Leading ethical jeweler Brilliant Earth has unveiled two new innovative collections featuring lab-grown diamonds made from captured carbon and 100 percent renewable energy.
The two new collections come as Brilliant Earth continues its efforts to become the world’s most sustainable jewelry company. The collections showcase the impact of sustainable diamond production methods.
The carbon capture technology extracts carbon dioxide before it reaches the atmosphere, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases. This carbon is then employed in the growth of diamond crystals, effectively trapping the CO2 permanently within the jewel. Concurrently, the company produced another collection of lab diamonds entirely powered by renewable energy, from the growth phase to the final cutting and polishing stages.
“We are proud to be the first to offer carbon capture diamonds at scale directly to our customers, while continuing to advance our capabilities in 100 percent renewable energy,” Beth Gerstein, CEO and Co-Founder at Brilliant Earth, said in a statement.
“We are leading the industry in creating a standard for traceable, sustainable, and responsibly manufactured lab-grown diamonds by pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation,” Gerstein said. The new carbon capture collection is a monumental step forward for Brilliant Earth and we’re proud to lead the industry.”
Both collections showcase a broad array of diamond sizes and cuts. The same region houses all the processes, minimizing the carbon footprint associated with transportation. To ensure labor rights and safety, all manufacturers have been audited to comply with Brilliant Earth’s Supplier Code of Conduct. Customers can also solicit in the company’s ‘Create Your Own’ service to customize various styles, including bridal pieces and fine jewelry, using these carbon capture diamonds.
“In partnership with our growers and manufacturers, we have incorporated carbon capture and renewable energy into the lab diamond production process to set a precedent within the industry. With these advancements, we are creating a standard, affecting real change and seeing progress across the industry,” said Allison Charalambous, VP of Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing.
Brilliant Earth’s commitments to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) leadership are further cemented with the launch of the carbon capture diamond collection.
The company has already audited more than ninety-two percent of its lab manufacturers for adherence to ethical working conditions, reasonable working hours, and fair wages.
Brilliant Earth continues to push the boundaries in ethically sourced fine jewelry; its recent partnership with Tracr brings blockchain-enabled diamonds directly to consumers.
Last month, it patterned with Tacori on an ethical bridal collection. Each gem and precious metal in the collection is ethically sourced.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Tacori,” said Kathryn Money, SVP of Merchandising and Retail Expansion at Brilliant Earth. “This new collection embodies our commitment to providing our customers with exquisite craftsmanship, intricate design, and ethically sourced fine jewelry.”
The company will report its second-quarter earnings next week after a notable Q1 2023.
“The first quarter marked our seventh consecutive period of consistently strong performance,” Gerstein said in a statement. Despite a two percent YoY dip in sales, the company surpassed expectations. Brilliant Earth Chief Financial Officer Jeff Kuo said a rise in cost related to growing the company’s showrooms to nearly three dozen locations, along with inflation-related costs on employees, rent, and marketing, also impacted revenues.
“As you’ve heard me say often, bridal is a highly resilient category even as we know we are coming off an unprecedented period for weddings,” Gerstein said on an earnings call in May.
“While we anticipate some normalizing throughout this year, we are quite competent in our ability to continue to grow both demand and market share.”
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