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We’ve spent the past ten years researching and wearing ethically sourced jewelry. These are our picks for brands with colored diamond rings.
Fine diamond jewelry adds a touch of elegance to your accessories, and colored diamonds add a beautiful pop of color that glistens and stands out. For those who are ethically and sustainably minded, it can be challenging to shop for fine jewelry. Thankfully, these brands are not only keeping in mind ethics, sustainable practices, and fair working conditions, but they’re also creating stunning, heirloom-quality colored diamond jewelry that you’ll want to keep and pass down for decades.
What are colored diamonds?
Regular diamonds, or colorless diamonds, are graded based on their absence of color. The clearer they are, the higher quality they are. They’re even graded on a scale to determine how colorless they are. Colored diamonds, on the contrary, extend beyond the normal colorless and lightly colored range of diamonds, beyond any “imperfection” range, and instead are bright colors that actually are quite rare and valuable in nature. These are often called “fancy colored diamonds” and can be found in colors like blue, green, pink, yellow, orange, and red. Unlike colorless diamonds, these are graded on the presence, strength, and distribution of their colors. Colored diamonds can also be grown in a lab, where the specific colors and hues can be specifically chosen.
What should I consider when buying colored diamonds?
Just like when you purchase any diamond, you want to first consider the ethics and sustainability of the diamonds, especially when you’re purchasing natural diamonds (versus lab-grown). It’s important to consider where the materials came from — including the diamonds themselves, the metals, and any other stones or materials — as well as how they’re sourced.
Another consideration is whether you want to use natural or lab-grown diamonds, which are inherently traceable because they are made in controlled environments with fair labor practices. They have the exact same chemical and physical properties as natural diamonds, but they can be produced in batches in just a few weeks, versus the millennia that it takes for natural diamonds to form. Lab-grown diamonds are a great option to consider if you’re looking for a more affordable option or a specific color, as they are not as rare as natural colored diamonds, and the colors can be created exactly as you wish.
What certifications should I look for when buying colored diamonds?
The Kimberly Process is a system designed to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds, ensuring that the diamonds are not used to fund wars against legitimate governments. Many of the diamonds on this list are conflict-free beyond the Kimberly Process, which means they are being even more rigorous in ensuring the diamonds are free from conflict, as well as any human rights violations, environmental damages, and more.
Additional certifications to look out for include Fairmined and Fair Trade, which are external certifications that guarantee your diamonds meet fair wage, ethical labor, and environmental responsibility practices. Another environmentally friendly practice to seek when buying jewelry is that they are using recycled metals, as this reduces the need for new mining while still providing jewelry made from high quality materials.
Our criteria:
Our team has researched and tested dozens of fine jewelry brands, scouring thousands of customer reviews to find the best brands offering lab-grown diamond rings. We’ve prioritized options that combine ethical sourcing, sustainability, and beautiful craftsmanship. We regularly update this list with new options that meet the following criteria.
- ETHICAL & CONFLICT-FREE | Each of these rings is composed of lab-grown or sustainably mined diamonds and other ethically mined, recycled, or sourced gems and metals. We prioritized brands offering traceable supply chains.
- SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES | Our favorite brands invest in eco-conscious practices — from using recycled metals to carbon offsets and closed-loop recycling — and we’ve noted their initiatives in the list below.
- DESIGN & DURABILITY | Whether you’re looking for simplicity or something stunning, all of the rings on this list are made to be cherished for generations.
Doing some jewelry shopping? Check out our guide to ethical and sustainable jewelry, lab-grown diamond rings, and engagement rings to see more great options!
1. Brilliant Earth
Best For | Custom-colored diamond rings
Ethics and Sustainability | FSC-certified sustainable packaging, recycled precious metals, gives back
Product Range | Engagement rings, wedding rings, earrings, necklaces
Price Range | $190-$100,000+
Brilliant Earth, a brand well-known for its ethical and sustainable jewelry, was one of the first brands to provide traceability for its conflict-free gems. Brilliant Earth offers diamonds in the range of D-J, also known as colorless and near colorless diamonds, but they also have a wide selection of fancy colored diamonds. They have both natural and lab-grown colored diamonds, both with beautiful hues. For natural diamonds, you’ll find mostly blue, pink, and yellow diamonds, and for lab diamonds, you’ll find green, blue, red, pink, yellow, and more color options, because they are manufactured instead of mined. Brilliant Earth’s jewelry is free of “dirty gold,” as they support a circular economy and use only recycled precious metals. So when you go to set your colored diamonds, the silver and gold in the setting is not mined, but instead repurposed. We also love that Brilliant Earth is committed to sustainability: using FSC-certified wood ring boxes, for example, and packaging their orders in recycled materials.
Our Editor’s Review | “[Brilliant Earth is] the epitome of everything that people love about elegant, modern, enduring design and forward-thinking innovation meant to preserve what we hold most dear – each other, our planet, and our one precious life.” – Kate Arceo, Contributing Editor [Read her full review here.]
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2. Blue Nile
Best For | Lifetime diamond upgrades
Ethics and Sustainability | Low-energy-use facilities, diamond upgrading
Product Range | Earrings, necklaces, engagement rings, rings, bracelets
Price Range | $1,660-$126,000+
Founded in 1999, Blue Nile was one of the first online jewelry retailers. They have a wide range of fancy colored diamonds, including both natural and lab-grown diamonds. You can easily search for exactly what color, intensity, and shape of colored diamonds you want on their website — and you’ll see that they have a huge variety of options to choose from. And once you pick out your diamond and setting, Blue Nile handcrafts all of its fine jewelry in its New York headquarters, where they use low energy in their daily operations. One thing that makes Blue Nile stand out is that they offer a lifetime upgrade program for all of its GIA-graded diamonds, including colored diamonds. They also have a lifetime guarantee, 30-day returns, a price match-guarantee, and diamond education and advice experts on call 24/7 to help you find the perfect piece.
Customer Review | “This is an understated, classy ring. The black diamonds catch the light in a beautiful way without being overpowering. Though I wear it alone, it would also look great in a stack.” – Melanie P. [Read more reviews.]
3. Bario Neal
Best For | Gender neutral colored diamonds
Ethics and Sustainability | Reclaimed metals, fairmined gold, small footprint, gender-neutral & size-inclusive jewelry, gives back
Product Range | Earrings, engagement rings, necklaces
Price Range | $648 (earrings)-$3590+(engagement rings)
Philadelphia- and Brooklyn-based jeweler Bario Neal is known for its gender-inclusive, high-quality jewelry, progressive manufacturing processes, and commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ rights. You’ll find engagement rings, earrings, necklaces, and more fine jewelry, all made using fairmined gold, ethically sourced and/or lab-grown diamonds, and reclaimed precious metals. They have a few colored diamond options, mostly in colors like champagne and black. We love this abstract champagne diamond ring, or for a more minimalist vibe, we love this black diamond narrow band ring. Bario Neal also creates custom rings, where you can select your own colored diamond – champagne or salt and pepper diamonds. And then you can customize your piece to have the setting, metals, and other details to make your ring exactly how you imagine it.
Customer Review | “Absolutely love my new ring. It’s gorgeous and I’m so proud to show it off!” – Dorothy T. [Read more reviews.]
4. Catbird
Best For | Black diamond rings
Ethics and Sustainability | Recycled gold, conflict-free stones, gives back
Product Range | Rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings
Price Range | $152-$5,232+
Catbird, a continuously growing woman-owned and operated fine jewelry brand, makes its jewelry entirely in-house at its studio in Brooklyn. All of its pieces are made with recycled gold, and conflict-free, responsibly sourced stones, and they have over 40 fairly paid jewelers and artisans on-site creating their delicate and stunning pieces for everyday wear and occasions. Catbird has a few colored diamond options, ranging from this dainty black diamond ring to this playful cat charm with black diamond eyes. And beyond its beautiful jewelry, Catbird also gives back to the community, donating one percent of all sales to organizations like the ACLU and the Food Bank of New York City.
Customer Review | “These are small enough to be dainty but not so small that they are not noticeable at all. They’re a good size, I love the black and gold, very comfy hoops.” – Elisa B. [Read more reviews.]
5. Plum Diamonds
Best For | Lab-grown colored diamonds
Ethics and Sustainability | RJC certified, American lab-grown diamonds, recycled gold & metals
Product Range | Engagement rings, wedding bands, necklaces, earrings, bracelets
Price Range | $910-$3,490+
Plum Diamonds is a woman-owned, sustainable brand that crafts its rings using lab-grown diamonds. They have many colored diamond rings in several different cuts, styles and colors, including pink, green, blue, yellow, and more. We love that you can also customize the rings to change out the diamond color, cut, and other details to make it exactly how you want it to be. And if you’re not sure where to begin, they also offer a “Find Your Diamond Kit” to help you figure out exactly what you’re looking for. Because they use lab grown diamonds, all of their diamonds are guaranteed conflict-free and more environmentally-friendly than natural diamonds. And their commitment to sustainability and ethics goes beyond their diamonds, too. They also use 100% recycled metals, ensure ethical labor practices, source responsibly, and focus on having a minimal environmental impact.
Customer Review | “Our experience with Plum has been nothing short of amazing. My fiancée and I were a little skeptical about using an online jeweler for such a large purchase but we are so happy that we did.” – Lamont C. [Read more reviews.]
6. Jennie Kwon Designs
Best For | Artistic colored rings
Ethics and Sustainability | Fairmined gold, ethically sourced & conflict-free diamonds
Product Range | Rings, earrings, necklaces, engagement rings, bracelets
Price Range | $175-$10,500
Jennie Kwon Designs creates romantic, thoughtful, sustainable jewelry using ethically sourced and conflict-free stones, and Fair Trade and Fairmined gold. The woman-owned and operated brand carries hundreds of stunning pieces, including many colored diamonds. We love this art deco black diamond ring, this unique arched black diamond ring, and this gorgeous champagne diamond ring. A native of Los Angeles, Jennie Kwon’s pieces reflect the art and natural beauty that surround her.
7. Taylor & Hart
Best For | Pink and yellow diamond rings
Ethics and Sustainability | Fair trade & recycled metals, ethically-sourced diamonds
Product Range | Rings, engagement rings, earrings, necklaces
Price Range | $840-$15,195+
Taylor & Hart’s team helps you create your perfect ring by working with you to customize every detail. If you’re looking to design a fancy colored ring, Taylor & Hart can create custom pink or yellow diamond rings. They offer both lab-grown and ethically sourced, conflict-free natural diamonds that go beyond the Kimberly process, a testament to their commitment to sustainable and ethical jewelry.
Featured image is from Brilliant Earth
Brianna Schubert is a writer and editor based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade, an editorial assistant at Motley Bloom, and a freelance writer. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Since 2023, Brianna has combined her expertise and investigative skills to deliver thoughtful reviews of sustainable products and home goods, helping readers make informed, eco-conscious choices. Brianna is also the writer behind The Mood Board, a Substack newsletter for creativity and inspiration. When she’s not writing, you can find her cooking up a new recipe, reading and recommending books, cuddling with her cat, or yapping with her friends at a café. Say hi on Instagram!
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