Brilliant Earth opens first street-level store in New York City

Dive Brief:

• Direct-to-consumer jewelry brand Brilliant Earth has opened its first street-level showroom in New York City, according to a Tuesday press release.
• Located in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan at 255 Elizabeth Street, the showroom marks the brand’s fourth location in the New York Metropolitan area. The company now has 40 showroom locations spread across the country.
• Similar to its other recently opened locations, the new showroom features a try-on bar as well as a dedicated space for one-on-one bridal and fine jewelry appointments with customers.

Dive Insight:

Founded in 2005, Brilliant Earth has continued to build out its footprint since going public in 2021.

Brilliant Earth recently opened two new showrooms around Boston, in the Seaport and Chestnut Hill areas after last year’s launch of three luxury mall showrooms at Roosevelt Field in New York, King of Prussia in Pennsylvania and Roseville Galleria in California.

“We are committed to serving our customers where they live and shop, ensuring that our personalized and joyful shopping experience is always within reach,” Beth Gerstein, co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. “Opening our doors in this vibrant Nolita neighborhood, particularly during the holiday season, is an exciting step forward for us, and we look forward to serving this dynamic community.”

Brilliant Earth elevated two executives to new positions in August — Pamela Catlett to chief brand officer and Sharon Dziesietnik to chief operations officer. Catlett oversees retail expansion strategy in that position.

“This new location is an important milestone in our brand’s evolution,” Catlett said in a statement. “As our first street-level location in New York, we’re delighted to bring our distinct bridal, wedding and fine jewelry collections to more consumers.”

In addition to the U.S. market, Brilliant Earth has been expanding its retail presence overseas. In September, the brand said it was now offering localized shopping in the local currency of over 150 countries. 

Brilliant Earth has described itself as “a global leader in ethically sourced fine jewelry” and in September the brand expanded its partnership with conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall to launch the “Rethink Everything You Know About Diamonds” campaign. Simultaneously, the brand launched a limited-edition Jane Goodall Collection, which features Brilliant Earth’s diamonds made in clean energy facilities. Each piece is produced using certified recycled gold, per the company.

Brilliant Earth in its most recent quarter saw net sales decline 12.5% year over year to $99.9 million, while total orders were essentially flat year over year, declining less than 1%.