FAQ

Russian Brilliants® is a laboratory-grown stone that is classified as a diamond simulant. A simulated diamond simulates or imitates the appearance of a mined diamond, but does not duplicate the characteristic chemical and physical properties of the natural gemstone. While Russian Brilliants® simulated diamonds do an excellent job of duplicating the appearance of a mined diamond, they are not the same thing as a mined diamond. This applies to all simulated diamonds on the market today including all of our online competitors.

Russian Brilliants has it's origin in a synthetic material first developed by the French in the 1960’s and later perfected by the Russian's in 1973 for use as an optical material in their space program. This early material, synthetic zirconium dioxide, was the original cubic zirconia. Over the last 40 years there have been many advances in the chemical and optical quality of this man made material. We are the exclusive distributors of Russian Brilliants which we believe is the most natural looking diamond simulant available today. We select only the finest quality rough material available. And every stone is hand cut and faceted to ideal proportions to most accurately replicate the look of a fine quality mined diamond. A one carat Russian Brilliants stone with its brilliance and fire is visually equivalent to the world's finest DE color VVS clarity diamond valued at $17,000.

Many people don't realize that if you are overly rough with a mined diamond you can chip or even break it. That being said, a mined diamond set in a ring or other jewelry will not show the signs of normal daily wear over time such as minor abrasions or scratches. Anything that's not a diamond, whether it's a sapphire, ruby, emerald, blue topaz, amethyst, or any semi-precious or simulated diamond material, will be susceptible to some scratching, chipping or minor abrasions over time as a result of daily wear. It all depends on your lifestyle and what you do with your hands throughout the day. Russian Brilliants simulated diamonds come with a lifetime warranty that covers damage of any kind, for any reason.

Russian Brilliants are guaranteed never to fade or discolor internally. Some other simulants have internal microscopic pinpoint inclusions that implode when exposed to sunlight, leaving the stone looking cloudy and discolored. Our stones are completely stable in sunlight so you’ll never have this problem. Guaranteed.

Don't be fooled by this old sales pitch. Almost all gemstones common in fine jewelry will cut glass. Why? Diamond is a 10 on the mohs hardness scale. Glass has a mohs hardness of only 6.5. Since most gemstones used in jewelry (i.e., sapphire, ruby, topaz, quartz, citrine, amethyst) have a hardness above 6.5 they will all cut glass. And yes, almost all simulated diamonds including Russian Brilliants will cut glass.

Russian Brilliants are hand cut, faceted and polished to most accurately replicate the look of a fine quality mined diamond. Russian Brilliants were the first fine simulated diamond offered online and are still the best simulated diamond available. For more information read our Compare Russian Brilliants page.

We have heard many stories from our customers about showing their rings to another jeweler who was impressed with the quality of their "diamond", and we work with many expert jewelers who recommend Russian Brilliants to their customers.

Newer electronic diamond testers can distinguish between diamond, moissanite and cubic zirconia. These devices measure the electrical conductivity of a stone. Since mined diamonds, Moissanite and other simulated diamonds are all made of different material, they will all have different measures of electrical conductivity. Only a real diamond will test positive with an electric diamond tester. Most importantly, the brilliance and beauty of a stone cannot be measured by one of these devices. We’re so confident you’ll be impressed by our simulated diamonds, we invite you to take our Russian Brilliants Challenge and preview one of our stones yourself, risk free.

Yes. You can purchase sizes ranging from 0.10ct to 15ct, from 3mm to 15mm in diameter. Custom stone cutting is available if you have a specific shape and size in mind.

Yes. The most popular are the D-E (white) stones. Light fancy yellow, medium (canary) yellow, and intense fancy yellows are also currently available, in addition to our beautiful pink stones which are stocked in limited quantities and are readily available as a special order from our cutters.

All of our fine jewelry can be special ordered in platinum. Platinum special orders are non-returnable and non-refundable.

We've been selling mined diamonds for over 30 year. We also now offer genuine laboratory grown diamonds. We work with dozens of direct diamond importers so we're able to find you exactly what you are searching for, at the best possible price. Call our office at (800) 322-0995 or send us a message via our contact form, and let us know what you're looking for. You'll be glad you did.

Every Russian Brilliants simulated diamond comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty. For complete details, head over to our warranty page. We are so confident in the quality of our hand-cut simulated diamonds, we invite you to take the Russian Brilliants Challenge and preview one of our stones, risk free.

We offer stone setting, sizing, repair, cleaning and polishing services for any of your other fine jewelry. All expertly done and at competitive prices. If you prefer to have your local jeweler size or repair your Russian Brilliants fine jewelry, just let them know it's a simulated stone and not a mined diamond. Tell them we recommend they handle it like they would almost any semi-precious gemstone ring. They should know what to do. If they have any questions feel free to have them call us. We’ll be happy to speak with them.

We specialize in custom design. With our 30 plus years of experience in all areas of the fine jewelry business, from custom design to jewelry repair, we strive to be your jewelry supplier for life.

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Our Russian Brilliants simulated diamonds are guaranteed never to fade or discolor internally. What often happens is that over time the ring simply gets dirty, causing it to appear cloudy. Russian Brilliants jewelry is rather easy to clean. Simply head over our to our Jewelry Care page. If you’d prefer your jewelry is cleaned by an expert, we offer professional CPR (cleaning, polishing and rhodium plating) for your jewelry.

Russian Brilliants will resize your ring one time at no charge up to 30 days from date of purchase. A charge may apply to hand-engraved bands, bands set with diamonds or other stones, and platinum rings. Additional re-sizings can be done for a nominal fee. Return shipping charges will apply. Russian Brilliants offers sizing, repair, stone setting, cleaning, polishing and rhodium plating services for all of your fine jewelry.

We offer you a lifetime ability to upgrade your Russian Brilliants simulated diamond to a larger Russian Brilliants simulated diamond. When you upgrade you pay only our $75 per carat Warranty Replacement Deductible for the size of your current stone plus our online price of $196 per carat for only the upgrade in size. See our online warranty for details.

We accept all major credit cards for both online purchases and phone orders. For your convenience we also accept PayPal. You may also pay by check or bank wire transfer if you prefer.

If you are a California resident, 7.75% sales tax will apply.

Simply call our office at (800) 322-0995 or send us a message via our contact form. We'll ask you to provide us with your resale and business licenses to qualify for wholesale pricing.

Yes, we want to make purchasing as easy as possible. For details, read about our Easy Pay Plan.

We are an online company and do not have a traditional retail store or showroom. Please call our Customer Service Department and we’ll be happy to assist you with your fine jewelry needs.

LOCAL: (858) 564-9480
TOLL FREE: (800) 322-0995

Our corporate shipper is Federal Express. For your security we ship "Signature Required."

U.S. Shipping Options:

• Free FedEx Ground® Shipping for online purchases excluding warranty and repairs, see Shipping & Returns for more details.
• FedEx 2 Day® $29
• FedEx Standard Overnight® $89

International Shipping:

• FedEx International® $99

• Loose stones usually ship within 2 working days
• Earrings and pendants usually ship in 1 to 2 weeks
• Rings usually ship in 2 to 3 weeks
• Tennis bracelets and necklaces usually ship in 3 to 4 weeks
• Custom Design items usually take 3 to 5 weeks to complete

All Russian Brilliants fine jewelry is handmade especially for you by our team of fine craftsmen so fulfillment times may vary. If you have an important occasion coming up soon we will do our very best to expedite your order to ensure you have your new Russian Brilliants fine jewelry in time for your special event! In some instances a rush fee up to $75 may apply. Please contact us to discuss your individual needs.

Russian Brilliants ships international orders by FedEx International Priority Overnight, with signature required. It is possible that the delivery of your order could be delayed due to customs processing in your country. Russian Brilliants has no control over the length of time required for packages to clear customs at the country of destination.

Customs Fees:

Your packages may be subject to customs fees (taxes, duties, processing fees, brokerage fees, etc.) by the country to which you have your order shipped. These additional charges are the responsibility of the customer. If you refuse to pay the customs fees when your order arrives, the shipment will be returned to Russian Brilliants and we will be charged return fees and shipping costs by the customer's country. Russian Brilliants does not issue refunds to customers for customs fees, shipping charges, or bank wire transfer fees if you refuse to pay the customs fees and abandon your order. If you are not familiar with the customs fees and requirements in your country please check with your local customs office for more information.

Please feel free to call our office to speak with one our friendly Customer Care representatives. Monday - Saturday: 7:30AM - 6:30PM PST

TOLL FREE: (800) 322-0995
LOCAL: (858) 564-9480