While most diamond shoppers focus on the four Cs — cut, color, clarity and carat — many shoppers are opting now for an added “E”: ethical. The trend has grown as more light is shed on the often horrific conditions diamond laborers of all ages endure in Africa, as well as “conflict diamonds” that come from areas controlled by forces at war.
Here in Houston, discriminating jewelry shoppers will soon have a new option via global brand Brilliant Earth, which is set to open its first local showroom this summer in the buzzy Montrose Collective mixed-use development. The news comes via Radom Capital, the prolific local developers behind Montrose Collective.
“Brilliant Earth’s mission to provide sustainable and ethically sourced jewelry without sacrificing quality and artful design makes their addition to Montrose Collective a no-brainer,” Courtney Rodrigues, director of marketing for Radom Capital, tells CultureMap. “We are beyond excited to welcome them to the neighborhood.”
Radom staff notes that Brilliant Earth will occupy some 3,500 square feet on the Collective’s second floor — just above the new restaurant Marmo. Currently in the permit stage, the locale will likely open this summer.
As fans of the digitally native brand are aware, Brilliant Earth sources ethical jewelry and conflict-free diamonds. The company, launched in 2005 and headquartered in San Francisco and Denver, also promotes the use of 100-percent-recycled precious metals to minimize our footprint and help diminish the negative impacts of metal mining. Gen Z and millennials count as some its biggest fans, helping grow sales by 51 percent last year.
Currently, there are 15 showrooms and has served customers in over 50 countries worldwide.
Socially conscious as well, the brand contributes to nonprofits including Feeding America, the Rainforest Alliance, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Brilliant Earth supports initiatives for fair mining practices, protecting children from child labor, and restoring land that has been destroyed by unregulated mining, press materials note.
In 2015, the company funded and launched the Brilliant Earth Mobile School in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which aims to create an educational and safe refuge for children who otherwise might be exploited in diamond mine labor.
Most recently, Brilliant Earth pulled all Russian-originated stones from its showrooms.
Already one of Montrose’s biggest draws, the massive and walkable Montrose Collective is home to a dozen retail and dining destinations, boasting more than 50,000 square feet of retail space and more than 100,000 square feet of office space. Radom Capital is behind familiar and noteworthy developments such as M-K-T Heights.
CultureMap will provides updates on the progress of Brilliant Earth’s opening.
