Brilliant Earth is jewelry design that procures and sells ethically-sourced and lab-grown diamonds and other gemstones. The company was established in August 2005 by Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg, and is located in San Francisco, California. The company is certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council, a responsible and ethical business practices certification organization. According to Businessweek, the company has been influential in creating a market ethically-sourced jewelry. Some provenance claims were disputed as per a 2017 The Next Web article.
History
The idea for Brilliant Earth was conceived in 2004 by two Stanford alumni, Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg. Gerstein was looking for a ethically-produced engagement ring in 2003, failing which she partnered with Grossberg to establish Brilliant Earth in August 2005, and launched their e-commerce website in July 2006. The company has since opened showrooms in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., San Diego and Denver.
Operations
Brilliant Earth uses both natural diamonds and lab-created diamonds in its jewelry. The natural diamonds are sourced from Diavik and Ekati mines in Canada, and from Namibia and Botswana, where the working conditions and diamond sourcing meets company's ethical standards. The company's sapphires are from either Australia or Malawi. The company uses recycled materials such as gold, silver and platinum or obtains them from co-ops that meet standards set by the Alliance for Responsible Mining. They are a Certified Carbonfree® Business Partner and use FSC-certified wood for boxes. They offer both modern as well as vintage styles including Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deo designs and serves a socially conscious audience.
Community service
Brilliant Earth donates a part of its profits to charities that help African communities affected by conflict diamonds. In 2015, the company funded a mobile school in Lungudi, a village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for students at risk of working in the local diamond mines. It has also partnered with Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organisation.
Controversy
In June 2017, The Next Web reported Brilliant Earth was indicated to have inventory sourced from Canadian origins, despite eight of the ten listed suppliers were from India. The report was initiated following an April 2017YouTube video posted by self-claimed diamond industry insider Jacob Worth, wherein he investigated the origin of a Brilliant Earth diamond he had purchased, allegedly with a Canadian origin, to the New York supplier who reportedly indicated having no records of those origins. Brilliant Earth filed a lawsuit against Worth for defamation, but the suit was discontinued with prejudice and without any disbursements, according to a notice filed in New York Supreme Court. No settlement is known to have been reached and the video posted by Worth was taken down.
