Brilliant Earth — Local services in Houston

TLDR: Gracie at Brilliant Earth completely turned my ring shopping experience around. She gave us a private showing, explained every style and diamond detail, encouraged me to try on anything I wanted, and helped me find my dream ring without pressure. Best experience compared to Zales, Kay’s, Diamonds Direct, etc. Highly recommend booking with her!

⸻ This was only our second appointment searching for an engagement ring, and it was night-and-day compared to our first. Our first appointment elsewhere was honestly awful — they just tried to sell us a diamond without explaining anything about rings. I barely got to try on any styles and left feeling discouraged, thinking that’s just what the engagement ring buying process was like.

Gracie was the exact opposite! From the moment we arrived, she brought us to a private room with a beautiful showcase of engagement rings. She asked what we were looking for, and after hearing about our previous experience, she was determined to turn it around.

She guided us through different ring styles, explaining the differences and unique characteristics of each one. I’m a very visual person, so being able to see and handle each style was incredibly helpful. Once I narrowed it down to three bands, she encouraged me to try on anything else that caught my eye — just to be 100% sure. Such a great approach!

When I had my final three favorites, Gracie explained their differences in detail and moved on to talking about diamonds. She broke down the 3 Cs and other diamond characteristics, then had me hold different diamonds over my favorite bands so I could really visualize my options. I loved this hands-on, visual method.

In the end, she helped me choose my dream engagement ring. She even asked me to step out so she could talk with my boyfriend privately about pricing and timelines. He told me she was just as informative with him, offering tips on where we could save money without sacrificing the look of the ring. The price for what I wanted was very good! I was interested in an oval lab grown yellow gold engagement rings with a hidden halo.

I’ve shopped at Zales, Diamonds Direct, Kay’s, and more, but Brilliant Earth has been by far the best experience. Everywhere else made me feel like I had to imagine what I wanted; here, I actually got to see, feel, and try it all. Overall: I would recommend Gracie at Brilliant Earth to anyone. Book a private showing — it’s...

The world of engagement rings and wedding bands is vast. There are many a woman who want a complete surprise, which often drives their partner mad, however excited; there are many a partner who want to drive the design process; and many still collaborate. To each her, his, and their own. My partner gave me a budget I was happy with and complete design freedom with it, to which I said, Good deal, good man, and off I went.

If you are trying to or were asked to surprise your partner, my singular advice is that you must see the ring in person. It looks different on the hand from how it looks online. Most rings Brilliant Earth carry are I believe size 6 (call them to verify this), so come with a friend who can put that on, preferably a friend with a similar hand/finger shape as your fiance/e-to-be. Can feel slightly awkward/weird even having to consider that ("Which of my/her friends fit this description?"), sure, but get over it - this is a ring that will (hopefully) be worn for a lifetime, and it's no small purchase.

This was the fourth store I visited in my attempt to figure out what I want (you commit not only to the marriage but also to the ring). I came in trying to decide between a round vs. oval center stone, then white vs. yellow gold shank - and got my answer.

My visit in bullet points:

The online booking system at Brilliant Earth makes it super easy.

I loved being able to try on different designs of rings and seeing how they look in different metals. Definitely "study" ahead, though - check out the website and pick out what you want to see in advance (and let them know when you book the appointment).

I also appreciated being able to see diamonds of different sizes and shapes. Seeing stones in DEF color ranges side-by-side was eye-opening. Made me set on seeing the stone in person ahead of ordering.

Ask also about the lifetime protection plan (e.g. center stone guarantee and recurring rhodium plating on white gold rings), which is a perk of getting something designed at a bigger chain - many mom and pop stores offer it now as well, but the relative longevity of a chain makes that guarantee far more likely to be upheld.

Angel St. Andrie was my associate, and she is absolutely fantastic, personable, and knowledgeable. And this is clutch: she wasn't pushy but informative. I loved my visit and highly recommend it! Park in the garage and get a...

Updated Review (1/5): The engagement ring needed to be sent in for repair immediately before the 1st delivery. I was not going to accept a ring that needed immediate repair.

Brilliant Earth delivered the engagement ring with polishing cloth/fibers stuck between the diamond and the claw prong. The store tried 3 times to get it out with an ultrasonic cleaner in the back room, but could not get all of it out. It was like the jeweler set the prong on top of a polishing cloth and then ripped the cloth off of the ring, leaving behind cloth fibers.

The Brilliant Earth showroom staff and manager suggested that I take it to a local jeweler who could lift the prong, remove the cloth, and then set the prong again.

I asked, "Wouldn't that void the Brilliant Earth warranty by letting someone else repair the ring?"

They responded, "Brilliant Earth would never know (wink)"

No. It's not my job to fix a manufacturer defect on a brand new ring that I haven't even touched yet. It's your job to deliver a ring that doesn't need immediate repair upon creation.

I had plans to propose 2 weeks from the delivery date, but Brilliant Earth could not fix the ring in time since repairs took about 3 weeks to get back and there was no way to expedite the repair. So I had to reschedule my proposal because of Brilliant Earth's lack of quality control & 3 week turn-around on repairs. I rejected the ring and got a refund.

Additionally, the suggestion for me to repair it myself and that Brilliant Earth would never know about it -thus would not void my warranty- showed how shady and untrustworthy the staff and manager were. Additionally, asking the customer to fix Brilliant Earth's mistake shows a lack of integrity.

Original Review (5/5): Had a great experience here twice. Front desk staff greeted me both times when I came in. Abby Mendez was the sales rep helping me. Mrs. Mendez was very friendly, knowledgable, patient, and professional. I didn't plan on making an appointment but Mrs. Mendez was so nice I decided to make one anyway. She never pressured me to purchase, unlike other brands whose sales reps come off as desperate for a sale. For our appointment, Mrs. Mendez showed me the rings and diamonds I requested to see, which were mailed in from other locations, and answered highly technical questions to help me make an...