from the mine to the customer, we can be sure that no diamond treatments or alterations were performed.
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was created in 2003 to address the problem of conflict diamonds entering the mainstream market for rough diamonds. It is a voluntary program by which member countries pledge not to import or export rough diamonds tainted by conflict.
Unfortunately, the Kimberley Process has little independent monitoring and enforcement. Violent groups across the world continue to exploit the loose controls of the Kimberley Process to traffic illicit diamonds for profit. Because of the porous nature of African borders, illicit diamonds are smuggled and then exported from countries that are signatories to the Kimberley Process. Once exported, these diamonds are then considered legitimate by the Kimberley Process. In addition, the Kimberley Process uses only the strict definition of "conflict diamonds" as those that fund bloody civil wars. Many African diamonds are mined in brutal conditions and with child labor - acceptable under the Kimberley Process as non-conflict if the "legitimate" African government sanctions the mining. Brilliant Earth goes well beyond the Kimberley Process to ensure that all of its diamonds are certified as Canadian origin and free from the human rights abuses rampant in many other diamond producing countries. No other major jeweler can offer a comparable guarantee.
The gold mining industry has recently received media attention highlighting its environmentally destructive practices. More than 30 tons of ore are dug from an open pit and mixed with cyanide to produce a single ounce of gold. This poisonous waste is frequently dumped into rivers, bays and oceans, polluting the nearby drinking water and fisheries and forcing the indigenous population from its land.
Brilliant Earth uses precious metals from renewed sources derived from recycled jewelry or industrial products. The precious metals are reclaimed and then re-refined to produce gold and platinum of identical quality to newly mined metals. By using renewed metals, our goal is to reduce the need for additional dirty mining of precious metals. Brilliant Earth wholeheartedly endorses the No Dirty Gold campaign which aims to end destructive mining practices. Learn more about dirty gold issues.
If Brilliant Earth should require more gold and platinum than available from renewed sources, we plan to source from cooperatives such as Oro Verde, which provides gold and platinum responsibly harvested from the Chocó region in South America. These cooperatives work with local populations to ensure the use of sustainable environmental practices, restore ecosystems damaged by other mining companies, and promote the well being of the local community.
Wherever possible, Brilliant Earth sources gold and platinum through environmentally responsible practices in accordance with fair trade principles. In certain cases, we may need to use pre-fabricated jewelry findings as components in our jewelry and cannot control the composition of these findings.
Brilliant Earth diamonds come with an independent certificate guaranteeing the ethical origin of the diamond as well as an independent laboratory grading report which measures the quality of the stone by including a grade for cut, clarity, color, and carat size. Read more about certification.
Most of our diamonds are laser inscribed with an identification number and/or a Canadian symbol. In addition, many of our diamonds are recorded using GemprintTM, the world's most sophisticated diamond identification and registration system. Gemprint uses a non-invasive, low-powered laser to capture the unique pattern of the diamond. All Gemprint diamonds are registered in its database, to make recovery of lost and stolen gems possible.
Brilliant Earth is proud to offer free lifetime diamond upgrade. Any loose diamond purchased from Brilliant Earth can be exchanged at full credit for a new diamond that is at least fifty percent greater value than the original purchase price. In order to be eligible, the diamond being upgraded must be accompanied with original documentation and must be in saleable condition. Credit is not provided for the original setting. All applicable taxes are charged to the new purchase price once the credit for the original diamond is applied. Please call us at 800-691-0952 for more information on our diamond upgrade policy.
Our inventory is constantly being updated and we have additional inventory not listed on our website. We will do our best to search our entire inventory to find a diamond that matches your request. Please call us at 800-691-0952 so we can help you find your perfect diamond.
We partner with world class jewelry designers to provide the highest quality custom jewelry pieces to our customers. If you have a special request for an item, don't hesitate to call one of our jewelry consultants at 800-691-0952 for assistance. We will do our best to accommodate your request. For more details, please visit Custom Designed Jewelry.
Our premium custom design service allows you to create finely crafted unique jewelry that expresses your individuality. Because these designs are one-of-a-kind and hand created, they are priced at a premium to the pre-designed settings. The price for your custom designed jewelry depends on the complexity of the design, the type of precious metal, and the quality and size of gemstones.
For custom designed jewelry, we can provide you with a price estimate early in the process. Once the design is finalized, we will provide you with the final price. We require payment before creating the finished piece.
We do not offer our settings without purchase of a center diamond or gemstone.
We offer excellent value by providing our socially conscious jewelry at the lowest possible price, generally lower than many traditional jewelry retailers offer for standard jewelry. As a result, we cannot offer additional discounts or negotiated prices.
Brilliant Earth is proud to offer our entire collection of jewellry and loose diamonds to customers in many countries throughout the world. It is our pleasure to have one of our Brilliant Earth customer service representatives assist our international customers outside of the US and Canada in placing their orders by phone or email. We currently only accepts payments in the form of a bank wire from our international customers outside of the US and Canada. Customs processes and import duties are the responsibility of the customer; please check with your local customs office for further information. For futher information, please visit our International Shipping page or contact your local Brilliant Earth customer service representative.
Brilliant Earth currently offers in person appointments in San Francisco upon request. Please call us at 800-691-0952 or email us at info@brilliantearth.com to schedule an appointment with a Brilliant Earth representative.
Credit Cards: Brilliant Earth accepts American Express, Visa, and MasterCard for payment.
Bank Wire: After you place your order, Brilliant Earth will give you the account information you will need to provide to your bank in order to transfer funds from your account directly to a Brilliant Earth account. It may take a few days for your bank to process the bank wire. Once your bank has transferred the funds, Brilliant Earth is immediately notified and your purchase will be processed. If you have any questions about the process involved in a bank wire, contact your bank or call Brilliant Earth at 800-691-0952.
Please note an ACH transfer is not the same as a wire transfer. At this time, Brilliant Earth does not accept ACH transfers.
Telephone: If you prefer not to use your credit card over the Internet, you can call us to place your order at 800-691-0952. We would be happy to have one of our experienced representatives assist you.
Yes. Brilliant Earth is committed to ensuring you have a safe and risk-free shopping experience. We use Authorize.net, the leading Internet payment gateway, to process your credit card purchase and Verisign for SSL encryption of your credit card information. Read the details about our security policy.
Currently, sales tax is only collected by Brilliant Earth on orders shipped to addresses in the state of California. Orders shipped to Canada will have standard GST and PST applied, but no additional duties.
When your order is in transit to you, shipment is always risk-free. For your protection, Brilliant Earth always:
- Insures and registers all items for their full value.
- Requires that all deliveries must be made only to a physical business or home address. We do not ship to P.O. Box addresses.
- Requires an adult to sign for the delivery.
You will receive an email confirmation once your order is received and another confirmation once your package has been sent. If you have any concerns about your order, please feel free to contact us at 800-691-0952.
Phone numbers allow us to contact you if there's ever a question about your order. Shipping companies also require the phone number of the intended recipient of the package as part of the delivery process.
We understand that diamond jewelry is often given for special surprise occasions such as an engagement. Please let us know what we can do to make sure you maintain your surprise. Special arrangements can be made by contacting us at 800-691-0952.
To find your ring size, follow our directions for measuring ring size.
The length of the chain will determine where the necklace will fall, whether choker length, at or below the collarbone, or at the neckline. We measure the length from the beginning of one end, to the end of the other, including the clasp (which may add an additional .75 inches). Different lengths are worn for different occasions and different outfits. The most common length is the 18" length, which typically falls at the collarbone.
- 16": Choker length. Accentuates her neckline.
- 18": At collarbone. Classic length.
- 20": A few inches below collarbone.
- 22": At or above neckline. For more dramatic, stylish look.
