Vrai
USD 1141
Pros
- Exquisite designer jewelry
- 100% sustainable diamonds
- Excellent service and support
Cons
- No independent diamond certificates
- Prices are on the higher side
- Features and inspection not as advanced as some competitors
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VRAI is a fast-growing lab-grown diamond jeweler that sells sleek, modern, and sustainable diamond jewelry. VRAI is the jeweler outlet and brand for Diamond Foundry. The celebrity and tech billionaire-backed producer of lab-grown diamonds is famous for creating 100% sustainable lab diamonds solely using renewable energy. And for having Leonardo DiCaprio as an investor, of course. But beyond the buzz, how does VRAI measure up in terms of quality, value, and customer experience?
Our review covers everything you need to know: From their lab-grown diamond focus, to their ethical and environmental impact, the buying experience, the size and quality of their inventory, and, of course, the price level. We also dive into their shopping and shipping policies for a complete look at what they offer. Finally, we break down the pros and cons to help you decide whether buying a lab-grown diamond from VRAI is the right choice.
SALES ALERT! See the best diamond deals (terms apply):
- Who is VRAI? – The Origins of VRAI Jewelry
- VRAI’s Commitment to Lab-Created Diamonds
- VRAI Lab-Grown Diamond Inventory: What You Need to Know
- VRAI Diamond Buying Experience
- Lab-Grown Diamond Prices: A Detailed Review
- VRAI Shipping and Returns
- Diamond Sustainability at VRAI
- Final Evaluation of VRAI Lab Diamonds
- VRAI vs. the Competition
Summary of Our VRAI Diamond Jewelry Review
For those short on time, you can read our final thoughts in this summary.
Our in-depth VRAI review highlights the brand’s exceptional premium customer experience. From a seamless buying process and user-friendly website to personalized virtual video appointments and celebrity endorsements, VRAI positions itself as a true luxury player in the lab-grown diamond market. With exclusive designer collaborations and bespoke collections, VRAI is the perfect choice for those seeking something unique and high-end in their jewelry.
Sustainable Lab-Grown Diamonds
VRAI exclusively uses lab-grown diamonds sourced from Diamond Foundry, their parent company. Sourcing from Diamond Foundry, VRAI offers completely sustainable diamonds that are produced entirely with renewable energy. Unlike competitors such as Pandora and Brilliant Earth, VRAI’s diamonds are not dependent on carbon offsetting.
Higher Prices Compared to Competitors
However, this level of sustainability comes at a price. VRAI’s diamonds are more expensive than those offered by top-rated competitors like Ritani and even Brilliant Earth, which also has strong eco-friendly credentials. To learn more, see our Brilliant Earth vs. VRAI comparison. While James Allen provides lower prices with advanced diamond inspection features and gemologist support, VRAI focuses more on the luxury experience rather than offering such detailed inspection tools.
VRAI’s Diamond Certification
A point of caution is VRAI’s diamond certification process. Unlike many jewelers that provide independent GIA or IGI certifications, VRAI (via Diamond Foundry) uses in-house GIA-trained gemologists to issue diamond certificates. While the diamonds are generally of excellent quality, we find that slightly misleading because it makes it harder for consumers to assess and evaluate their diamonds.
High-Quality Diamonds and Bespoke Collections
So, if sustainability is highest on your list of priorities or you value the premium feeling associated with the brand, we think VRAI is an excellent choice. VRAI is also perfect for anyone who loves its gorgeous bespoke jewelry and designer collaborations. However, if you’re a budget-conscious shopper looking for the lowest possible prices, VRAI may not be the right fit.
Our VRAI review lands on a very respectable 4.3 out of 5 stars, and we do not hesitate to recommend you shop at VRAI. This is especially true if sustainability, design, and premium brand value are important to you.
To learn more, keep reading our VRAI review.
3 Diamond Jewelers We Like Better Than VRAI
Who is VRAI? – The Origins of VRAI Jewelry
VRAI Jewelry was originally founded as Vrai and Oro by Vanessa Stofenmacher and Chelsea Nicholson, with the goal of offering a simpler and more affordable way to design and purchase jewelry. Their focus on cutting costs while delivering minimalist, beautiful designs quickly attracted a loyal customer base.
From Vrai and Oro to VRAI: A Name with Purpose
Over time, Vrai and Oro evolved into VRAI, the name stemming from the French word for “true” or “real.” This name reflects the brand’s commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, particularly in offering a more environmentally conscious diamond choice.
Transition to Lab-Grown Diamonds
Initially, the company did not sell lab-grown diamonds, opting instead for ethically sourced mined diamonds. However, in 2016, after being acquired by Diamond Foundry—the leading producer of 100% sustainable, carbon-neutral lab-grown diamonds—VRAI transitioned to offering only lab-created diamonds. Today, all VRAI diamonds are sourced exclusively from Diamond Foundry, reinforcing their carbon-neutral, sustainable mission.
Today, VRAI has lost the Oro part of its name (Spanish for gold). However, it continues its impressive growth trajectory, opening flagship stores in the US, Europe, and luxury-loving China.
Designer Collaborations and Celebrity Endorsements
The company’s collaboration with renowned designers, celebrity endorsements, and unique collections has positioned VRAI as a premium brand within the lab-grown diamond industry, offering luxury at a fraction of the cost compared to jewelers using mined diamonds.
We applaud VRAI for bringing lab-grown diamonds into fashion magazines and the consciousness of celebrities, no doubt helped by DiCaprio’s Hollywood connections. However, in our review, we will disregard any brand value associated with VRAI and compare them impartially to any other lab diamond jeweler.
VRAI’s Commitment to Lab-Created Diamonds
VRAI initially began by sourcing and selling mined diamonds, but today, the company exclusively sells lab-created diamonds and lab diamond jewelry. Their full dedication to making a positive environmental and societal impact is evident in their promotion of lab-grown diamonds over mined alternatives.
As an extension of Diamond Foundry, the leading producer of sustainable lab-grown diamonds, VRAI sells diamonds that are created using 100% renewable energy. This commitment ensures that VRAI’s diamonds are environmentally sustainable, aligning with their mission to offer a conscious, ethical choice to customers.
Educating on the Benefits of Lab-Grown Diamonds
VRAI has devoted a significant amount of its website to educating visitors about the many environmental and societal benefits of lab diamonds. VRAI does not try to diminish the benefits of lab diamonds or the drawbacks of mined diamonds. That’s refreshing, and we highly appreciate the resources that VRAI has invested in promoting the ethically better diamond choice.
Supporting Causes Beyond Jewelry
In addition, VRAI sponsors various causes that are not directly related to diamonds and jewelry but do great things for the community. But whether you donate to causes yourself or do it through buying from a company that does the same is a personal choice. We would rather decide ourselves what causes to sponsor, but praise VRAI for drawing attention to important causes.
VRAI Lab-Grown Diamond Inventory: What You Need to Know
In the following, we’ll examine the actual diamonds that VRAI sells and Diamond Foundry produces. We’ll start by assessing their diamond and jewelry inventory.
At VRAI, customers have the option to buy loose lab-grown diamonds, but to be honest, it’s not easy to figure out how. To purchase a loose diamond, you will have to start creating your own engagement ring, and then, when you are on the diamond detail page, you are presented with the option of buying the loose stone.
However, most people searching for diamonds are not looking for loose diamonds but rather diamond jewelry.
How to Buy Diamond Jewelry
There are two ways to buy diamond jewelry at VRAI:
- Ready-to-Ship Jewelry
- Create-Your-Own Jewelry
Ready-to-Ship Jewelry
VRAI offers a selection of pre-set jewelry where most of the decisions, such as diamond quality, have already been made for you. For many designs, you still have the option to personalize the metal, selecting from yellow gold, rose gold, or white gold to suit your style.
Vrai has one of the most impressive inventories of unique designs on the market, and the collection features a diverse range of lab-grown diamond bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings.
Create-Your-Own Jewelry
A better option is VRAI’s “create-your-own” jewelry feature, where you can select both the jewelry setting and the specific diamonds to go with it. This approach allows you to choose diamonds that meet your exact preferences for quality, cut, and clarity, ensuring you get the best match for the setting and material you’ve selected.
Pro tip: We always recommend choosing the “create your own jewelry” option. This allows you to handpick the exact type of diamond you want, ensuring it meets your personal preferences for quality and style.
VRAI Diamond Buying Experience
Website: Smooth and User-Friendly Navigation
The overall shopping experience at VRAI is very smooth and easy. Navigation is simple, and the structure makes sense. You are guided through the buying process, and the whole experience is relatively effortless. This is particularly the case when you’re buying ready-to-ship jewelry, while it’s a little more cumbersome when you’re building your own engagement ring.
Diamond Inspection Process
Part of the hassle is dealing with the missing filters, but it’s not too bad. The biggest challenge is the diamond inspection part of the buying process, which is critical for any diamond jewelry purchase.
Once you have narrowed down your search to the diamond that fits your criteria, the next step is to look closer at each diamond. We refer to this as the diamond inspection (learn more about it in our lab-grown diamond buying guide).
At VRAI, you can see the details while still on the search results page or click “see more details.” We recommend staying on the search results page since your filters are not stored when you return from the diamond details page. The diamond 360-degree video is also way too big on a desktop computer. On the phone, the video size is preserved.
Luckily, the “see more details” is actually not true. You can see the exact same information by staying on the results page by clicking the diamond certificate (it opens up in a new window).
The details listed here include the 4C grades, cut, color, clarity, and carat. These are what you primarily use to assess the diamond quality and the first step to the diamond inspection.
Another critical step is to study the diamond by viewing high-definition videos and images. This allows you to look for any imperfections (blemishes and inclusions) and assess brilliance and color.
Fortunately, VRAI features a 360-degree video of all its diamonds, which allows you to inspect them. However, there are no HD still images available. Our top-rated lab-grown diamond sellers, notably competitor James Allen, offer this critical feature.
Understanding the Diamond Certificate
The next step is to inspect the diamond certificate, which contains additional details about the diamond (the same as are listed on the diamond details page on VRAI’s website).
One key aspect of the diamond certificate is documenting where any imperfections are. This allows you to assess the size and placement of the imperfections further and gives hints as to which part of the images and video you should pay extra attention to.
Sadly, VRAI does not use independent diamond institutes to grade their diamonds. This not only casts doubts over the grades that they assign. It also means that the imperfections are not noted on the “certificate” that their in-house gemologist has produced.
Concerns About Independent Grading
The certificate itself is not very impressive. It looks a little homemade (because it is), and the various mentions of GIA add to the confusion, perhaps misleading some consumers to think that this is a GIA certificate (Costco does something similar with smaller diamonds).
That said, it does contain valuable information, such as diamond diagrams, polish, symmetry, and fluorescence. Unfortunately, it’s just not enough.
We have no reason to doubt their in-house, GIA-trained gemologists’ grades, and we don’t necessarily think they are wrong. In fact, VRAI offers a warranty on the validity of the grades so that if an independent institute grades it differently, you presumably can get your money back.
The problem is that such grading costs an additional $375 (quoted by VRAI). So you can probably guess why VRAI (or Diamond Foundry) did not find it necessary to have their diamonds independently graded. Even QVC has its lab diamonds graded by GIA!
In addition, GIA’s highest diamond cut grade is excellent. So, we are not sure how the warranty works when VRAI itself uses two additional higher grades.
VRAI Virtual and In-Person Appointments
As part of the buying process, VRAI provides both virtual and in-person appointments. Currently, stores are limited to flagship showrooms and pop-up events in major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago, London, Madrid, Toronto, and Shanghai.
Instead of traveling, most people will probably opt to schedule a virtual appointment. This is something that other leading online jewelers also offer, and it’s a great option to receive gemologist advice during the complex diamond buying process.
VRAI’s virtual appointments work really well. While you are being guided by independent gemologists, such as at James Allen, the advice given is honest and transparent, far from the pushy salespeople you might have experienced at traditional brick-and-mortar jewelers.
Pro Tip: Do your homework in advance and pick out diamonds and jewelry that you want to discuss before the meeting — but hold off on buying until afterward. Taking time to compare with alternative options helps you avoid making a hasty decision, and ensures you get the best value.
VRAI Support and Service
Altogether, we find that VRAI offers excellent service and support through virtual appointments, chat, and email. Their staff is knowledgeable, and answers and replies are prompt. Their advice is honest, and they understand your needs and guide you toward the best choices for you.
Our take on the buying process in our VRAI review is generally favorable. Still, we are disappointed by the lack of independent diamond grading and would have preferred that VRAI was a little more forthcoming when sharing this information.
Lab-Grown Diamond Prices: A Detailed Review
In our comprehensive review of VRAI, we found that their lab-grown diamond inventory is decent, and, taken at face value, the diamond quality is also high. The buying experience is, for the most part, excellent, but evaluating and inspecting diamonds is not anywhere near what we would have wanted to see. In this section, we dive into a key factor for any diamond purchase: pricing.
VRAI Ready-to-Ship Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry Prices
Without independent diamond grading, it’s challenging to compare VRAI’s prices with competitors. However, we know VRAI’s diamonds typically feature an excellent cut grade. We’ll thus be using this price level to compare a couple of samples.
One of the most popular pieces of diamond jewelry is the classic diamond stud earrings. At VRAI, the 1-carat total weight (that’s 2 x 0.5 carat) costs $1900. Oddly, they list the price of a single earring, and this is the price listed on the inventory page. It’s a little misleading, but we’ll let that one slide.
Comparing With Competitors
| Retailer | Cut | Clarity | Color | Price |
| Vrai | Excellent | VS | G-J | $1900 |
| Ritani | Ideal | VS | G-H | $949 |
| James Allen | N/A | VS2-SI1 | F-G | $1350 |
| Brilliant Earth | N/A | VS | F-G | $975 |
- Ritani’s diamonds are graded by IGI and have an ideal cut grade, so the diamonds that Ritani pairs the earrings with are significantly better quality.
- James Allen and Brilliant Earth don’t list their cut grade. This is not ideal because the cut grade is a crucial factor in a diamond’s sparkle and overall appearance, so not listing it leaves buyers with less transparency on diamond quality.
Ultimately, what you are paying for at VRAI is the certainty that the diamonds are 100% climate-friendly, the slightly more modern design, and, to some extent, the premium brand value. What you don’t get is the certainty that this is the best diamond cut grade.
VRAI Loose Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry Prices (For Creating Your Own Engagement Ring)
Next, in our VRAI review, we’ll assess their prices on loose diamonds (only available for engagement rings and jewelry with a minimum of 1+ carat diamond stones – each).
This is the closest we’ll get to an apples-to-apples price level comparison between jewelers. Of course, no diamonds are alike, but when aggregating across many diamonds with similar grades and characteristics, we’re able to get close.
However, this requires that the grades be comparable, and since VRAI does not have their diamonds independently graded, it’s challenging to stack the diamonds against each other. With other lab-grown diamond jewelers, it’s easier because they often use the same grading institute.
As we have noted several times in our VRAI review, that is not the case with VRAI. But, as we did with the pre-set diamond jewelry, we’ll attempt to give VRAI the benefit of the doubt and accept their grades as if they were comparable with those of IGI.
Price Comparision
Using our reference diamond criteria (0.93-1.07 carat, VS1-2 clarity, I-J color, and ideal cut), we will compare VRAI’s prices to those of other leading lab-grown diamond retailers.
- The cheapest diamond that fits these criteria at VRAI costs $1,141 for a 0.94-carat stone.
- The highest-priced option is a 1.05-carat diamond with an ideal+hearts cut grade priced at $1,664.
- In between, we found a 1.06-carat J-colored VS2 diamond priced at $1,183, which is competitively priced within this range.
Similar diamonds at competitors Ritani or Brilliant Earth range from just under $1,000 to $1,200. While the price ranges with VRAI overlap, similar-quality diamonds typically are priced $2-300 higher at VRAI.
VRAI Shipping and Returns
Shipping Options
VRAI charges a non-refundable shipping fee at checkout. Available options include:
- FedEx 2Day Service (2 business days): $10 USD plus applicable taxes
- FedEx Overnight Service (1 business day): $50 USD plus applicable taxes
All shipments require a signature upon delivery to ensure secure receipt.
Return Policy Overview
VRAI allows returns up to 30 days after delivery for a full refund, which is pretty standard, but adequate to allow for a risk-free purchase. That said, there are important exceptions — particularly for certain diamonds and custom pieces — so make sure to review the full return policy before any purchase.
It is also worth noting that during the holidays, VRAI, like James Allen and a few other sellers, extended their return period to early January.
Recycling Fee
Unlike most competitors, VRAI charges a recycling fee on certain returns (they claim that it’s to offset the cost of resetting the diamond and recycling the metal). They will, however, waive the fee if you opt for store credit in the form of a VRAI gift card.
- Engagement rings: $300
- Wedding bands: $50
- Made-to-order jewelry: $50
Engraving and Return Flexibility
One standout aspect of VRAI’s return policy is that engraved engagement rings and wedding bands are eligible for a refund (minus the engraving fee). That is particularly important if you buy an engagement ring, which you often want engraved.
Diamond Sustainability at VRAI
One of the reasons why you pay more for VRAI diamonds and jewelry, besides their exquisite designs, is their dedication to sustainability. This includes using the first zero-emission lab-grown diamonds from their owner, Diamond Foundry. But it also means using recycled and recyclable packaging, and recycled gold.
This is very admirable and, in our view, justifies, at least partly, their sometimes higher prices.
Final Evaluation of VRAI Lab Diamonds
We’ve been both very positively surprised and disappointed during our review of VRAI.
In some aspects, they are also closer to a fashion or couture jeweler than the more diamond-focused sellers who top our review ratings. VRAI cannot be compared to any other lab-grown diamond jeweler. They are the only ones that source 100% sustainable diamonds .
Perhaps VRAI is best seen as the luxury version of Pandora Jewelry. Both focus on design first and being completely sustainable (Pandora is not there yet). VRAI is similarly brand-driven, and part of the price you are paying is premium experience and brand recognition.
So, if you are looking for classic jewelry and the most critical element is the diamonds, then we honestly think you’ll get more for your money at places like Ritani.
However, if you want something unique and different but are not looking for colorful, over-the-top jewelry, such as at Barkev’s or even Pandora’s or Lightbox’s more edgy fashion design, then VRAI is the perfect choice for you. A closer competitor may be Kimaï, which we reviewed slightly lower due to their high prices.
Likewise, if being 100% climate-friendly is important to you, VRAI is an excellent choice. You pay a premium for it, but we think it’s worth it. You just have to trust their grading is accurate (and accept the decreased resale value that the lack of certificate adds).
If environmental friendliness is important to you, then we think you should consider the sustainably rated lab diamonds that Brilliant Earth offers (read more in our VRAI vs. Brilliant Earth comparison and in our in-depth Brilliant Earth review).
VRAI Pros and Cons
Pros
- Exquisite designer jewelry
- 100% sustainable diamonds
- Excellent service and support
Cons
- Diamond certificates are not by independent laboratories
- Prices are a little higher than competitors
- Features and inspection are not as advanced as some competitors
Our thorough evaluation has led us to conclude that VRAI is not deserving of a top rating due to its insufficient transparency and lack of independent grading. Nevertheless, we acknowledge their impressive commitment to complete climate sourcing and their impeccable, effortlessly chic designs. For that, our final VRAI review verdict and rating land on a very respectable 4.3 stars out of 5.
VRAI vs. the Competition
When we reviewed VRAI, we often referred to and compared it with competitors. In some cases, VRAI did better than other jewelers. In other cases, worse. To compare VRAI vs. the competition in more detail, we have published several deep-dive expert reviews in which we stack up Vrai to other lab diamond jewelers.
3 Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelers We Like Better Than VRAI
I was involved in a dog attack and my ring had bent around my finger which inevitably fractured my finger. My ring was cut off by medical personal that assisted at the scene because my finger was no long receiving an adequate amount of oxygen to sufficiently keep my finger intact. In total I had two fracture fingers and required 10 stitches for the laceration on my leg.
I sent my ring back to VRAI to have it remolded (with none of the diamonds missing, nor any of the platinum missing from the original setting) on the 1st of May and they received it on the 3rd of May.
They said it was going to take 10 days to hear back from them regarding a quote to fix the setting. They finally got back to us on the 22nd of May (19 days later).
Then, when they finally got back to us, they sent us a quote for the wrong ring (It was a quote for a different ring we had purchased from VRAI). We immediately responded explaining to them they sent us a quote for my other ring, not this ring which was the one that had to be cut to get off of my finger. They got back to us two days later regarding the issue.
They finally quoted us on the correct ring with the repairs costing $1,330 to have the setting replaced and use the exact same diamonds that were used in my original setting.
I was in awe of the quote considering all of the materials used to create the ring were all there (the diamonds were all still intact and the entire setting of platinum) and due to the traumatic experience I was already going through, that’s the best care and service that they were able to provide me.
My ring wasn’t missing a chunk of platinum or any diamonds, so I wasn’t understanding how our quote was $1,330 to simply melt down the platinum and reset the diamonds.
I called Cathleen, the service member on my case, and she was not helpful or empathetic to my situation whatsoever.
I’m extremely aggravated at how long this process has taken, as well as the horrible customer service they provided. They DO NOT care for their customers and I absolutely will NOT be purchasing from them again.
It’s unfortunate because I love all of my purchases from VRAI and have recommended many of my family members and friends to them, but I will not longer be recommending them to anyone. If they cannot care for their customers, they are not worthy of my money. #VRAI
We’re sorry to hear about your incident, Ryanna. It’s difficult for us to gauge the quote and if the price is reasonable. It can be surprisingly expensive to have custom work or repair work done on jewelry, especially compared to the original purchase price. We’re sorry you were unhappy with Vrai’s customer care. As we’ll note in the upcoming update of our Vrai review, quality assurance can sometimes be lacking, and customer service depends on who you reach. We’ve had both really great experiences and some that could have been better. We recommend you ask some of your local jewelers for a quote on the repair work.