MajorsMay 26, 2021
Brilliant Earth Is Opening a Seattle ShowroomMajorsSep 01, 2021
Brilliant Earth Is Looking to Go Public
The retailer, which emphasizes responsible sourcing and now operates 13 showrooms, filed for an IPO Monday.
A trio of engagement rings from retailer Brilliant Earth. The San Francisco-based jewelry company filed for an IPO on Monday. (Photo courtesy of Brilliant Earth)
San Francisco—Brilliant Earth, the digital-forward retailer that emphasizes responsible sourcing, has filed for an initial public offering, with plans to trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol BRLT.
In a Form S-1 filed Monday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Brilliant Earth reported its sales grew 25 percent in 2020, a year in which digital sales in general soared with consumers forced to stay at home.
According to the filing, the retailer’s 2020 net sales totaled $251.8 million, compared with $201.3 million in 2019.
Average order value was $3,152, with gross margin at 45 percent and a more than 10x inventory turn.
The surge in sales pushed the company into the black for the year, with the jeweler recording net income of $21.6 million, compared with a net loss of $7.8 million in 2019.
In its filing, San Francisco-based Brilliant Earth listed its offering at $100 million, a typical placeholder value for a small IPO that will change over time.
Related stories will be right here …
In a Form S-1 filed Monday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Brilliant Earth reported its sales grew 25 percent in 2020, a year in which digital sales in general soared with consumers forced to stay at home.
According to the filing, the retailer’s 2020 net sales totaled $251.8 million, compared with $201.3 million in 2019.
Average order value was $3,152, with gross margin at 45 percent and a more than 10x inventory turn.
The surge in sales pushed the company into the black for the year, with the jeweler recording net income of $21.6 million, compared with a net loss of $7.8 million in 2019.
In its filing, San Francisco-based Brilliant Earth listed its offering at $100 million, a typical placeholder value for a small IPO that will change over time.
Founded by Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg in 2005 as a primarily online-only business with one showroom in San Francisco, Brilliant Earth how has 13 showrooms—all located in big cities—with plans to open at least one more by the end of 2021.
The company is looking to non-bridal fashion jewelry and international expansion as potential growth drivers in the future, it said in its IPO filing.
In a letter included in the filing, Gerstein and Grossberg, who met as students at Stanford Graduate School of Business, detailed how their dissatisfaction with the jewelry shopping experience in the early aughts led them to start Brilliant Earth.
Brilliant Earth launched in 2005 as an e-tailer with a showroom in San Francisco. Today, it has 13 physical locations, with a potential 14th opening by year’s end. (Photo courtesy of Brilliant Earth)
Gerstein said when she was shopping for an engagement ring 16 years ago, none of the jewelers could say where their diamonds came from, while Grossberg was researching the jewelry industry in business school and hearing from friends who were “disenchanted” with their jewelry shopping experience.
“They [Grossberg’s friends] felt unwelcome in luxury stores that seemed out of touch, or ignored in mall jewelers sandwiched next to fast-food chains,” the letter reads. “They said the experience was like stepping back in time 30 years compared with how they shopped for other major purchases.”
“As we shared stories, we knew there had to be a better way.”
Gerstein said in the letter that they launched Brilliant Earth in her apartment, with the goal of creating a tech-forward jewelry company focused on sustainability, transparency, and inclusivity.
“From our first order shipped from my apartment, to over 370,000 customers across all U.S. states and over 50 countries, it’s been an honor to be a part of unforgettable moments in our customers’ lives,” she wrote.
“We are excited for the next chapter and are grateful to our community, our partners, and our employees—and to you, our investors—for joining us on this journey.”
If Brilliant Earth goes public, it will hold a unique position among the specialty jewelers currently publicly traded on NASDAQ as a primarily digital jewelry business.
The company’s growth and potential emergence as a publicly traded company is an indication of two rising trends in the market—the growth in online jewelry shopping and consumers’ interest in having assurance their goods were responsibly sourced.
The Latest
TrendsApr 02, 2026
Michelle Yeoh Fronts New Mikimoto Campaign The campaign is a tribute to the year 1893, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cultured pearl.
GradingApr 02, 2026
GIA Debuts New Campus in TaiwanIt is the only GIA school to offer the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in Chinese.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Hoover & Strong Names New National Sales RepresentativeThe wholesale manufacturer and precious metals refiner has appointed Michael Angelo as its new national sales representative.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
Weekly QuizMar 26, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
WatchesMar 26, 2026
Q&A: Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen on Eco-Drive’s 50th AnniversaryCohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.
IndependentsMar 26, 2026
Peter Smith Pens Book on Human Behavior in Sales“Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople" reveals the underlying human traits and behaviors of the most successful sales professionals.
CollectionsMar 26, 2026
Lionheart Celebrates 13 Years of ‘Cassandane’The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
NAJA, Instappraise Introduce New ScholarshipIt’s the third scholarship to be launched as part of the partnership to help appraisers advance their professional credentials.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
JA Still Accepting Entries for 2026 CASE AwardsThe deadline for entries in the jewelry design competition has been extended to April 3.
