The Peter Norman Alternative
Peter NormanvsBrilliant Earth
Brilliant Earth is one of the most recognized names in the online engagement ring space, known for their ethical sourcing standards and a large selection of certified lab-grown and natural diamonds.
Talk to us todayPeter Norman vs Brilliant Earth Comparison
| Peter Norman | Brilliant Earth | |
|---|---|---|
| Build a ring Option? | (Limited Options) | |
| Online Consulting? | ||
| Has a celebrity clientele? | ||
| Excellent Reviews? | 5 Star Average | 4.1 Average |
| Wholesale Pricing for Diamonds? | ||
| Truly Custom or only Customized? | ||
| OK to bring own gemstones? | ||
| Natural mined and lab grown diamonds? |
Why choose
Peter Norman?
If you are looking for something truly custom, whether you have an idea in mind or not, then Peter Norman is your best option. He provides a personalized engagement ring consulting service for everyone.
Peter Norman has the highest ratings of any jeweler in Los Angeles at a solid 5 stars, from hundreds of clients. So many happy people because every time, they got a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
When might Brilliant Earth
be a good option?
Brilliant Earth is genuinely well-suited to buyers who want a configurable ring on a relatively defined timeline, who care deeply about traceable sourcing and recycled metals as a brand commitment, and who prefer to do most of the process online with the option to visit a showroom closer to home. If you live outside Southern California, their 40-plus showrooms make an in-person appointment accessible in a way a single Los Angeles boutique cannot be. Their Beyond Conflict Free standard, recycled-metal settings, and annual transparency reporting are real, audited commitments. And if you want a large inventory of certified lab-grown diamonds to compare side by side at your own pace, their catalog is hard to beat for sheer volume.
Comparison Details - Peter Norman vs Brilliant Earth
Build a ring option
Peter Norman
Because every ring made by Peter Norman is a unique piece, the “build a ring” service at Peter Norman is not an online tool, where you may swap in some set, programmed features. Peter Norman himself, is your “build a ring” service
Peter Norman provides design consultation services to really understand what you are trying to create, learn about the ring recipient, and then create a custom design to match. A digital ring builder is no match for an actual jewelry designer!
Peter Norman’s 5-star average ratings have been achieved this way.
Brilliant Earth
Brilliant Earth offers two distinct paths. The first is a configurator: choose a certified stone from their inventory of more than 300,000 lab-grown and 100,000 natural diamonds, then pair it with one of their catalog settings. The second is a full custom design service where a design consultant and graduate gemologist work with you through a CAD process over roughly four to six weeks, starting around $2,000. That custom track is a legitimate bespoke process, though it operates within the aesthetic range and quality standards Brilliant Earth controls.
Online Consulting
Peter Norman
Peter Norman provides both an online and in-store ring consulting service. Custom requests can also be made online
Brilliant Earth
Brilliant Earth offers structured virtual consultations for remote buyers, not just a chat widget. In-showroom appointments are available at all 40-plus US locations, and buyers can request that a stone selected online be sent to their nearest showroom for inspection before committing. The online ring-builder with 360-degree views and a virtual try-on tool handles a lot of early browsing without an appointment.
Has a celebrity clientele?
Peter Norman
Peter Norman has numerous red carpet clientele, most notably he recently designed an engagement ring for a member of the British royal family, as well as having multiple American celebrities as clients.
Brilliant Earth
Brilliant Earth has substantial celebrity visibility, with red-carpet placements and brand partnerships in recent years, including a formal athlete ambassador signed in 2025 and collaborations tied to conservation causes. These are primarily marketing placements and seeded pieces rather than the kind of private, one-to-one bespoke commission relationships a boutique jeweler builds with public figures.
Excellent Reviews?
Peter Norman
Peter Norman has perhaps the highest rating of any jeweler in the US. With those reviews coming over a more than 20-year period, that’s some feat. Keeping so many people happy, year in and year out.
Peter has a 5-star average on Yelp, a near 5-star (4.8) rating on Google and a 4.6 rating on Facebook.
Brilliant Earth Reviews
Brilliant Earth holds roughly a 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot across about 1,500 reviews and an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau, accredited since 2007. That is a solid reputation for a retailer at their volume. A few older controversies and an ongoing privacy class action tied to their virtual try-on tool still circulate online, though neither appears to have materially affected their scores.
Diamonds at Wholesale Prices
Peter Norman
Peter Norman is in the business of making wonderful jewelry, not selling diamonds at retail prices for maximum profits. Wholesale pricing is available for both conflict-free mined, and lab-grown diamonds alike. Many of Peter’s customers have first checked the diamond prices at Brilliant Earth only to realize Peter’s diamond prices are a LOT better.
Peter has long-standing relationships with some of the best Diamond suppliers from around the world and uses his connections to ensure his clients receive the best possible diamond for their money.
Brilliant Earth
Brilliant Earth sits in the premium tier of online jewelers. On comparable stones they run roughly in line with or slightly above James Allen and Blue Nile, sometimes meaningfully so at certain carat weights. They do not run rotating promotional sales, which keeps pricing consistent but means there are no discounts to chase. They are not a budget option and not priced at luxury-house levels; the ethical sourcing certification and recycled-metal standards are part of what the margin covers.
Truly Custom or only customized?
Peter Norman
At Peter Norman, every piece is an original, custom, one-of-a-kind. The rings on our website are there for demonstration only to show the rings previously made for clients. Your ring? Will similarly be absolutely unique.
Brilliant Earth
Brilliant Earth offers genuine custom design, not only a configurator. Their custom track involves CAD renderings, collaboration with graduate gemologists, and hand-fabricated results. The caveat is that the process runs through their design team and within their controlled supply chain. It is not the same as sitting down with an independent goldsmith who starts from your specific vision with no catalog constraints. For most distinctive ideas their service will get there; for highly unconventional designs, an independent atelier gives more latitude.
OK to bring your own diamond?
Peter Norman
Sure! Very often a client will come in with a family heirloom ring wanting to have the stones and metal incorporated into an entirely new piece. In some cases, the original can be remodeled but often, the desired changes are so drastic that a total rebuild is required.
Or in some cases the client has already bought their own gemstones from a dealer. However you came by your gemstones is fine with us!
Brilliant Earth
No. Brilliant Earth states on their custom design page that they do not set gemstones from outside sources. If you have a family heirloom, a diamond from a previous ring, or a stone purchased elsewhere that you want reset, Brilliant Earth cannot help. This is a firm policy, not a case-by-case decision.
Natural and lab grown diamonds?
Both. Peter Norman and Brilliant Earth each offer naturally mined and lab-grown diamonds, and Brilliant Earth was among the first major jewelers to carry lab-grown stones at scale, now with a very large certified inventory. Their natural diamonds carry their Beyond Conflict Free standard, which is stricter than the Kimberley Process. At Peter Norman the choice between natural and lab-grown is entirely yours, with no house preference applied to what you are shown.
peter norman
Rings
Bezel-Set Asscher-Cut Ring in Yellow Gold
Bezel-Set Three Stone Emerald Diamond Engagement Ring
Elongated Cushion-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring
Emerald-Cut Diamond Ring with Marquise
Emerald-Cut Diamond Ring with Trapezoid Side Stones
Moval-Cut Diamond Ring with Diamond Details and Diamond Bridge
Oval Engagement Ring
Round Six Prong Engagement Ring
Toi et Moi Pear Engagement Ring
Two-Tone Emerald-Cut Solitaire Ring
Yellow Gold Oval Diamond Solitaire with Hidden Halo
Custom Design Request
Want to request custom features or pricing for a ring? Peter Norman and his associates are happy to help you with all your jewelry needs.
Contact Information
Toll Free
Phone
Store Hours
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday – Monday
Closed