WARNING: Brilliant Earth ring only lasted 7 months

Advice

I did my research on this sub and other online resources about Brilliant earth when looking at engagement rings. I saw a lot of bad reviews for Brilliant Earth, but ulitimiley dismissed them because I figured they were “one offs” and wouldn’t happen to me. I recommended Brilliant Earth to my fiancé, got the most gorgeous ring, and have been so happy for the last 7 months. Until tonight. I was at home for the whole evening when I look down and my ring is on but the STONE IS GONE. It is a larger stone and I should have felt at least a tug, but no, it is just gone.

We have two mini dauchunds who eat everything in sight, so I am in immediate panic mode. They literally ate a toy and a lamp cord today, so nothing is off limits for them. My fiancé and I search the inside and outside of the house and found it on the floor in the kitchen. The heaviest thing I picked up tonight was a cup. There was nothing I did to make it fall out. I am shaking. It was the best of the worst scenario. But BE WARNED!!! Pay the extra price for a local jeweler with a ring that won’t break after 7 months.

Here is a photo of it before it broke because it was so pretty. I am taking the stones to a local jeweler to have it re-set on Friday. Lessons leaned for me. And I hope that someone can learn from this too. Don’t let it be you.

in EngagementRingsby Chemical_Attitude7

240

94%

DayZee260

198

That’s a big stone for such a thin band.

Trash_panda422

I agree. I don’t think a professional jeweler would have mounted that stone on that band.

o_littotralis

106

Before reading what happened, my first thought was 4 prongs for a stone that size?! Of course an excellent jeweler could have made that more durable, etc. But I think a very good jeweler would probably recommend a different setting.

I was worried 4 prongs were too few for my 1 carat stone

lightsout155

Not trying to be a jerk, but please consider jewelry insurance. It's not too expensive and the peace of mind is great.

Chemical_Attitude7

We will definitely get insurance after we repair the ring

peridot94

12h

You might be able to keep the setting but have a jeweler add a gallery rail to the prongs-- makes it so much more structurally sound, because it's harder for the prongs to spread-- but defer to the jeweler's advice if they're recommending something different.

Ideally rings worn daily should be checked by a jeweler every 6 months to help prevent this kind of thing as well, but design will definitely contribute largely to how effective that can be.

0neirocritica

206

I'm not sure what the point of research was if you just disregarded the numerous and multiple stories about poor craftsmanship and terrible customer service. They're ALL over this subreddit. Not trying to make you feel bad, it's just mind boggling that people are still buying in droves from this company only to have such poor experiences themselves. But I'm SO glad you found the diamond! I would have had a panic attack if I looked down at my ring and my center stone was just GONE. I hope your local jeweler does it justice because it's a gorgeous ring.

Beauty-RaRa21

Exactly. Seeing all of the negative reviews on BE here equals more than just “one offs.” That doesn’t even make sense. Nearly everyone on here who has purchased from them has expressed regret on this sub. Also, could have left out the part about the dogs possibly eating the diamond since that is not what actually happened. I guess it does add drama to the story though.

coachella68

Oh thank God. I was waiting for you to say the dog ate it and you were gonna have to dig thru the poop hahaha! I’m so relieved for you, and this is a good PSA.

biscuitsngravy22

I have the same exact ring from BE. While it’s beautiful and I love how thick the band is (for those saying the band is too thin it’s a 2mm band) even though my ring is platinum and my stone is a little smaller than yours, I’ve had the center stone tightened three times and a side stone tightened once over three years. My lack of knowledge at the time definitely hurt. This setting should have at least a gallery rail or better yet 6 prongs.

Although you’re getting it reset, my best advice is the insure the ring and regularly check all stones. I honestly don’t wear my ring while I’m home anymore to reduce the risk of anything happening to it.

cavoodle11

Has one of the prongs bent?

Chemical_Attitude7

It bent and the tip of the prong snapped off. Even though I don’t recall catching it on anything

sauerkraut916

Thank you for posting about Brilliant Earth quality. I have read articles that address similar issues with their ring integrity.

I’m soooo glad you found your center stone !!

HippieChykk

I'm glad you found the stone! My mom has a dauchund too, and he's the same way.

Jazzlike_Pride5489

I really oved a BE ring but after reading all these stories I decided to bring a picture of the ring I liked to a local jeweler. We modified the ring in 3 different ways to make it more structurally sound per their expertise. Added a gallery rail, made the band thicker and removed accent stones near the bridge. I think BE focuses on beauty over longevity in their design, but my designed ring is just as beautiful! This is something I would recommend others to do as it wasnt more expensive than BE.

stormenta76

Thanks for sharing your story. I’m glad the stone was found! I’m newish to this sub so definitely gonna stay away from Brilliant Earth

purpleorchid2017

Sorry this happened but so glad you found your stone. This just unlocked a new fear.

Beauty-RaRa21

This is sad to have happen. Equally true, I also have read so many bad reviews of Brilliant Earth on here that it is far too many to be considered “one offs.”

Witty_Bun

Brilliant earth was 3x the amount as a local diamond jewelry for me. They quoted me $16k for a 3 carat lab compared to multiple jewelers who quoted me $5K. Didn’t end up going to brilliant due to their insane mark up.

Thats really unfortunate that your husband overpaid for brilliant just for this to happen 😭😭

themacmonster

58m

16k is INSANE

climbing-nurse

Such a shame because their rings are pretty :/

keep-rising

Mine is from Brilliant Earth and has been fine, almost 10 years old. Probably depends on design.

BeachBumHarmony

Round | .83 ct | J | VVS1

I was thinking this too.

If there are any stones on the band, it needs to be at least 2 mm - this looks too thin, so it has compromised structural integrity.

And as other have commented - 4 prongs for a stone that size... I wonder if it has a basket.

Chemical_Attitude7

It doesn’t look like it from the picture, but it actually is a 2 mm band! One of the prongs pulled back and then snapped and that’s how it fell off. But it’s crazy that it did because I never even felt a tug on it. But no, there is no basket

BeachBumHarmony

Round | .83 ct | J | VVS1

A basket is definitely needed for the extra support. I have a four prong with a much smaller stone and have a basket.

Metals can be pretty soft in general. They can warp easily.

alefkandra

Oh shoot! Was literally looking at engagement rings this morning with my bf and I was telling him to go to Brilliant Earth. Did you consider other similar ethically sourced brands and if so, which ones?

donnamon

I went with The Art of Jewel after falling in love with the hidden halo, and seeing all of those reviews.

alefkandra

Thanks! We’re looking at Diamondiere but will defo research The Art of Jewel.

Inevitable_Prior4834

I got mine from the True Gem after seeing all the terrible Brilliant Earth reviews.

alefkandra

Thanks! And dang, why the heck is everyone downvoting my comment….

themacmonster

59m

Comments that even mention something people don’t agree with, even if the point of your comment is to rectify it or stating you realized it’s a bad idea, gets downvoted. I don’t understand it…

Sarahhhh30

I’m shocked that only has four prongs!! My 1ct pear has 6 prongs from brilliant earth. And your stone is definitely larger than mine haha

AerieLow5945

22h

Argh. Sorry this happened to you. I’m nervous. Considering Rare Carat a similar company.

Kittykat5550

53s

As a jeweler i hate to say this but this very thin ring trend needs to stop - its not going to be a choice that lasts years and years of daily use. Such Super thin rings needs to be checked by goldsmith at least once a year so all the settings are good. Dont use these kinds of rings when you go to gym, exercise, or do any other harsh work with your hands to protect the delicate ring. Of course your ring is stunning and the company needs to take responsibility of their products. It is still a common thing among all kinds of super delicate jewelry - they are not the best option for daily use.

Watertribe_Girl

So glad you found it!

MyIndoorRainforest

Yeaaa, I’m glad you found your stone! I’m glad you was at home and not all over your city! All these horror stories have definitely scared me straight lol I’m going to buy my 5 main stones online, get the setting made across seas and have my local jeweler set my stones lol I’ve read too many bad reviews about “the art of jewels”, “brilliant Earth” and even big box stores

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Chemical_Attitude7

Yes, we luckily found it on the kitchen floor

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Weaselpanties

What's wild about that is that I looked at Brilliant Earth's lab diamond prices and they are literally FIVE TIMES what I am seeing elsewhere. If she was getting what she paid for it wouldn't have broken.

purpleorchid2017

Right, it's crazy they're so terrible to be so expensive.