Brilliant Earth is betting that sustainability-focused storytelling will define the next chapter of jewelry. On Tuesday, the company debuted its second collaboration with conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, featuring limited-edition pieces crafted from recycled gold and carbon capture diamonds, which are stones grown from atmospheric carbon rather than mined from the earth.
Prices for the collection were set to make ethical jewelry more accessible to younger buyers. The capsule includes 15 pieces, with olive branch medallion necklaces starting at $395, stud earrings priced at $495 and statement pendants with carbon capture diamonds retailing for $995. The higher end of the collection features rings with carbon capture stones and intricate olive branch engravings, priced up to $2,490.
For Brilliant Earth, founded in 2005 and now operating 42 U.S. showrooms, the collection underscores its positioning as the ethical disruptor in fine jewelry. “In our 20-year history, we’ve been leaders and disruptors in the jewelry industry, and so working with Dr. Goodall feels like such a tremendous validation,” said Beth Gerstein, Brilliant Earth’s co-founder and CEO. “It’s been so gratifying to have her confidence and endorsement, given the lifetime achievements she’s had in promoting conservation.” The first Goodall collection performed very well according to Gerstein.
Goodall, who turned 91 this year, sees the partnership as an opportunity to highlight the hidden costs of traditional mining. “Because [this collection] is made from recycled gold, hopefully it gives me an opportunity to talk about the utter devastation of the environment by gold mining, particularly the illegal gold mining that has sprung up around the world,” she said. “It may seem like one small company using a little recycled gold, but it all helps, and it helps me spread the word.”
Her comments echo a wider consumer concern. “Carbon capture diamonds minimize your footprint, but their use here is also about contributing to solutions,” Gerstein said. “Consumers are moving toward wanting products that actively contribute to the issues they care about.”
The new capsule collection uses the olive branch as a central motif, symbolizing Goodall’s role as a U.N. Messenger of Peace. The award is given to those appointed by the United Nations to help raise global awareness and support for the U.N.’s work on peace, human rights and environmental or humanitarian issues. Proceeds from the sale of the collection will also support the Jane Goodall Institute and her Legacy Foundation, which funds ecosystem conservation and youth programs in 26 countries.
According to Goodall, the future of jewelry lies in technologies that address environmental damage.
Recalling a flight over Brazil’s mining zones, she described rivers turned “sickly yellowy, orangey – the color of mercury in the water.” For her, carbon capture is a potential turning point. “Capturing carbon and turning it into diamonds, and eventually stopping the diamond mining business, now that would be a great plus,” she said. Goodall has been at the forefront of conservation efforts and environmental awareness, even appearing on the popular podcast “Call Her Daddy” in May to speak to a younger generation about the cause.
Even as “sustainability” has lost some of its buzzword status, Gerstein argued it remains central to Gen-Z and millennial buyers. “They like that we’re doing the due diligence for them. They like feeling good about the products they buy,” she said, pointing to customer data from the brand. “And if you can break through and tell meaningful stories that also have impact, that’s what strikes a chord with the consumer.”
Brilliant Earth is marketing the Jane Goodall capsule on Instagram and TikTok, in customer emails and in-store education at its 42 showrooms, and with a high-profile New York launch event hosted by Diane von Furstenberg. Goodall’s own words will be a central focus of the campaign. For the second quarter of 2025, reported on August 7, Brilliant Earth posted net sales of $108.9 million, up 3.3% year-over-year, exceeding the high end of its guidance. The company does not break out its mined versus man-made diamond sales, but based on its e-commerce site’s assortment, about 40% of its products use man-made diamonds.
In the U.S., nearly 46% of engagement ring center stones in 2023 were lab-grown diamonds, up from just 12% in 2019, according to a November 2024 McKinsey report. The global lab-grown diamond market was valued at $26 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach nearly $98 billion by 2034, according to a May report from market research company Precedence Research. Consumer interest is being led by younger buyers: Around 70% of millennials would consider a lab-grown stone for an engagement ring, largely for sustainability and affordability, according to a 2025 report from the insurance company BriteCo.
The shift is hitting traditional players hard. Natural diamond prices fell by about 26% over the past two years. Multinational mining company Anglo American wrote down the value of its De Beers unit by $2.9 billion in early 2025, citing weaker pricing and the rise of lab-grown stones — the company is now expected to sell the fine jewelry company. In the first half of 2025, De Beers posted an underlying loss of $189 million and saw its rough-diamond sales fall 13% year over year to $1.7 billion.
Brilliant Earth isn’t alone in the push. Pandora announced in 2021 that it would phase out mined diamonds entirely and now sells only lab-grown stones. As of last year, Pandora is also only using recycled gold and silver.
With De Beers reporting a 36% production decline in the second quarter of 2025, and competitors pivoting toward lab-grown, Brilliant Earth is leaning into what it sees as the next frontier: values-driven fine jewelry that uses technology and speaks to the next generation’s priorities.
