Buying a loose diamond or diamond engagement ring online sight unseen can be unnerving and sometimes downright scary. That is why it is important to research an online retail jeweler before purchasing and check their online reviews written by other shoppers.
While there are many online sites that have reviews on Brilliance.com, Trustpilot is by far our favorite. Trustpilot lets customers post online reviews as well as pictures of their purchased items.
Currently, Brilliance.com is ranked #3 in the category “Jewellery” out of 84 online jewelers and our average rating is 9.2 out of 10 on Trustpilot. View the Brilliance.com reviews on Trustpilot or click here to write a review on any online retailer.
There are celebrity weddings and then there are celebrity weddings. On August 20th, Kim and Kris had the wedding of the decade in Montecito, California and spared no expense. Check out our new infograph that compares the average United States wedding cost versus Kim Kardashian’s wedding cost.
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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably already know that Kim Kardashian married her beau, professional basketball player Kris Humphries, after nine months of being in a relationship together. The wedding was held in a lavish estate at Montecito, California on August 20th and was attended by 450 (or so) close friends of the couple.
Details of the wedding haven’t been incredibly forthcoming, but the E! special on the event entitled “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event”, airing in October, should give the clamoring public all the specifics they’ll ever need on the reality star’s star-studded event.
For those who can’t wait that long, we at Brilliance have scoured the internet for the lowdown: so far, it has been revealed that the beautiful bride wore not one, not two, but three Vera Wang dresses for her nuptials – one for the traditional Christian ceremony presided over by family pastor Joel Johnson, and two for her reception, where guests were treated to food by acclaimed chef Wolfgang Puck and a six-foot tall black and white wedding cake by Hansen Cakes in Los Angeles. It was reported that the couple wanted it to resemble the cake from the Royal Wedding earlier this year, and it alone cost – get this – $15,000!
Among the celebrities who attended were Demi Lovato, Babyface, Mario Lopez, Ryan Seacrest and Lindsay Lohan.
If you missed the buzz about Kim’s jewelry – really, how can anyone miss it? Her engagement ring is a huge sparkler: an emerald-cut 20.5 carat diamond ring set in platinum valued at a cool 2 million dollars –now paired with a diamond eternity band, also set in platinum, estimated to be worth $60,000. During the ceremony, Kim wore a 65-carat diamond headpiece inspired by Audrey Hepburn worth another $2.5 million, and 28-carat diamond earrings worth $5 million. Altogether, Kim wore close to $15 million in blinding bling – all by jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz.
The over-the-top ceremony reportedly cost something along the lines of 6 to10 million dollars, as no expense was spared for arguably the most popular Kardashian sister. Among the items included in the swag bag given to guests was a pair of flip-flops emblazoned with the couple’s names, a personalized nail polish set by Nicole from OPI, a bottle of Kim’s new fragrance, a scented Voluspa candle, and a gift certificate to a shoe website that Kim co-founded.
See an idea that you want to snag for your own wedding? Don’t forget to check out Brilliance.com for all of your engagement and wedding jewelry needs! We features a wide array of beautiful diamond jewelry, as well as wholesale loose diamonds you can use to create your own pieces. You don’t have to spend millions of dollars to be brilliant – just visit Brilliance.com.
Brilliance has recently joined the growing number of jewelers and retailers who support the Golden Rules; a set of social, environmental and human rights criteria pushing for more responsible mining of gold and other precious metals. The Golden Rules by Earthworks focuses on the protection of the environment from the impacts of irresponsible mineral and energy development.
Gold-mining, while a lucrative industry, poses a great risk to the environment and may create serious human rights issues, especially in third-world countries where they are abundant. The ecosystem where a mine is located can be severely disrupted by its presence; gold is also traditionally a very dirty metal to mine and process. In addition toxic chemicals are used to extract gold from the earth, which are often dumped into pits and waterways, poisoning the ground and water supply. Ultimately, gold mining damages the quality of life for organisms around the mine, and the damage is often left behind for the host country’s government to clean up after a mine closes.
In Third World countries mining is often coupled with human rights issues. Gold can be mined in very dangerous conditions by workers who have few protections and rights. Moreover, the land in which a mine is situated in is often seized from the indigenous peoples that reside in them, leaving them homeless, with nowhere to go once their native lands are taken from them.
“We’re really glad to be a part of the No Dirty Gold (campaign)”, says Jonathon Ohayon from Brilliance. “We’re always looking for new ways to contribute to society and it’s the right thing to do. A diamond engagement ring symbolizes a future couples’ hopes and dreams. It’s something you build a relationship on and not something that they should feel guilty about.”
“We would like to encourage other diamond and jewelry retailers to join the (No Dirty Gold) campaign as soon as possible,” added Jonathon. “Consumers can also show their support by patronizing businesses which sell ethical and environmentally-conscious jewelry.”
A product of the combined efforts of two organizations, the Mineral Policy Center and the Oil & Gas Accountability Project, the Earthworks organization also seeks to reform government policies, improve corporate practices, influence investment decisions and encourage responsible materials sourcing and consumption through nationwide campaigns such as No Dirty Energy, Recycle My Cell Phone, Save Bristol Bay and Mining Reform Campaign. Click here to visit the Earthworks official website.
A rare pink loose diamond was purchased by jeweler Laurence Graff on November 16, 2010. The “fancy intense pink” diamond weighs 24.78ct. Graff named the pink diamond “The Graff Pink”. Graff paid double for the pink diamond than he did for the blue 35.56ct diamond in 2008, which was named the “Wittelsbach-Graff” diamond. Graff, who competed with four other bidders, shocked everyone when he bid $46,158,674, which is the most anyone has ever bid for diamonds before. Harry Winston last sold the jewel 60 years ago, however the current seller decided to remain nameless. Graff re-cut the blue diamond that he bought in 2008, which stirred much controversy for altering such an exquisite piece. Sotheby’s revealed that there is a small imperfection on the pink diamond, which cannot be seen by the naked eye and may receive clarity grade of “internally flawless” after it’s re-polished. However, it is unknown yet whether Graff will alter the pink diamond as well.
Thirty nine round cut diamonds are pave set in this white gold diamond engagement ring setting, accenting your choice of center diamond. 3/8 carat total diamond weight.
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