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Grown Brilliance vs. Brilliant Earth vs. Rare Carat vs. VRAI: Comparison and  Reviews 2024

Grown Brilliance vs. Brilliant Earth vs. Rare Carat vs. VRAI: Comparison and Reviews 2024

    Grown Brilliance vs. Brilliant EarIf you're searching for an ethically-made, eco-friendly jewelry, consider lab-grown diamonds, which are identical to natural diamonds in composition and appearance—but retail for a fraction of the price.When it comes to purchasing diamonds, the choice of retailer can significantly impact your buying experience.Lab-grown diamonds are available through various channels, from online retailers to traditional jewelry stores.So where to buy the best lab-grown diamonds and jewelry?You’ve probably heard of Grown Brilliance,Brilliant Earth, Rare Carat or VRAI when looking for lab-grown diamonds.All four sellers offer more than adequate inspection features, certificates, a wide range of diamonds, excellent prices – and more.And you may be wondering which is the best place to shop.In this guide,I’ll delve into a comprehensive comparison among Grown Brilliance,Brilliant Earth, Rare Carat and VRAI,covering various aspects such as pricing,diamond and jewelry selection, quality, and overall shopping experience to determine the pros and cons of each.By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of which option suits your needs best.

Cover Photo:Esther Tuttle on unsplash.com

Grown Brilliance Review

Lab Grown Diamonds Pricing: $739-$94,005

Shipping: Free FedEx domestic & international shipping

Company Histories and Commitments

Founded in 2021, Grown Brilliance is a New York-based brand that sells lab-grown diamond jewelry. The brand's founder, Akshie Jhaveri, is a third-generation jeweler who wanted to create a transparent and value-driven approach to jewelry. Grown Brilliance's jewelry is designed to be stylish and high quality, while also being sustainable and affordable.

Grown Brilliance started as an Amazon-first brand and became a leading online diamond jeweler offering premium features. As it has expanded its online and physical presence, Grown Brilliance competes with leading lab diamond sellers such as James Allen, Clean Origin, Ritani, and Brilliant Earth.

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Source:grownbrilliance.com

Grown Brilliance has a variety of lab-grown diamond and gemstone pieces, from simple to ornate fine jewelry and contemporary to classic wedding bands and engagement rings. For greater flexibility, you can custom-design your engagement ring or choose from a selection of loose lab grown diamonds—which can be filtered by shape, carat, color, cut, price, and clarity.

Their lab-grown diamonds are identical to mined diamonds in terms of their physical, chemical, and optical properties, and are graded by certified gemological institutes using the 4Cs. Each diamond comes with a certificate that verifies its parameters, including color grade, carat weight, clarity grade, and cut grade. According to Josh Sherman, vice president of marketing at Grown Brilliance, a majority of the brand’s diamonds are colorless (DEF) and VS2+ clarity.

Grown Brilliance Pros and Cons

ProsCons
  • Specializes in the world of lab-grown diamonds.

  • Low and highly competitive prices.

  • Devoted to social and environmental sustainability.

  • Choose from a variety of lab-grown diamonds, made-to-order.

  • Get your lab diamond in as little as 3 weeks or 4 months at most (depending on size).

  • The best ring design tool is available in the market.

  • Customization on all their jewelry with any loose diamond.

  • Limited brand recognition.

  • No direct access to certificates, but they can be requested.

  • Limited selection of colored diamonds.

  • Delivery is sometimes slow or delayed.

  • The designer tool is limited to rings, but they do have a Truly Custom collection.

  • No free shipping to every country.

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Brilliant Earth Review

Loose Diamonds Pricing: $230-$225,660

Shipping: Free FedEx International Priority shipping

Company Histories and Commitments

Brilliant Earth was founded in 2005 by Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg, sparked by Gerstein’s personal challenge to find an ethical and sustainable diamond engagement ring. Their mission is to cultivate a more transparent, sustainable, compassionate, and inclusive jewelry industry. Their purpose is to create jewelry you can feel good about wearing, without ever compromising between quality and conscience.Brilliant Earth has gone from a niche retailer to one of the major online retailers over the last decade.They also have a budding network of physical showrooms around the United States. 

They offer several different types of diamonds – lab grown, naturally mined, and recycled diamonds. Their natural diamonds are certified as Beyond Conflict Free. Meaning that they go beyond the jewelry industry’s ethical standards and are carefully selected for their ethical and environmentally responsible origins.

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Source:brilliantearth.com

Brilliant Earth's lab diamond assortment is one of the largest selections available industry-wide, allowing customers to select a stone that matches their preferences in terms of shape, fluorescence, as well as the 4 C’s: cut, color, carat, and clarity.Amd they also provide customers with detailed information about the origin of each stone. With a focus on transparency, Brilliant Earth is a popular choice for those seeking beautiful, conflict-free diamonds while prioritizing environmental responsibility.

Brilliant Earth Pros and Cons

ProsCons
  • Well-known brand with store locations across the U.S.

  • Expert customer support is available online.

  • Prioritizes conflict-free diamonds.

  • Responsibly sourced stones and metals.

  • Supply chain transparency.

  • Huge inventory of diamonds, including mined and lab-grown, and a large variety of diamond colors.

  • Diamonds are primarily graded by IGI, and the diamond certificates are available online.

  • Free virtual appointments.

  • Jewelry is made using recycled precious metals, and all packaging is sustainable.

  • Doesn’t specialize in lab-grown diamonds (but specializes in conflict-free).

  • Custom, modified, and engraved rings are subject to resize fees.

  • Diamond pricing may be slightly higher.

  • You have to zoom in a little to read the lab-grown diamond report.

Rare Carat Review

Loose Diamonds Pricing: $360-$4,000,000

Shipping: All 50 states in the US and Canada orders free

Company Histories and Commitments

When they launched as a small start up in 2016, Rare Carat started as a diamond search engine powered by artificial intelligence. The company grew very fast, and in 2019 they successfully morphed into a real retailer, which sells their own products and guarantees the quality of their products. You can either Shop Diamonds or Shop Lab Diamonds and thanks to their wonderful customer service, the  Rare Carat reviews have consistently been excellent.

The company mainly sells engagement rings and wedding bands, but also earrings, tennis bracelets, diamond necklaces and other Jewelry.All their Jewelry products are offered in an ethically-sourced natural diamond version, or in a more economical lab grown diamond version.

Many customers express their appreciation for the high quality and value of the diamonds they purchase. They frequently mention how Rare Carat’s selection exceeded their expectations regarding brilliance, clarity, and overall beauty, all at competitive prices.

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Source:Rare Carat Facebook

Rare Carat Pros and Cons

ProsCons
  • Used correctly, Rare Carat can help you get a good price by providing a price comparison to better-known online jewelry retailers.

  • Competitive prices.

  • Timely delivery and secure, elegant packaging.

  • The site was very easy to use.

  • Every diamond on their site is inspected by third-party gemologists, which isn't a standard universal practice.

  • Wide-ranging diamond education resources.

  • Enhanced search customization.

  • Outstanding customer service and satisfaction.

  • Great price you found might be on a not-so-great diamond.

  • They deal with man-made diamonds and loose diamonds only.

  • Since you aren’t sure who is making your jewelry the ring style or level of craftsmanship might not be up to the standards you want.

VRAI Review

Loose Diamonds Pricing: $300-$25,800

Shipping: All 50 states in the US and Canada orders free

Company Histories and Commitments

Founded in Los Angeles in 2014, VRAI is a Los Angeles-based fine jewelry brand that specializes in lab-grown diamonds and ethical jewelry. VRAI’s mission is to accentuate the beauty and potential of sustainably created diamonds. Their diamonds are a testament to their commitment to the environment: no mining, no carbon emissions, just pure diamond. This dedication to sustainability is not just limited to diamonds. The jewelry they offer is crafted in solid gold, never gold-plated or vermeil, and the gold they use is recycled, further emphasizing their commitment to eco-friendly practices.

VRAI’s minimalistic designs are gaining traction among Hollywood’s elite, and it’s not hard to see why. For one, the brand partners with expert diamond cutters to help ensure its pieces are of the highest quality. Plus, they’re sustainably crafted in a zero-emission foundry with recycled gold and shipped in repurposed packing.

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Source:VRAI Facebook

Shopping for a lab-grown diamond at VRAI means you'll be able to fully customize your ring and setting—even the size of the diamond, which VRAI states they will cut to order in any shape or size. You can also choose from a stable of classic settings like solitaire or a three-stone setting or opt for a more modern halo or hidden halo setting.

VRAI is not only committed to creating beautifully designed, sustainable products but also actively supports a variety of social organizations and initiatives. These range from fighting disease and eradicating poverty to promoting justice. VRAI encourages its community to join in these efforts, reflecting a commitment to positive change that extends beyond the jewelry industry.

VRAI Pros and Cons

ProsCons
  • Clear information about diamond origins.

  • Fashion-forward, contemporary styles.

  • Personalizable jewelry for a unique touch.

  • Possible to get a custom diamond.

  • They make beautiful jewelry pieces like engagement rings using recycled gold and ship them to different parts of the world using sustainable packaging. VRAI offers the best tailor-made diamonds from secured sources.

  • Operates primarily online.

  • VRAI does not offer independent certificates on their diamonds.

  • The price for their diamond cut is higher than those of many other companies.

  • The band on their rings is not covered in the lifetime warranty, and these bands may crack over the years.

Grown Brilliance vs. Brilliant Earth vs. Rare Carat vs. VRAI: Comparison Side by Side

Diamond Selection

Grown Brilliance - Grown Brilliance offers a vast selection of high-quality lab-grown diamonds in various shapes, sizes, and grades. Their inventory boasts approximately 91,000 loose round diamonds. In addition to loose diamonds, Grown Brilliance also has a wide selection of pre-set jewelry designs. The selection of pre-set jewelry designs is impressive and varied, ranging from traditional to unique and stunning pieces. It includes designer collaborations and a high-end premium collection.

Brilliant Earth - Brilliant Earth offers a wide variety of diamonds, including mined diamonds, lab-grown diamonds, and sustainably rated lab diamonds. It also has a wide selection of fancy diamond shapes and colors, making it suitable for any preference.In addition, Brilliant Earth has an impressive inventory of high-quality lab-grown diamonds, with over 50,000 loose diamonds available. 

Rare Carat - Rare Carat provides buyers access to both natural and lab-grown diamonds.At the time I was searching for diamonds for this review, Rare Carat offered 70,680 natural diamonds and 379,402 lab created diamonds.

VRAI - VRAI sells lab grown diamond jewelry. This includes loose stones, engagement ring settings, and fine jewelry like rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets. They do not sell mined diamonds. Every diamond you see on their website was grown in a plasma reactor by Diamond Foundry.

Ethical Sourcing and Sustainability

Grown Brilliance - Grown Brilliance sells only lab-grown diamonds. They believe lab-grown diamonds are a sustainable alternative to traditional diamonds and positively impact the environment and society. In addition to selling lab-grown diamonds, Grown Brilliance takes extra steps to ensure sustainability. They follow in the footsteps of companies like Brilliant Earth and VRAI by using eco-friendly practices. For instance, they use recycled materials in their jewelry boxes.

Brilliant Earth - Brilliant Earth's "Beyond Conflict-Free" promise includes diamonds that meet strict labor and environmental standards, supporting initiatives such as the Kimberley Process. But more importantly, Brilliant Earth sells lab-grown diamonds graded sustainably and produced using sustainable energy sources while following specific guidelines. While the selection is still somewhat limited, it is at the same level as other sustainable diamond industry leaders, such as VRAI.

Rare Carat - Rare Carat demonstrates a strong dedication to sustainability through ethical sourcing practices and eco-friendly initiatives.Every diamond is carefully checked to guarantee it is sourced ethically and mined responsibly, showcasing Rare Carat's commitment to moral standards. Their collaborations with similar suppliers highlight transparency and fair labor practices, strengthening their focus on sustainability.Additionally, Rare Carat plays a proactive role in lowering carbon emissions during transportation and makes use of environmentally friendly packaging materials, demonstrating its dedication to protecting the environment.

VRAI - VRAI has a strong focus on sustainability and ethical sourcing which is why their lab-grown diamonds are an increasingly popular choice for those looking to purchase diamond jewelry. VRAI diamonds are 100% conflict-free. They support only environmentally conscious practices while also creating jobs in their home state of California. VRAI is committed to using conflict-free, recycled gold and ethically sourced gems in all VRAI jewelry products. VRAI diamonds are also certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council.

Shopping Experience

Grown Brilliance - Grown Brilliance has a user-friendly website that offers a simple and hassle-free purchasing experience. You can view 360-degree high-definition videos, images of almost all diamonds, and relevant diamond data from their entire inventory. Unfortunately, grading reports are not directly available for download.However, you can obtain them by contacting the Grown Brilliance customer support team. Although this process can be a bit of a hassle, all diamonds are graded independently, and grading reports are available. 

Brilliant Earth - The shopping experience at Brilliant Earth is exceptional. Their website is user-friendly and easy to navigate, providing all the necessary information to evaluate diamond quality. The diamond certificates are legible, although they are low-quality.Brilliant Earth gives you direct access to all diamond certificates and generally better diamond inspection features.

Rare Carat - The online experience of shopping provided by Rare Carat is one of the best in the diamond marketplace. They have also added a significant personal touch to their eCommerce website, thus making the experience of shopping incredibly.Here is the problem with buying a diamond online: you must trust your eyes. Buying a diamond blindly is a pure gamble. That problem leads us to another one: most websites don’t have good quality videos with consistent photography. Notice that every photo on Rare Carat’s gallery looks different: the diamond is positioned differently, under different light conditions and white balance settings. As a customer, you cannot really know the actual color of the diamond, so you cannot compare different diamonds and pick the best one. It’s unreliable. Again, a gamble.

VRAI - The buying experience was very simple. Unlike some other lab grown diamond retailers, the website is very easy to navigate. Customers can choose between a wide array of options available regarding shape, size, color, and clarity grades while they shop.VRAI also offers a bespoke design service that allows customers to customize and create their own unique VRAI piece – this is a great way to ensure you get exactly what your heart desires.VRAI also provides helpful guides on how to purchase diamond jewelry, however, they appear to be lacking in the more technical pieces to help educate customers.

Warranty & Return Policy



WarrantyReturn Policy
Grown Brilliance

Lifetime Manufacturing Warranty

30-Day Returns: All returned products must be in their original, unworn condition and accompanied by all original documentation that was provided with the purchase.
Brilliant Earth

Lifetime Warranty against manufacturing defects on all Brilliant Earth fine jewelry.

Resizing: free 60-day resizes ensure that you can find the perfect fit.

30-Day Returns: Customers can return their purchases within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked.
Rare Carat

Manufacturer’s Defect: All products are covered for any manufacturing defects.

Coverage: This warranty does not cover damage due to wear and tear or mishandling.

Resizing: Customers can resize their rings at no cost within 90 days of receiving the order.

30-Day Returns: Customers can return their purchases within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked.

Conditions: The returned items must be in their original condition without any damage or alterations.

VRAI

Lifetime Warranty: for all VRAI created diamonds. 

Resizing: Complimentary resize up to one full US size by the quarter, half, or full size (which is equivalent to two full European/UK sizes). 

21-Day Returns: Customers can return their purchases within 21 days for a full refund, no questions asked.

Conditions: Returned or exchanged item(s) must be in their original condition, including packaging with all original documentation.

Conclusion

Grown Brilliance is the better choice for those seeking unique diamond jewelry, while Brilliant Earth offers a broader selection of loose and sustainable diamonds.

The only point that distinctly sets Rare Carat apart is that it takes on the ‘role of a friend or a consultant’ in the search for the ideal diamond. Rare Carat is one of the most valuable resources for finding natural and lab-created diamonds because of its selection, free gemologist checks, and strong comparison tools. If you are interested in finding out the best prices of quality diamonds, then Rare Carat is the one stop center you need. 

VRAI Diamonds has some great features that offer consumers an ethical, sustainable and affordable choice when it comes to purchasing diamonds. Unfortunately, their lack of independent diamond certification and light performance images are significant drawbacks that should not go unnoticed. Therefore, for the best-informed decision when choosing your diamond purchase, I would strongly advise you to shop elsewhere,such as Grown Brilliance,Brilliant Earth or Carat apart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns Grown Brilliance?

Grown Brilliance was founded by Akshie Jhaveri, a third-generation jeweler.

Is the Brilliant Earth lab grown?

They offer several different types of diamonds – lab grown, naturally mined, and recycled diamonds. Their natural diamonds are certified as Beyond Conflict Free. Meaning that they go beyond the jewelry industry's ethical standards and are carefully selected for their ethical and environmentally responsible origins.

Does Brilliant Earth sell real gold?

Yes. Brilliant Earth is proud to offer platinum, 18K white gold, 14k rose gold, and 18k yellow gold as a standard option for most styles. They also offer 14k white gold,14k yellow gold, meteorite, tungsten, and tantalum for a select number of styles.

What makes Brilliant Earth different?

At Brilliant Earth, their diamonds are especially unique: their natural diamonds are Beyond Conflict Free, meaning that their origins go beyond industry standards to become truly ethical and sustainable.

Is Brilliant Earth really ethical?

Yes. They make sure their diamonds come from countries and mining operations that follow strict environmental rules. Brilliant Earth approved diamond mines are in places like Botswana, Namibia, and Canada, which are considered low or moderate risk by the Gemstones and Jewellery Community Platform Index.

Does Brilliant Earth have GIA certified diamonds?

Many diamonds, including all Brilliant Earth diamonds, are certified by independent institutions such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the International Gemological Institute (IGI), HRD Antwerp, and the Gem Certification & Assurance Lab (GCAL).

Does Rare Carat use real diamonds?

Yes, it is safe to buy on Rare Carat. All diamonds sold on Rare Carat come with a certification report diamond report, so customers can be assured that the diamonds are authentic and of the exact quality represented.

Does Rare Carat do resizing?

Rare Carat ensure their sellers offer 30-day returns, no shipping fees, and no restocking fees. You can also resize your ring once at no charge within 90 days. You'll get a prepaid label to send the ring back, and your return or resizing will be promptly handled.

Why are Rare Carat diamonds so expensive?

The rarity of diamonds comes from the amount of good, gem quality stones. The bigger, more clear, least amount of color = rare. So long story short, good diamonds are hard to come by, which in turn means a bigger price tag.

Does Rare Carat offer a warranty?

Rare Carat offers a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects on all fine jewelry. We guarantee that all items sold will be free from any manufacturing defects at the time of delivery. For any manufacturing defects, Rare Carat will repair or replace the item without charge.

Is VRAI a luxury brand?

VRAI is considered a luxury brand due to its high-quality fine jewelry and engagement ring collections. The brand is known for expertly cut VRAI created diamonds, impeccable origin, craftsmanship, and modern-yet-timeless designs.

Are diamonds from VRAI real?

When you buy a VRAI created diamond, you're purchasing a real diamond without mining, deforestation, cartels, carbon emissions, or middlemen markups.

Who grades VRAI diamonds?

At VRAI, they utilize a carefully-selected group of GIA-trained gemologists who are certified to be diamond graders. 

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2024-08-22 19:58266