Brilliant Earth sales rise 6%, fine jewelry demand boosts quarter
Higher-income shoppers kept Brilliant Earth growing as fine jewelry bookings jumped 33% and Beverly Hills drew early traffic.
Brilliant Earth’s quarter looked increasingly like a company selling into the top of the market, not the middle of it. First-quarter net sales rose 6% to $99.5 million, helped by stronger non-bridal fine jewelry, diamond essentials and a record Valentine’s Day, while higher-income shoppers pushed average order value higher even as softer demand showed up at lower price points.
That split was visible in the numbers. Total orders increased 3% year over year, and average order value also climbed 3%, to $2,131, while average selling price rose across the assortment. Fine jewelry bookings surged 33% from a year earlier and made up 17% of total bookings, a clear sign that Brilliant Earth’s effort to move beyond engagement rings is gaining traction. For a retailer built on bridal, that mix shift matters: it suggests shoppers are still willing to buy diamond jewelry, but more often for everyday wear, gifting and self-purchase than for a once-in-a-lifetime proposal.
Chief executive Beth Tanara Gerstein said the company was seeing the same consumer bifurcation playing out across retail and the broader consumer sector, with higher-income shoppers proving more resilient. Brilliant Earth’s core customer is 25 to 44 years old, with household income between $100,000 and $200,000, a profile that fits educated young professionals, couples shopping together, gift givers and self-purchasers. That is precisely the audience most likely to trade up in uncertain times, while more accessible diamond retail faces pressure from cautious discretionary spending.
The company is leaning into that reality with its store strategy. Brilliant Earth opened its first flagship showroom in Beverly Hills, California, during the quarter, and said the location saw strong early retail orders and foot traffic. In a luxury neighborhood where presentation matters as much as price, the move signals confidence in a higher-touch selling model, one that can showcase settings, metal choices and diamond shapes in a way a screen cannot.
Profitability remained under pressure, even as the top line held up. Gross margin was 54.3% in the quarter, adjusted EBITDA came in at negative $4.7 million and GAAP net loss was $8.5 million, but management said results landed at the high end of guidance. The company reiterated full-year expectations for mid-single-digit sales growth, mid-50s gross margin and positive adjusted EBITDA, while also pointing to headwinds from precious metal prices and tariffs. With 42 showrooms in the United States and customers in more than 50 countries, Brilliant Earth is now testing whether fine jewelry demand can carry a diamond business that is increasingly shaped by affluent shoppers and less by the broad base.
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