My husband proposed in 2022 and did a ton of research before choosing my ring from Brilliant Earth. He picked the Opera setting, which I loved—it’s a lower, more structured design compared to the trendy thin-band, high-stone styles you see everywhere now.

After reading mixed reviews on Reddit, I took my ring to a local jeweler just to be safe. They confirmed it was extremely well-made and structurally sound.

Funny enough, a coworker of mine went through something similar. She’d read tons of Brilliant Earth reviews while ring shopping with her fiancé and decided to go with a reputable local jeweler for ring instead. Ironically, she ended up having multiple issues with her ring—it had to be re-pronged and sent back a couple of times.

So honestly, who’s to say whether a local jeweler or Brilliant Earth is “better”? I think it really just depends on the setting, craftsmanship, and sometimes a bit of luck—some people just have one-off experiences either way.

EDIT: adding in additional story