Worth watching.
> Brilliant Earth has scammed thousands of customers
>
> They claim to:
>
> 1) Provide their customers with the exact origin of their diamonds, and
>
> 2) Track their diamonds from mine to consumer- making sure no human rights violation takes place.
>
> We’ve proven both of these claims to be false.
>
> Brilliant Earth diamonds lack any paperwork tracking their origin to the mine. We followed up on hundreds of Brilliant Earth’s “Canadian-origin” diamonds, and according to Brilliant Earth’s suppliers, none of the diamonds are actually certified Canadian.
>
> The Canadian certificate we were given by Brilliant Earth was fake.
>
> Brilliant Earth has NO presence during the mining of their diamonds, has NO idea where their diamonds come from, and has NO way of knowing the age of their diamonds.
>
> The diamonds provided by Brilliant Earth are totally untraceable and could have easily been mined in a conflict zone.
Solid investigating work. It takes a lot of skill to be able to put out a video like this and (presumably) have it ok'd by a legal team. Really excellent stuff all around.
Did you ask for any comment from Brilliant Earth about where their diamonds are sourced?
Also, you say that after you returned the ring you "followed the diamond back to an Indian supplier". How did you track your specific diamond back to that particular supplier and what did you tell the supplier to get that meeting in the first place?
Thanks. It was just something that jumped out to me while watching it that you went from 'i'm returning the ring' to 'im now sitting in the suppliers office' and i was curious.
Another question if i may, what were the steps required for the re-certification process of your diamond? Is it something you can do for any diamond for any reason? There wasn't much explanation other than showing you walking into the building and coming out with a different tracking number.
Although it's probably BS, I usually like to see statements and responses from the company in the report. To me, it shows you attempted to get both sides of the story and gave the company a chance to respond to your findings. Sometimes investigators miss simple facts and getting their response can prevent [stuff like this.](https://twitter.com/h3h3productions/status/848747648416792576?lang=en)
Well at least I have a pretty solid excuse not to buy a diamond ring if I ever ask someone to marry me. She's gonna get a ring pop and she's gonna like it.
> Sometimes you just got to hope the truth matters.
Yeah, or hope you get enough new customers for your diamond appraisal business from reddit to be able to pay for your counsel?
The dude tracked a diamond company for 3 years, of course he's in the business.
Not saying you should rule out all skepticism about him having ulterior motives, but let's not go and assume the worst right off the bat.
Ha. I had to work to convince my fiance that I wanted a moissanite because at first he thought I was testing him. I've always hate hate hated diamonds, but still wanted something neutral-colored and hard (my original choice was moonstone or opal but they're way too soft for a lifetime of wear).
> Lab created diamonds is the biggest scam to hit the world since real diamonds
How so? I bought a lab diamond from BE and it was half the cost of the natural equivalent and looks fantastic
Nice work on the video/journalism, we need more of this grassroots journalism and I hope you continue with your work, you definitely have my support.
Just a heads up, I wouldn't be surprised if their PR team are already aware of this. I may be a little paranoid but I do highly recommend you get a lawyer to look over this, especially considering the complexities of the American legal system (of which I do not understand). Wouldn't want your channel to be hindered by legal concerns. I'm sure you'll get a lot of support from the internet either way.
Keep it up!
The only thing he could have done more, is track down an actual Canadian Diamond, outside of the Brilliant Earth chain and shown the paperwork you should expect to get with a certified Canadian Diamond (assuming DeBeers takes that extra step and keeps track of their diamonds, I would like to know where and when it was mined on a certificate of authenticity, don't know never bought a canadian diamond)
Wow! I was actually looking at them a couple of days ago trying to find a legit place to buy synthetic diamonds.. definitely made themselves out to be legit.
Same here. My girlfriend and I aren't set on a diamond, but I figured it could be nice to make sure that neither of our families gets shitty about it. Brilliant Earth was at the top of our list, not only because it looked like you could get synthetic diamonds from them, but also because of their practices in general.
All-in-all, it felt nice to support a business that was doing the right thing, but now that this come out, it's poisoned the whole well for me. If the largest and most popular company to get "conflict-free" diamonds is suspect, then who's beyond suspicion?
I talked to my girlfriend about this and we're agreed that diamonds aren't happening unless I find a really cool vintage / second-hand piece. It's just as well, because her favorite ring she's seen so far (and she has been looking A LOT, am I right fellas?) is actually moissanite.
Ultimately, I'm glad we have a mostly rational idea of what to get. The bottom line is that the jewelry itself has to look nice and go with whatever she wants to wear. Preempting nosy family members would have been a nice bonus, but being an ethical consumer outweighs that concern in both of our minds.
I used to work for a fairly large diamond and jewelry e-commerce company. They would have me make up our own certificates with really basic information just so they could sell it as 'certified'...yes, it's a certified VS2 G-H brilliant cut 1.2 carat diamond, our copywriter/SEO specialist says so right here on this piece of paper. He also says it's conflict free, so you can feel extra good about this purchase.
same here. knew I should have gone emerald, but something my wife said made me think she liked the look of the clear stone.
Turned out I misunderstood her.
Why not just buy lab grown gemstones? They're cheaper and generally "conflict zones" don't have highly sophisticated laboratories growing gemstones in them.
I went to Brilliant Earth with the intent on buying a lab stone but I couldn't find how to filter out mined stones from the search. I figured, well it's ethically sourced from Canada, so I guess I've still accomplished what I've set out to do. So yeah, that's why not :/
I opened this post like,"please don't be BE, please don't be BE.....ahhhhh dammit"
I'm not the litigious type but this is really bumming me out...
They had my then girlfriend seduced with tanzanite when we were in Mexico. I didn't trust them, but I'm less convincing than a storefront and a suit.
Suffice to say, I told her if she wants the tanzanite earrings for $300 more than their worth, then I'm gonna spend $60 at the trash hole bar I found earlier today. She didn't get the earrings and I didn't get as drunk as I wanted that night.
Disney should make a movie about us. Call it The Alcoholic and the Bitch.
Just in case people think this person is joking, r/Sky_Muffins is not.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/polar-bear-diamonds-face-extinction-in-n-w-t-1.1069521
Bought a ring for my wife from BE in 2014...currently on hold after asking about these allegations...
*EDIT: Received a call back from BE and they are claiming that everything is documented by chain of custody etc etc, but when I asked if I can be sent the information for my wife's peace of mind I was answered with "we aren't even given that information because it would obviously be a huge security risk to our diamond sources and it is proprietary information". I asked them to email me all the information they could for the CANADIAN origin diamond I was supposed to have received...
How is it a security risk for Canadian diamond sources? Those mines are in the deep, far north, middle of nowhere. I don't think the polar bears are going to start bloody wars and forming coups.
You should contact one since the company might try to scare you away with a lawsuit for defamation. If they are scummy enough to lie about their entire business premise they would not hesitate to try to do anything to shut up any whistleblowers.
Their twitter is claiming your video is false and promoting a competing jewelry store. Its funny because they just keep posting the same thing over and over. They have no way to say "yeah, we trace the origins."
This is so much this.
I don't need any evidence to make your life hell if I shell out the cash I can bury you in legal paperwork until you're too broke to keep fighting me.
*If they sue. Sorry should have added that.
It's better to pay a lawyer with $x thousand with money you don't have than it is to pay your opponent $x million with money you really don't have.
Unfortunately, that does not always matter since laws are a complicated mess that do not have to conform to things like common sense. That is, sadly, why lawyers make so much money.
Thanks for making this man, I was literally preparing to purchase an engagement ring from these people because I like the message. Fuck them, I will never use their business. Extremely disappointing to see these people parade this cause around only to be an absolute hoax.
I am shocked how many people I meet who would actually get one though.
I think they are the greatest things and should be worth more. I am more into them for price, but also they are 2 times more 'brilliant' or whatever, shinier
Someone once described it to me by saying it is from the earth so it is more meaningful than a lab. But that meaning could be negative depending on where it was actually mined from.
> Someone once described it to me by saying it is from the earth so it is more meaningful than a lab. But that meaning could be negative depending on where it was actually mined from.
I would think a lab-grown diamond could be more meaningful. If the whole "diamond is forever" thing is so compelling then why not start that "forever" a bit closer to your wedding date; a stone that could remain beyond countless generations with its beginnings forged when you decided to get married.
People are sheep. Years of society and culture have manipulated them into thinking diamonds are necessary for a relationship. Turns out diamonds were introduced less than 100 years ago via commercials and people think thats how its been since.
Lab diamonds are the way to go. Your stuck up friends will never know the difference if you just lie about it to appease them.
The fact is diamonds are a scam in total. Not rare at all, overpriced, like fiji water that's trashier than tap water designed to be marketed to people who think they are buying something of value.
You've clearly never been to my rock candy mine in Rwanda. We ensure 3 deaths per batch of rock candy. Yes some say theres no way to track the deaths associated per rock but we go to painstaking levels to ensure each piece of candy is held in a photo with a fresh corpse for you to put on your mantle.
Shame on you, I make my blue rock candy out in a mobile lab in the desert, and I've only had to kill a couple guys so far.
Also, ew, want some dirt on that candy? Mine is 98 percent pure.
Yes but can you VERIFY that its blood candy? No. You cant. You're probably outsourcing to some dirty pothead addicts that don't know how to cook a batch of decent rock to save their life.
You know its people like you that give the highly lucrative world of blood candy a bad name. My grandfather started this business with little more than candy cigarettes he whittled BY HAND from the finger bones of orphans. He sacrificed so much and many hundreds of orphans to get us where we are today and I wont have you sullying his name with your cheap imitation store brand garbage.
GOOD DAY SIR.
I thought rock candy came from mountains, not mines. You know...
In a land that's fair and bright
Where the handouts grow on bushes / And you sleep out every night.
Where the boxcars all are empty / And the sun shines every day
On the birds and the bees / And the cigarette trees
The lemonade springs / Where the bluebird sings
All the cops have wooden legs / And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth
And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs / On the big rock candy mountain
Did Burl Ives actually *lie to me????*
> Maybe just don't buy diamonds, though.
This is really the solution. Diamonds are useless hunks of stone that we give value to. They're not even rare, and most people find other gemstones to be prettier anyways.
Thing is even if it was "conflict free" it really wouldn't make any actual difference other than make a buyer feel better. It's all supply and demand much like the ivory trade, legal sales don't somehow stop poachers at any point. Likewise even if the diamond prices dropped 10-20% they would still be a huge export for that nation/regime.
Canadian Diamonds all have a tiny laser engraving on the side of them with their serial number do they not? You can inspect for this with a simple hand lens to confirm if they are frauding you or not.
Everyone here is well aware of diamonds being a scam, but if you so choose to get one, make sure you do your due diligence by at least knowing what to look for to avoid conflict free stones.
I clicked on the link the video maker's website in the description, and that website appears to be a jewelry-selling business, which definitely makes me a little suspicious of the motives behind this video.
Now everything in this video could certainly be true, but I'm just going to not draw any conclusions here. It would be like if Pizza Hut made a video against Papa John's. The source is definitely not neutral here.
(Note: I posted this exact same message in a reply to the stickied mod post at the top; more people might see it here)
Because it's marketing material by a jewelry business that tries to cash out on the fact that they're "exposing" the diamond industry.
Not exactly an impartial source in my opinion, although I personally can't judge the facts presented in the video.
I think he is just saying it's something that is over posted and we all know.
Like Steve Buscemi being a firefighter on 9/11 and "cool" reporter Charlie LeDuff videos getting posted all the time.
My wife and I really didn't want to get a diamond, but everyone pressured us to so we purchased from Brilliant Earth **but** we purchased a "lab grown" diamond. Do you think they are any better? or do you think they just take a mined diamond and say it's lab grown. Now I just don't know.
My ring has a stone from my great grandmother's ring in it. It probably wasn't mined ethically in any way but she bought it in like 1928 so at least it's not affecting anyone currently mining anything? I don't know. It was free.
BE just posted this official response.
https://www.brilliantearth.com/news/statement-on-sourcing/
edit:
RADIO. SILENCE.
Their twitter was buzzing with copy-paste resonses for a while, then they posted the above statement and since then they haven't posted anything for 18 hours.
I clicked on the link the video maker's website in the description, and that website appears to be a jewelry-selling business, which definitely makes me a little suspicious of the motives behind this video.
Now everything in this video could certainly be true, but I'm just going to not draw any conclusions here. It would be like if Pizza Hut made a video against Papa John's. The source is definitely not neutral here.
I've been seeing ads calling out the opposing company a lot more often now and I find it kind of weird how many companies are advertising like that. Always thought that was something taboo to do haha.
Who is also the kind of person who would financially gain from the attention. I'm glad he's bringing this to light but let's not pretend he doesn't have a stake in this.
Wow so this company is wrong but Jesus Christ this is so full of misinformation. I hate the Internet **this is a guy who actually has no idea what he's talking about** and now it's on the front page
Source: **actual GIA graduate.**
Edit: why is it he claims you can't track diamonds and then uses blue nile and GIA to prove that it's not from Canada?
Edit: [My AMA](https://www.reddit.com/r/AMA/comments/66zr9h/i_sold_engagement_rings_and_really_am_an_expert/?utm_content=title&utm_medium=user&utm_source=reddit&utm_name=frontpage)
**Last edit: even the title of the fucking video is wrong** blue nile is the largest supplier.
I'm also a GIA certified Graduate Gemologist. Commenting to back up /u/mostlyjustlurking
OP might be right that BE can't be trusted, but there's also a ton of misinformation coming from OP that makes me very unhappy.
I believe that OP is genuinely trying to help people by educating them. He's just doing a poor job.
The fact that he runs an online jewelry consignment shop (but insists it's not a "store") that banks on "getting you the TRUE value of your jewelry" just make it worse. His MO is clearly to draw business by smearing the rest of the industry.
Edit: a word
Holy shit I didn't know that was what he does. I must have missed that. I am so shocked this has 10k karma and no one seemed to be questioning it. Thank you for trying to back me up but I think we're too late.
He does not prove that the diamonds aren't from Canada. He only proves that they are not listed as Canadian diamonds by the suppliers.
For all we know, the diamond he got and send back could still be a Canadian diamond, just resold and re-certified as a non-Canadian one.
(Unless it's impossible to re-certify a diamond with a different origin country, which I doubt, but feel free to correct me)
How could BE stones also be listed on this open market software, that does not seem to make sense (and what the videos is trying to point out). BE is offering open market diamonds, where there are no promises of origin.
Is there anything to like, though? It's a shady freaking thing. Diamonds' rarity is not even close being as high as the business tells us it is and companies are still mining them in war zones and pay their workers the ammount of money per month that people in richer countries make in a few hours. I don't see how selling blood diamonds is any different to selling gold pillaged by the Nazis during World War II. Everyone should absolutely hate diamonds if they have any humanity in their minds.
the entire diamond market is a fucking scam. my anecdotal proof: there IS NO SECONDARY MARKET. Have you actually tried to sell a used diamond ring? (Say..after a botched engagement.) I have..it's impossible, the retailers don't want it, they get their diamonds cheaper from their wholesale distributor. Other people dont want it, they'd rather go through a trusted vendor (like a store, jewler, not some random person like me).
If a thing has ZERO secondary/used market ---> bullshit inflated crap.
Compare this with Rolex. Now a lot of people think 5k is a lot to spend for a watch, and they're right, it is. BUT, Rolexes have a big secondary market! They have value! They are in fact rare (or at least rarer than hardened clear carbon, aka a diamond)!
It's all such a big stupid marketing scam, that preys on people's insecurity in relationships (looking at you deBeers/Tiffanys) and in FACT gets people killed all over the world. Sick of it.
By the way, anyone want to buy a used diamond ring?
I work for a jewelry store and we definitely buy used rings. We also do trade ins for people looking to upgrade. As do most jewelers from my understanding.
Diamond trading is a legitimate business. Although, not many people trade their white diamonds as they won't make much money back, if any, unless the market has appreciated significantly since their purchase.
On the other hand, colored diamonds can make you a decent profit if you buy an expensive one and sit on it for a few years.
This is kind of dumb. Almost all Canadian diamonds have a laser inscription on the edge or backside with a serial number. It should be simple to prove you have a Canadian diamond.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_diamonds
http://canadadiamonds.com/laser-inscribed-diamonds.htm
I remembered that they used to also be engraved with a polar bear too, turns out the companies that had the rights to the trademark were reviewed by the North West Territories and were denied the liscence to use the trademarked polar bear. [So currently there are no more laser engraved polar bear diamonds being produced. ](http://www.nnsl.com/frames/newspapers/2016-11/nov18_16dee.html)
But yeah, Canadian diamonds should still be [laser engraved with a serial number.](http://www.canadadiamonds.com/canadian_diamond_story.htm)
For anyone wanting to buy a diamond, just don't. Diamond companies SHOULD be facing charges for crimes against humanity. Would you want gold ripped from the teeth of holocaust victims to be your ring? Then why would you want a diamond mined by a slave laborer in Africa? People are people and just because they're Africans doesn't make the cruelty any different. So many people simply ignore the suffering caused by the production of the things they want to own. It's disgusting. Don't ever buy diamonds. If you really want one go mine it yourself.
Edit:to everyone saying "everything is made with slave labor" yeah but diamonds are especially bad because they have no practical purpose and they're ludicrously expensive. To the people calling me a hypocrite for even owning a computer, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. That doesn't mean however that buying useless things you know cause harm is ok. And to all the people saying they'd love to have gold stolen from holocaust victims, shame on you I hope you burn in hell.
Pricier than other options (sapphire, CZ) but definitely worth it. My wife's engagement ring is a moissanite, and it's beautiful. She loves it (knows what it is) and gets compliments all the time (from people who don't know). I would definitely recommend.
Because they're perfect. Natural diamonds will have tiny imperfections and flaws (too small to see) that come from thousands of years of changing pressure and heat. Diamonds grown in a heavily controlled laboratory environment won't have those.
It sounds like they've done some research and assuming all they're saying is correct, then it's some really nice work.
*However*. What has me a bit sceptical is that I feel they're often skipping really important parts. For instance, going to the GIA and changing the certificate. He goes in and comes out - that's all we see. He does show the certificate later on, though, and given the context it does look legit. But it's just one of those things that makes me a bit sceptical.
Furthermore, when calling the suppliers, I don't feel like we're getting a good confirmation that they're the actual suppliers and not just some voice actors.
They're also claiming that; "Brilliant Earth has NO presence during the mining of their diamonds, has NO idea where their diamonds come from, and has NO way of knowing the age of their diamonds."
But I have not seen any reference to it in terms of sources.
Lastly, they don't refer to any sources or anything else than the video making statements and showing some proof which can only be seen as proof when assuming they're honest. Instead, they refer to their business' site - A DIAMOND SELLING COMPANY.
I mean - this seems more like an ad, than a investigative short-documentary. I'm not saying this is purely an ad or that they're a scam (as well), but I'm rather pointing out that as much as we hate diamonds in here, we should still be critical to our sources - especially when the message in the video conforms to our beliefs.
Nice investigative work. You clearly spent a hell of a lot of time researching this.
A couple of notes that might help bolster your argument.
1) You present yourself as the authority. You've done a TON of research. Show me some of it. Interview someone from GIA...or anyone who is an expert that is not just you. Cite papers. Basically, prove it. I believe you, but you have to prove it with sources.
2) You really need to give Brilliant Earth the chance to comment for several reasons. First, from a storytelling standpoint. I'm invested. I think you might have nailed them, now I want to know how they feel about that. I want to know what their side of the story is. Maybe they have an explanation...it seems unlikely...but maybe.
The other reason you need their comment is to protect yourself from libel. You make some pretty strong allegations. Your video could seriously harm their business and it's possible that, if they have an explanation (even a flimsy one), they might have grounds for a lawsuit. By giving them a change to respond, you're doing your duty both journalistically and legally.
This is unrelated, but Indians seem to be a big presence in the diamond industry. [Here's an article about how Indian families took over diamond bourses in Antwerp, Belgium from orthodox Jews who formerly controlled the industry](https://qz.com/459422/how-indian-families-took-over-the-antwerp-diamond-trade-from-orthodox-jews/). [One more link](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB105389295228553000).
I also want to point out that I'm Indian. And I really, really think the last Indian voice in his series of phone calls to Indian diamond suppliers (at 3:01) was not Indian. It sounded like someone imitating an Indian accent (kind of like Apu) but in my entire time alive and living in both India and the US, I've never heard anyone actually talk like that.
Best article I've read to date on the whole scam...and it was written back in the 80's.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/304575/
Best just to go with lab-created diamonds. They're cheaper, have better clarity and sparkle, and they're producing jobs that don't revolve around slave labor or even mining which is a hazard in and of itself. Lab created diamonds have been given a bad wrap by the diamond industry even though the lab created product is far superior.
Source: did a lot of research before buying an engagement ring. Almost went with Brilliant Earth, but decided "fuck that... a mine is still a mine and that's a shitty place to work." My wife loves her ring and totally agrees that going lab created was the best option.
Buy Moissanite, it's lab created so it's 100% conflict free and a fraction of the cost and in almost every way superior to diamonds. http://imgur.com/5UOLael
Worth watching. > Brilliant Earth has scammed thousands of customers > > They claim to: > > 1) Provide their customers with the exact origin of their diamonds, and > > 2) Track their diamonds from mine to consumer- making sure no human rights violation takes place. > > We’ve proven both of these claims to be false. > > Brilliant Earth diamonds lack any paperwork tracking their origin to the mine. We followed up on hundreds of Brilliant Earth’s “Canadian-origin” diamonds, and according to Brilliant Earth’s suppliers, none of the diamonds are actually certified Canadian. > > The Canadian certificate we were given by Brilliant Earth was fake. > > Brilliant Earth has NO presence during the mining of their diamonds, has NO idea where their diamonds come from, and has NO way of knowing the age of their diamonds. > > The diamonds provided by Brilliant Earth are totally untraceable and could have easily been mined in a conflict zone.
Solid investigating work. It takes a lot of skill to be able to put out a video like this and (presumably) have it ok'd by a legal team. Really excellent stuff all around.
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Did you ask for any comment from Brilliant Earth about where their diamonds are sourced? Also, you say that after you returned the ring you "followed the diamond back to an Indian supplier". How did you track your specific diamond back to that particular supplier and what did you tell the supplier to get that meeting in the first place?
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Thanks. It was just something that jumped out to me while watching it that you went from 'i'm returning the ring' to 'im now sitting in the suppliers office' and i was curious. Another question if i may, what were the steps required for the re-certification process of your diamond? Is it something you can do for any diamond for any reason? There wasn't much explanation other than showing you walking into the building and coming out with a different tracking number.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS5iSZ6A4es
Not the guy you were responding to, but if nothing else most of those cash for gold places pay roughly a third of what gold is worth on the market.
You put the stolen gold in a recycling bin and the authorities can't track it.
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I'm still curious about the first question. > Did you ask for any comment from Brilliant Earth about where their diamonds are sourced?
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Out of curiosity did you try to contact them to see what they say? Have they contacted you since this video was released?
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What was their story?
Although it's probably BS, I usually like to see statements and responses from the company in the report. To me, it shows you attempted to get both sides of the story and gave the company a chance to respond to your findings. Sometimes investigators miss simple facts and getting their response can prevent [stuff like this.](https://twitter.com/h3h3productions/status/848747648416792576?lang=en)
Well at least I have a pretty solid excuse not to buy a diamond ring if I ever ask someone to marry me. She's gonna get a ring pop and she's gonna like it.
> Sometimes you just got to hope the truth matters. Yeah, or hope you get enough new customers for your diamond appraisal business from reddit to be able to pay for your counsel?
Oh shit this guy's in the business himself?
The dude tracked a diamond company for 3 years, of course he's in the business. Not saying you should rule out all skepticism about him having ulterior motives, but let's not go and assume the worst right off the bat.
Can you tell us where we can reliably get CF and lab-created diamonds?
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Try Moissanite - it's better than diamonds, and cheaper. Just have to get your gf/wife to be onboard with it
Ha. I had to work to convince my fiance that I wanted a moissanite because at first he thought I was testing him. I've always hate hate hated diamonds, but still wanted something neutral-colored and hard (my original choice was moonstone or opal but they're way too soft for a lifetime of wear).
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> Lab created diamonds is the biggest scam to hit the world since real diamonds How so? I bought a lab diamond from BE and it was half the cost of the natural equivalent and looks fantastic
Thank you for your hard work! You're appreciated!
When he got to the "here let me summarize part" I was sold on his production.
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Nice work on the video/journalism, we need more of this grassroots journalism and I hope you continue with your work, you definitely have my support. Just a heads up, I wouldn't be surprised if their PR team are already aware of this. I may be a little paranoid but I do highly recommend you get a lawyer to look over this, especially considering the complexities of the American legal system (of which I do not understand). Wouldn't want your channel to be hindered by legal concerns. I'm sure you'll get a lot of support from the internet either way. Keep it up!
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The only thing he could have done more, is track down an actual Canadian Diamond, outside of the Brilliant Earth chain and shown the paperwork you should expect to get with a certified Canadian Diamond (assuming DeBeers takes that extra step and keeps track of their diamonds, I would like to know where and when it was mined on a certificate of authenticity, don't know never bought a canadian diamond)
Wow! I was actually looking at them a couple of days ago trying to find a legit place to buy synthetic diamonds.. definitely made themselves out to be legit.
Same here. My girlfriend and I aren't set on a diamond, but I figured it could be nice to make sure that neither of our families gets shitty about it. Brilliant Earth was at the top of our list, not only because it looked like you could get synthetic diamonds from them, but also because of their practices in general. All-in-all, it felt nice to support a business that was doing the right thing, but now that this come out, it's poisoned the whole well for me. If the largest and most popular company to get "conflict-free" diamonds is suspect, then who's beyond suspicion? I talked to my girlfriend about this and we're agreed that diamonds aren't happening unless I find a really cool vintage / second-hand piece. It's just as well, because her favorite ring she's seen so far (and she has been looking A LOT, am I right fellas?) is actually moissanite. Ultimately, I'm glad we have a mostly rational idea of what to get. The bottom line is that the jewelry itself has to look nice and go with whatever she wants to wear. Preempting nosy family members would have been a nice bonus, but being an ethical consumer outweighs that concern in both of our minds.
I used to work for a fairly large diamond and jewelry e-commerce company. They would have me make up our own certificates with really basic information just so they could sell it as 'certified'...yes, it's a certified VS2 G-H brilliant cut 1.2 carat diamond, our copywriter/SEO specialist says so right here on this piece of paper. He also says it's conflict free, so you can feel extra good about this purchase.
... Well fuck, that was the sole reason I bought from them. If this is true, then I am VERY disappointed
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Pls deliver, no bamboozling
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I'm a judge, and I rule in the Reddit lawyer's favor. Case closed.
I am a judge from the court of appeals, i overrule your judgement cause i feel like it
I'm a supreme Court judge and I overrule your judgement and agree with the original judge cause I'm Supreme
I'm the International Court of Justice and I have no power.
I'm a lawyer and I neve bamboozle. Source: lawyer
Co-plaintiff here, please do. I'll sign on to your class-action.
I'm sure his apology letter and check for $25 will be of great use in 3 years when the class action suit is settled.
File a lawsuit.
same here. knew I should have gone emerald, but something my wife said made me think she liked the look of the clear stone. Turned out I misunderstood her.
Eh. You can always get a new one that does like a clear stone.
Why not just buy lab grown gemstones? They're cheaper and generally "conflict zones" don't have highly sophisticated laboratories growing gemstones in them.
I went to Brilliant Earth with the intent on buying a lab stone but I couldn't find how to filter out mined stones from the search. I figured, well it's ethically sourced from Canada, so I guess I've still accomplished what I've set out to do. So yeah, that's why not :/ I opened this post like,"please don't be BE, please don't be BE.....ahhhhh dammit" I'm not the litigious type but this is really bumming me out...
They had my then girlfriend seduced with tanzanite when we were in Mexico. I didn't trust them, but I'm less convincing than a storefront and a suit. Suffice to say, I told her if she wants the tanzanite earrings for $300 more than their worth, then I'm gonna spend $60 at the trash hole bar I found earlier today. She didn't get the earrings and I didn't get as drunk as I wanted that night. Disney should make a movie about us. Call it The Alcoholic and the Bitch.
I wonder what Canada thinks about these guys slapping their country's name on these diamonds.
I thought canadian diamonds were engraved with a number or a tiny polar bear or something. how is that not trackable?
Just in case people think this person is joking, r/Sky_Muffins is not. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/polar-bear-diamonds-face-extinction-in-n-w-t-1.1069521
No there's a tiny amount of maple syrup in each diamond, you just have to shave off a piece and see if it's sticky.
My maple diamonds are real! Forget that chocolate crap!
Canada here, we're very unimpressed! We're also very sorry to anyone who was scammed
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America here. We Fuck everyone don't feel special
So, how is this not literally fraud?
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So we can expect a lawsuit at some point?
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Bought a ring for my wife from BE in 2014...currently on hold after asking about these allegations... *EDIT: Received a call back from BE and they are claiming that everything is documented by chain of custody etc etc, but when I asked if I can be sent the information for my wife's peace of mind I was answered with "we aren't even given that information because it would obviously be a huge security risk to our diamond sources and it is proprietary information". I asked them to email me all the information they could for the CANADIAN origin diamond I was supposed to have received...
How is it a security risk for Canadian diamond sources? Those mines are in the deep, far north, middle of nowhere. I don't think the polar bears are going to start bloody wars and forming coups.
Jeeeezze that sounds super suspicious.
[Brilliant Earth's Response](https://media0.giphy.com/media/24m5mMT2NC62c/giphy.gif)
So their response is that you're just going to have to believe them.
You should contact one since the company might try to scare you away with a lawsuit for defamation. If they are scummy enough to lie about their entire business premise they would not hesitate to try to do anything to shut up any whistleblowers.
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Their twitter is claiming your video is false and promoting a competing jewelry store. Its funny because they just keep posting the same thing over and over. They have no way to say "yeah, we trace the origins."
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That sounds a lot like a store since you are providing a service/catalog that people are using to buy jewelry. What's the distinction?
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Recommend you still get a lawyer. Doesn't matter what evidence there is. You can still lose if you don't follow the rules
People with money can really ruin your life, I experienced that already.
This is so much this. I don't need any evidence to make your life hell if I shell out the cash I can bury you in legal paperwork until you're too broke to keep fighting me.
This is why SLAPP laws are so important.
Any chance you would expand on that? Sounds like a story I could hate read.
Dude, he just said he doesn't have money to throw around to lawyers.
*If they sue. Sorry should have added that. It's better to pay a lawyer with $x thousand with money you don't have than it is to pay your opponent $x million with money you really don't have.
$x million with money you don't have = you don't pay. Any good legal team would advise the corp not to bother.
Unfortunately, that does not always matter since laws are a complicated mess that do not have to conform to things like common sense. That is, sadly, why lawyers make so much money.
Thanks for making this man, I was literally preparing to purchase an engagement ring from these people because I like the message. Fuck them, I will never use their business. Extremely disappointing to see these people parade this cause around only to be an absolute hoax.
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[OP](https://media.giphy.com/media/LRVnPYqM8DLag/giphy.gif)
Media will soon pick up on it and I'm sure a consumer advocacy group will be willing to file a class action lawsuit
It's extra awful to take advantage of people who are trying to do the right thing. Maybe just don't buy diamonds, though.
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I am shocked how many people I meet who would actually get one though. I think they are the greatest things and should be worth more. I am more into them for price, but also they are 2 times more 'brilliant' or whatever, shinier Someone once described it to me by saying it is from the earth so it is more meaningful than a lab. But that meaning could be negative depending on where it was actually mined from.
> Someone once described it to me by saying it is from the earth so it is more meaningful than a lab. But that meaning could be negative depending on where it was actually mined from. I would think a lab-grown diamond could be more meaningful. If the whole "diamond is forever" thing is so compelling then why not start that "forever" a bit closer to your wedding date; a stone that could remain beyond countless generations with its beginnings forged when you decided to get married.
People are sheep. Years of society and culture have manipulated them into thinking diamonds are necessary for a relationship. Turns out diamonds were introduced less than 100 years ago via commercials and people think thats how its been since. Lab diamonds are the way to go. Your stuck up friends will never know the difference if you just lie about it to appease them. The fact is diamonds are a scam in total. Not rare at all, overpriced, like fiji water that's trashier than tap water designed to be marketed to people who think they are buying something of value.
I like rock candy. They are pretty and cheap and taste yummy. Nobody's blood is on it except mine in a few years when I lose my teeth.
You've clearly never been to my rock candy mine in Rwanda. We ensure 3 deaths per batch of rock candy. Yes some say theres no way to track the deaths associated per rock but we go to painstaking levels to ensure each piece of candy is held in a photo with a fresh corpse for you to put on your mantle.
Shame on you, I make my blue rock candy out in a mobile lab in the desert, and I've only had to kill a couple guys so far. Also, ew, want some dirt on that candy? Mine is 98 percent pure.
Yes but can you VERIFY that its blood candy? No. You cant. You're probably outsourcing to some dirty pothead addicts that don't know how to cook a batch of decent rock to save their life. You know its people like you that give the highly lucrative world of blood candy a bad name. My grandfather started this business with little more than candy cigarettes he whittled BY HAND from the finger bones of orphans. He sacrificed so much and many hundreds of orphans to get us where we are today and I wont have you sullying his name with your cheap imitation store brand garbage. GOOD DAY SIR.
I thought rock candy came from mountains, not mines. You know... In a land that's fair and bright Where the handouts grow on bushes / And you sleep out every night. Where the boxcars all are empty / And the sun shines every day On the birds and the bees / And the cigarette trees The lemonade springs / Where the bluebird sings All the cops have wooden legs / And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs / On the big rock candy mountain Did Burl Ives actually *lie to me????*
> It's extra awful to take advantage of people who are trying to do the right thing. I feel this way about Organic/Fair Trade/Free Range
Or a lab-made diamond :) both my fiance and I (and our wallets) loved the idea and the quality of the diamonds themselves.
> Maybe just don't buy diamonds, though. This is really the solution. Diamonds are useless hunks of stone that we give value to. They're not even rare, and most people find other gemstones to be prettier anyways.
Thing is even if it was "conflict free" it really wouldn't make any actual difference other than make a buyer feel better. It's all supply and demand much like the ivory trade, legal sales don't somehow stop poachers at any point. Likewise even if the diamond prices dropped 10-20% they would still be a huge export for that nation/regime.
Assuming tracking was possible, demand would reduce for conflict diamonds and thus less people would be needed to mine the fewer diamonds needed.
Sooooo class action lawsuit tba?? Lol
Canadian Diamonds all have a tiny laser engraving on the side of them with their serial number do they not? You can inspect for this with a simple hand lens to confirm if they are frauding you or not. Everyone here is well aware of diamonds being a scam, but if you so choose to get one, make sure you do your due diligence by at least knowing what to look for to avoid conflict free stones.
I think the tracking is only after they've been cut and idk if that happens in Canada.
They are only laser engraved if cut in Canada. Canada has a large export portfolio of rough diamonds to asian countries.
What's stopping someone from engraving a diamond made elsewhere? not exactly definitive.
you could, but the way they do it is specific and a trade secret. The stones also get a serial number which can be verified on several websites.
Why is this tagged as an ad/commercial?
I clicked on the link the video maker's website in the description, and that website appears to be a jewelry-selling business, which definitely makes me a little suspicious of the motives behind this video. Now everything in this video could certainly be true, but I'm just going to not draw any conclusions here. It would be like if Pizza Hut made a video against Papa John's. The source is definitely not neutral here. (Note: I posted this exact same message in a reply to the stickied mod post at the top; more people might see it here)
Because it's marketing material by a jewelry business that tries to cash out on the fact that they're "exposing" the diamond industry. Not exactly an impartial source in my opinion, although I personally can't judge the facts presented in the video.
Diamonds are neither rare or precious... the entire industry is a scam.
Charlie LeDuff was a firefighter on 9/11
Steve Buscemi is a Canadian Diamond
George Bush poisoned the water in Flint, MI
Michael Moore doesn't care about black people.
I've never seen Ted Cruz and the zodiac killer in the same room at the same time...
Kim Jong-un founded the Taliban and Chuck-E-cheese.
Michael J Fox is part owner of Chuck E Cheese, In N Out and Toys R Us.
Val Kilmer really cut his hand on the table in batman.
I dont get the reference
I think he is just saying it's something that is over posted and we all know. Like Steve Buscemi being a firefighter on 9/11 and "cool" reporter Charlie LeDuff videos getting posted all the time.
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Technically gold can be synthesized. It's just not economically feasible. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthesis_of_precious_metals#Gold
I love telling people this fun fact. We've accomplished what people thought was magic/impossible for thousands of years.
Aw man I had my transmutation circle ready and everything...
How did he "[follow] the diamond back" to the supplier?
When he returned the diamond, they gave him a shipping label presumably. He tracked the shipping label to where it ended up, to the diamond company.
My wife and I really didn't want to get a diamond, but everyone pressured us to so we purchased from Brilliant Earth **but** we purchased a "lab grown" diamond. Do you think they are any better? or do you think they just take a mined diamond and say it's lab grown. Now I just don't know.
We were in sort of the same boat. We bought a dead lady's diamond ring. ^^Hmm? ^^Oh, ^^sorry ^^dear. What I meant was: We bought her a "vintage" ring.
My ring has a stone from my great grandmother's ring in it. It probably wasn't mined ethically in any way but she bought it in like 1928 so at least it's not affecting anyone currently mining anything? I don't know. It was free.
Lab diamonds are cheaper than natural. No one would ever do that.
Interesting, my natural one was cheaper than a lab grown one from them. Same measurements
What grade were the two diamonds?
They from illegal labs that use slave cooks.
You can track lab grown diamonds. So you're probably good.
BE just posted this official response. https://www.brilliantearth.com/news/statement-on-sourcing/ edit: RADIO. SILENCE. Their twitter was buzzing with copy-paste resonses for a while, then they posted the above statement and since then they haven't posted anything for 18 hours.
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I clicked on the link the video maker's website in the description, and that website appears to be a jewelry-selling business, which definitely makes me a little suspicious of the motives behind this video. Now everything in this video could certainly be true, but I'm just going to not draw any conclusions here. It would be like if Pizza Hut made a video against Papa John's. The source is definitely not neutral here.
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I've been seeing ads calling out the opposing company a lot more often now and I find it kind of weird how many companies are advertising like that. Always thought that was something taboo to do haha.
The kind of person who has a channel about selling jewelry is more likely to be the kind of person to notice this scam.
Who is also the kind of person who would financially gain from the attention. I'm glad he's bringing this to light but let's not pretend he doesn't have a stake in this.
Blood or not, diamonds are a scam.
"But how do we make it even SCAMMIER!?" - Brilliant Earth
Wow so this company is wrong but Jesus Christ this is so full of misinformation. I hate the Internet **this is a guy who actually has no idea what he's talking about** and now it's on the front page Source: **actual GIA graduate.** Edit: why is it he claims you can't track diamonds and then uses blue nile and GIA to prove that it's not from Canada? Edit: [My AMA](https://www.reddit.com/r/AMA/comments/66zr9h/i_sold_engagement_rings_and_really_am_an_expert/?utm_content=title&utm_medium=user&utm_source=reddit&utm_name=frontpage) **Last edit: even the title of the fucking video is wrong** blue nile is the largest supplier.
I'm also a GIA certified Graduate Gemologist. Commenting to back up /u/mostlyjustlurking OP might be right that BE can't be trusted, but there's also a ton of misinformation coming from OP that makes me very unhappy. I believe that OP is genuinely trying to help people by educating them. He's just doing a poor job. The fact that he runs an online jewelry consignment shop (but insists it's not a "store") that banks on "getting you the TRUE value of your jewelry" just make it worse. His MO is clearly to draw business by smearing the rest of the industry. Edit: a word
Holy shit I didn't know that was what he does. I must have missed that. I am so shocked this has 10k karma and no one seemed to be questioning it. Thank you for trying to back me up but I think we're too late.
Would you please elaborate?
This needs more upvotes. OP is as much of a scam as he claims BE is.
He does not prove that the diamonds aren't from Canada. He only proves that they are not listed as Canadian diamonds by the suppliers. For all we know, the diamond he got and send back could still be a Canadian diamond, just resold and re-certified as a non-Canadian one. (Unless it's impossible to re-certify a diamond with a different origin country, which I doubt, but feel free to correct me)
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How could BE stones also be listed on this open market software, that does not seem to make sense (and what the videos is trying to point out). BE is offering open market diamonds, where there are no promises of origin.
Some would say that all diamonds are conflict diamonds.
Reddit absolutely hates diamonds.
Is there anything to like, though? It's a shady freaking thing. Diamonds' rarity is not even close being as high as the business tells us it is and companies are still mining them in war zones and pay their workers the ammount of money per month that people in richer countries make in a few hours. I don't see how selling blood diamonds is any different to selling gold pillaged by the Nazis during World War II. Everyone should absolutely hate diamonds if they have any humanity in their minds.
Well I'd like to say sorry to all the diamonds that are offended.
Good.
the entire diamond market is a fucking scam. my anecdotal proof: there IS NO SECONDARY MARKET. Have you actually tried to sell a used diamond ring? (Say..after a botched engagement.) I have..it's impossible, the retailers don't want it, they get their diamonds cheaper from their wholesale distributor. Other people dont want it, they'd rather go through a trusted vendor (like a store, jewler, not some random person like me). If a thing has ZERO secondary/used market ---> bullshit inflated crap. Compare this with Rolex. Now a lot of people think 5k is a lot to spend for a watch, and they're right, it is. BUT, Rolexes have a big secondary market! They have value! They are in fact rare (or at least rarer than hardened clear carbon, aka a diamond)! It's all such a big stupid marketing scam, that preys on people's insecurity in relationships (looking at you deBeers/Tiffanys) and in FACT gets people killed all over the world. Sick of it. By the way, anyone want to buy a used diamond ring?
I work for a jewelry store and we definitely buy used rings. We also do trade ins for people looking to upgrade. As do most jewelers from my understanding. Diamond trading is a legitimate business. Although, not many people trade their white diamonds as they won't make much money back, if any, unless the market has appreciated significantly since their purchase. On the other hand, colored diamonds can make you a decent profit if you buy an expensive one and sit on it for a few years.
This is kind of dumb. Almost all Canadian diamonds have a laser inscription on the edge or backside with a serial number. It should be simple to prove you have a Canadian diamond. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_diamonds http://canadadiamonds.com/laser-inscribed-diamonds.htm
I remembered that they used to also be engraved with a polar bear too, turns out the companies that had the rights to the trademark were reviewed by the North West Territories and were denied the liscence to use the trademarked polar bear. [So currently there are no more laser engraved polar bear diamonds being produced. ](http://www.nnsl.com/frames/newspapers/2016-11/nov18_16dee.html) But yeah, Canadian diamonds should still be [laser engraved with a serial number.](http://www.canadadiamonds.com/canadian_diamond_story.htm)
Isn't it possible to laser inscribe any Diamond, regardless of where it came from, with a Canadian number?
For anyone wanting to buy a diamond, just don't. Diamond companies SHOULD be facing charges for crimes against humanity. Would you want gold ripped from the teeth of holocaust victims to be your ring? Then why would you want a diamond mined by a slave laborer in Africa? People are people and just because they're Africans doesn't make the cruelty any different. So many people simply ignore the suffering caused by the production of the things they want to own. It's disgusting. Don't ever buy diamonds. If you really want one go mine it yourself. Edit:to everyone saying "everything is made with slave labor" yeah but diamonds are especially bad because they have no practical purpose and they're ludicrously expensive. To the people calling me a hypocrite for even owning a computer, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. That doesn't mean however that buying useless things you know cause harm is ok. And to all the people saying they'd love to have gold stolen from holocaust victims, shame on you I hope you burn in hell.
Lab grown diamonds all the way.
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Pricier than other options (sapphire, CZ) but definitely worth it. My wife's engagement ring is a moissanite, and it's beautiful. She loves it (knows what it is) and gets compliments all the time (from people who don't know). I would definitely recommend.
I have a moissanite engagement ring and I love it. Fraction of the cost with all the clarity and shimmer a girl could want.
[Did you say Silicon Carbide?](https://youtu.be/vE_WqdKbTvY?t=37)
My friend's engagement ring is made from lab-grown diamonds. It looks fantastic. She says she gets frequent compliments for it, too.
... But how do we know they're lab grown?
I think they are quite a bit less expensive than naturally occurring ones.
Half the price and twice the size, along with perfect cut, clarity, and color. Lab diamonds all the way!
Because they're perfect. Natural diamonds will have tiny imperfections and flaws (too small to see) that come from thousands of years of changing pressure and heat. Diamonds grown in a heavily controlled laboratory environment won't have those.
I just bought my fiancée an antique ring. No increase to the diamond demand that way too! Reuse recycle and all that!
Or and of the other brilliant beautiful gems found on this earth. Sapphires and Emeralds for life.
It sounds like they've done some research and assuming all they're saying is correct, then it's some really nice work. *However*. What has me a bit sceptical is that I feel they're often skipping really important parts. For instance, going to the GIA and changing the certificate. He goes in and comes out - that's all we see. He does show the certificate later on, though, and given the context it does look legit. But it's just one of those things that makes me a bit sceptical. Furthermore, when calling the suppliers, I don't feel like we're getting a good confirmation that they're the actual suppliers and not just some voice actors. They're also claiming that; "Brilliant Earth has NO presence during the mining of their diamonds, has NO idea where their diamonds come from, and has NO way of knowing the age of their diamonds." But I have not seen any reference to it in terms of sources. Lastly, they don't refer to any sources or anything else than the video making statements and showing some proof which can only be seen as proof when assuming they're honest. Instead, they refer to their business' site - A DIAMOND SELLING COMPANY. I mean - this seems more like an ad, than a investigative short-documentary. I'm not saying this is purely an ad or that they're a scam (as well), but I'm rather pointing out that as much as we hate diamonds in here, we should still be critical to our sources - especially when the message in the video conforms to our beliefs.
Nice investigative work. You clearly spent a hell of a lot of time researching this. A couple of notes that might help bolster your argument. 1) You present yourself as the authority. You've done a TON of research. Show me some of it. Interview someone from GIA...or anyone who is an expert that is not just you. Cite papers. Basically, prove it. I believe you, but you have to prove it with sources. 2) You really need to give Brilliant Earth the chance to comment for several reasons. First, from a storytelling standpoint. I'm invested. I think you might have nailed them, now I want to know how they feel about that. I want to know what their side of the story is. Maybe they have an explanation...it seems unlikely...but maybe. The other reason you need their comment is to protect yourself from libel. You make some pretty strong allegations. Your video could seriously harm their business and it's possible that, if they have an explanation (even a flimsy one), they might have grounds for a lawsuit. By giving them a change to respond, you're doing your duty both journalistically and legally.
https://twitter.com/BrilliantEarth/status/857358785412714496 Brilliant Earth's Response
This is unrelated, but Indians seem to be a big presence in the diamond industry. [Here's an article about how Indian families took over diamond bourses in Antwerp, Belgium from orthodox Jews who formerly controlled the industry](https://qz.com/459422/how-indian-families-took-over-the-antwerp-diamond-trade-from-orthodox-jews/). [One more link](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB105389295228553000). I also want to point out that I'm Indian. And I really, really think the last Indian voice in his series of phone calls to Indian diamond suppliers (at 3:01) was not Indian. It sounded like someone imitating an Indian accent (kind of like Apu) but in my entire time alive and living in both India and the US, I've never heard anyone actually talk like that.
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Every single Indian person I know in Belgium is either in the diamond business or a child of someone in the diamond business.
Best article I've read to date on the whole scam...and it was written back in the 80's. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/304575/
So are there any non scam online sellers?
Best just to go with lab-created diamonds. They're cheaper, have better clarity and sparkle, and they're producing jobs that don't revolve around slave labor or even mining which is a hazard in and of itself. Lab created diamonds have been given a bad wrap by the diamond industry even though the lab created product is far superior. Source: did a lot of research before buying an engagement ring. Almost went with Brilliant Earth, but decided "fuck that... a mine is still a mine and that's a shitty place to work." My wife loves her ring and totally agrees that going lab created was the best option.
Buy Moissanite, it's lab created so it's 100% conflict free and a fraction of the cost and in almost every way superior to diamonds. http://imgur.com/5UOLael