shape
carat
color
clarity

Poll: Sterling Silver Purse Mirror, Tiffany or Asprey?

Which Silver Mirror Is More Practical and Better Value?

  • Tiffany for $250 - it has design & comes with a pouch

    Votes: 6 46.2%
  • Asprey for $335 - plain silver is chic, and it's a proper compact

    Votes: 7 53.8%

  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .

Smith1942

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Hi,

So, regular PSers might know that I love sterling silver. It's a complex metal and is the whitest metal. I'll always have a soft spot for good silver.

For about a year, I've been searching for a sterling silver purse mirror. It seems such a deliciously luxe item, and they are only about $200-$300. It should be solid silver, not silver plate. There aren't that many of them. Tiffany carries some, and Asprey has just one.

I also looked at Towle silver and at Reed and Barton. They do have some, but with elaborate 19th-century-style designs which I don't really like.

I didn't like the Tiffany designs on offer and also they did not have protective leather pouches, except one design, which was Tiffany blue with a blue enamel dot on the mirror. I didn't like the light blue pouch - not keen on the colour, and also it would get dirty.

Then, Tiffany brought out a Villa Paloma mirror and I didn't like that either - and no pouch.

In addition, Tiffany had a retired design of an oval mirror on a little folding handle. I obtained one from the New York store but it was too small, and no leather pouch, so I sent it back. I also looked at the Tiffany bows mirror, but I didn't like the design and again, no pouch.

The Towle and the Reed and Barton mirrors also did not come with pouches, so you run the risk of the mirror shattering in your purse. I have done that before, even with the mirror in a cosmetic bag. The mirrors from those brands are also only one side.

The ONLY solid sterling silver purse mirror I've found anywhere that is actually a compact - so two sides with a hinge - is Asprey, for $330. But no pouch.

The reason I'm thinking about this again is because Tiffany has just brought out a new design that I love, a daisy deco design - and this time, it comes with a black leather pouch! Yay!!!

As luck would have it, an Asprey store has just opened in Boston, so I went in and looked at their mirror yesterday. I did order it last year, but when it came, it was clearly an old design, was rusty, the hinge was crap - anyway, I sent it back and forgot about purse mirrors, until this new Tiffany design with a pouch just came out, and the new Asprey store opened here.

The Asprey mirror I saw yesterday was lovely and had none of the problems of the other one I had. It's heavy, solid, and has two mirrors inside, one normal and one magnified. It's a little wider in diameter than the Tiffany one, and is better value at $335 for two mirrors. It's totally plain except tiny hallmarks, which is quite chic, I think.

The Tiffany one is $250 for one mirror, it does have a pouch, and I like the design a lot.

So, which is more practical and better value?

Tiffany: A design that I like, with pouch, single mirror for $250?

Or Asprey: a proper compact, plain chic, no pouch but two sides, for $330?

Which is the best one to get? (N.B. The Tiffany one looks matte in the image but is actually a high-polish finish.)

asprey.jpg

tiffany.png

tiffany_pouch.png
 

yssie

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Re: Poll: Sterling Silver Purse Mirror Dilemma, Tiffany & As

That is luxe 8)

I'd pick the Asprey - you just *can't* get those lone white hairs on top of your head with one mirror! Is there a maximum angle it locks at or can you open flat to 180?
 

Smith1942

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Thanks Yssie!

I'd use the mirror for checking my teeth and putting lipstick on when I'm out, that sort of thing. I wouldn't use it to look at the greys on the top of my head, although I do have them! I don't know if the compact opens flat, I suspect not, but I wouldn't want to do that anyway, as it might compromise the hinge. (Since the compact is all silver, there is no "snap closure". The hinge has to be fairly stiff for the compact to stay closed.)

Both Tiffany and Asprey have said that they can replace the mirrors if they get broken, and I guess Asprey can tighten up the hinge if it gets loose, too.
 

ame

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Id rather have one that closes...

I had to look to see if I HAD a mirror in my purse, and I do not. I walk around blissfully ignorant of whatever is clinging to my teeth... I bought one at Henri Bendel one day with a super discount coupon, and I thought that was in my purse, but evidently it's not. I have one on my desk at work that's a freebie from Sephora.
 

katharath

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Hmm. I'd also rather have one that closes, but the Tiffany design and pouch are ADORABLE!!!

I love it! I would go with the Tiffany piece. I have a really pathetic old mirror in my purse and now I want one of these too, lol...
 

VRBeauty

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Get the Asprey - then start saving so you can have a great engraver personalize it for you with your monogram (or whatever you'd prefer)!
 

yssie

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Hmm... Still voting Asprey I think, I prefer the one that closes even if it doesn't have a pouch, though I do like the Tiffany design a lot...
 

smitcompton

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Hi,

The asprey. Its beautiful. You can find a nice pouch for it or ask them if they have one. Very glamerous, and definitly luxe.

Annette
 

SMC

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I'm voting for Tiffany's unless the Asprey comes with a pouch. I don't know about you, but my purse is one random assortment of stuff that could scratch up silver very quickly. I also think the daisy design is more visually interesting.
 

monarch64

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I really love them both, and can see why you do, too. You have impeccable taste, Smith!

I voted for the Asprey. I was really torn. I think the Tiffany design is beautiful, but is it a sunflower? I can't quite tell what flower that's supposed to be. Anyway, if I absolutely loved sunflowers or whatever it is, I would choose it in a heartbeat. But I don't think I could commit to a design that I didn't really, reallylove. I think the simplicity and elegance of the Asprey are timeless, and as VRBeauty stated above, you could find a fantastic engraver to do something really unique and beautiful that would mean something personal to you.

The pouch issue...if you went the Asprey route and chose to have it engraved, you could also probably find a great Etsy dealer to make you a pouch with a matching embossed or embroidered design. That would be even better than a generic pouch, I think.

ETA: Oh, I see now it's a daisy! Hmm. I love the name Daisy but not necessarily the flower. ;)) It's still beautiful. I'm not much help!
 

Smith1942

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Thanks for the input, everyone! Isn't it terrible, having to make these kinds of desperate decisions? :lol:

They're so different from each other and a good sterling purse mirror is so hard to find that perhaps I'll just have to have 'em both!! :Up_to_something: :twisted:
 

Smith1942

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monarch64|1385083212|3561031 said:
I really love them both, and can see why you do, too. You have impeccable taste, Smith!

I voted for the Asprey. I was really torn. I think the Tiffany design is beautiful, but is it a sunflower? I can't quite tell what flower that's supposed to be. Anyway, if I absolutely loved sunflowers or whatever it is, I would choose it in a heartbeat. But I don't think I could commit to a design that I didn't really, reallylove. I think the simplicity and elegance of the Asprey are timeless, and as VRBeauty stated above, you could find a fantastic engraver to do something really unique and beautiful that would mean something personal to you.

The pouch issue...if you went the Asprey route and chose to have it engraved, you could also probably find a great Etsy dealer to make you a pouch with a matching embossed or embroidered design. That would be even better than a generic pouch, I think.

ETA: Oh, I see now it's a daisy! Hmm. I love the name Daisy but not necessarily the flower. ;)) It's still beautiful. I'm not much help!


Awwwww, that is such a sweet thing to say! :oops: No one has ever said that to me in my whole life even though I'm halfway through already, so thank you!
 

monarch64

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Smith, you're very welcome. And, you're just barely mid-life. And certainly don't look it. I like reading about all your fun purchases and seeing them here. Your posts are always very candid and down-to-earth. I admire that.
 

JewelFreak

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Smith, Tiffany silver looks great at first but does not age well. It has a higher nickel % & scratches easily, plus the color kind of dulls in time. This is from experience working there & selling lotsa silver jewelry, keychains, etc.

I'd go for Asprey anyhow -- it's more exotic to have an Asprey item. The idea of having a pouch made is a super one -- any silver in your purse will need to be protected.

--- Laurie
 

chrono

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I prefer the clean and very sophisticated lines of the Asprey. The lack of a pouch doesn't deter me; just get one made or ordered from someplace else.
 

Smith1942

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JewelFreak: Really? I never knew that about Tiffany silver. I want to return all of mine now!!

Monarch64 - U are v. sweet! :oops:
 

Smith1942

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OK, so I've made a decision. Don't shoot me, but I'm going to get both. The votes are split 50-50, which means I have to get both. :Up_to_something:

But seriously, beautiful sterling purse mirrors are very hard to come by, and of the few available, these are the only two I've ever liked. Also, they are VERY different. The Asprey one is perhaps too good to be in my bag every day, and too heavy, so I'll save it for when I'm going out somewhere, and I'll use the Tiffany for every day.

I don't know exactly when I'll get them; I might get the Tiffany next week and the Asprey sometime next year. But I won't wait too long, in case they get discontinued.

Thanks for your input, everyone!
 

manderz

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ame|1385066369|3560811 said:
Id rather have one that closes...

I had to look to see if I HAD a mirror in my purse, and I do not. I walk around blissfully ignorant of whatever is clinging to my teeth... I bought one at Henri Bendel one day with a super discount coupon, and I thought that was in my purse, but evidently it's not. I have one on my desk at work that's a freebie from Sephora.

I do not have a mirror in my purse, either. If I eat anything that may be treacherous enough to leave a straggler in my teeth, I use my front-facing camera :oops:
 

VRBeauty

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Smith1942|1385163203|3561499 said:
OK, so I've made a decision. Don't shoot me, but I'm going to get both. The votes are split 50-50, which means I have to get both. :Up_to_something:

I think that's a great solution! It's a bit of an indulgence, but... it sounds like you've found some things you really love, and the price is within reason, so go for it - - - or them!
 

distracts

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I love the Tiffany mirror. Do you have a link to it? I can't seem to find it on the site (uh, not that I'm complaining that I was forced to peruse the site for the last hour...)

Is it true that he Tiffany silver contains nickel? More than just the trace amount that any sterling silver alloy may carry? If so that concerns me because there are a few Tiffany silver pieces I want but I am so allergic to nickel!
 

rosetta

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VRBeauty|1385178501|3561570 said:
Smith1942|1385163203|3561499 said:
OK, so I've made a decision. Don't shoot me, but I'm going to get both. The votes are split 50-50, which means I have to get both. :Up_to_something:

I think that's a great solution! It's a bit of an indulgence, but... it sounds like you've found some things you really love, and the price is within reason, so go for it - - - or them!

Oh yay! You're getting both, please post pics when you get them. The Asprey one is a contender for my Christmas list :cheeky:
 

Smith1942

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distracts|1385194909|3561610 said:
I love the Tiffany mirror. Do you have a link to it? I can't seem to find it on the site (uh, not that I'm complaining that I was forced to peruse the site for the last hour...)

Is it true that he Tiffany silver contains nickel? More than just the trace amount that any sterling silver alloy may carry? If so that concerns me because there are a few Tiffany silver pieces I want but I am so allergic to nickel!


Here's the link, Distracts: http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?fromGrid=1&sku=31043999&mcat=&cid=&search_params=p+1-n+10000-c+-s+1-r+-t+mirror-ni+1-x+-lr+-hr+-ri+-mi+-pp+0+1&search=1&origin=search&searchkeyword=mirror

I don't know about the Tiffany silver alloy. Maybe phone them and ask about the nickel content?
 

MichelleCarmen

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The Tiffany one is really cute. I see you decided to get both...my vote would have been to look around a little longer mostly because the Tiffany one is so cute, but it'd be nice if it was combined with the double mirror hinged design...also, I found the Tiffany silver I have tarnishes really easily (and the other mirror is a bit too sleek for my style, hence looking around more - I live the sophisticated girliness of the Tiffany one that combines elegance & fun into one item, but would want it to close.).

Hope you like both! Be sure to post photos.
 

Smith1942

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Honestly, MC, I've been looking for most of this year. Maybe last year too - it could have been last year when I bought and returned the Asprey one for being rusty, I can't remember. Tiffany never does purse mirrors that are double compacts. The reason I can feel OK about my plan to get both is because I know there are so few out there that do it for me, having looked for what seems like ages. I'm not going to get both right now, anyway. I MIGHT get one next week, not sure. And the other sometime next year.
 

MichelleCarmen

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Smith1942|1385244520|3561794 said:
Honestly, MC, I've been looking for most of this year. Maybe last year too - it could have been last year when I bought and returned the Asprey one for being rusty, I can't remember. Tiffany never does purse mirrors that are double compacts. The reason I can feel OK about my plan to get both is because I know there are so few out there that do it for me, having looked for what seems like ages. I'm not going to get both right now, anyway. I MIGHT get one next week, not sure. And the other sometime next year.

oh, ooops, I read that part (one next week and the other, next year)... I spaced out and thought you had just ordered it. lol

Your plan sounds fine to me...I've never looked at silver purse mirrors so I have no idea what's out there. I just use my clinique face powder mirror. (we all have our obsessions - my current ones include: wallets/small wristlets for my iphone, sweaters, and socks with fun patterns that don't match anything I wear :cheeky: )
 

Beacon

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Have to tell you - I really like the direction you are going here - very elegant accessory and also very useful.

Both look great. I would use a pouch over both to prevent scratch and smear. If possible I would hand engrave the Asprey, for extra delight! The Tiffany flower has great charm. Lovely for a summer evening.

I use a broken off side of a blusher compact as my purse mirror. I feel so ashamed :oops:
 

Imdanny

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Re: Poll: Sterling Silver Purse Mirror Dilemma, Tiffany & As

Yssie|1385061922|3560742 said:
That is luxe 8)

I'd pick the Asprey - you just *can't* get those lone white hairs on top of your head with one mirror! Is there a maximum angle it locks at or can you open flat to 180?

Moi aussi. ;))
 

Smith1942

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Beacon|1385256134|3561880 said:
Have to tell you - I really like the direction you are going here - very elegant accessory and also very useful.

Both look great. I would use a pouch over both to prevent scratch and smear. If possible I would hand engrave the Asprey, for extra delight! The Tiffany flower has great charm. Lovely for a summer evening.

I use a broken off side of a blusher compact as my purse mirror. I feel so ashamed :oops:


Ha ha, a couple of people have commented that they don't have a purse mirror to check their teeth or whatever, and I never have either! But like I was saying on the make-up thread, as I've moved through my thirties (now 39) I've certainly gravitated towards a more "done" look than when I was younger. I think the desire for a proper sterling purse mirror is probably part of it.

I just hope that the ultimate stage of that process doesn't look like this!

cakeface.jpg
 

canuk-gal

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Beacon|1385256134|3561880 said:
Have to tell you - I really like the direction you are going here - very elegant accessory and also very useful.

Both look great. I would use a pouch over both to prevent scratch and smear. If possible I would hand engrave the Asprey, for extra delight! The Tiffany flower has great charm. Lovely for a summer evening.

I use a broken off side of a blusher compact as my purse mirror. I feel so ashamed :oops:




Don't feel ashamed Beacon, because i don't know how to use my Blackberry its reflective face is "my mirror".

Thank you Smith for rescuing me from mirror oblivion--apparently I also need one.....and how very convenient since my BD happens to be THIS Wednesday. Thank goodness for simple mercies! :)) Off to shop online...... :appl:

cheers--Sharon
 

Smith1942

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canuk-gal|1385337463|3562226 said:
Beacon|1385256134|3561880 said:
Have to tell you - I really like the direction you are going here - very elegant accessory and also very useful.

Both look great. I would use a pouch over both to prevent scratch and smear. If possible I would hand engrave the Asprey, for extra delight! The Tiffany flower has great charm. Lovely for a summer evening.

I use a broken off side of a blusher compact as my purse mirror. I feel so ashamed :oops:




Don't feel ashamed Beacon, because i don't know how to use my Blackberry its reflective face is "my mirror".

Thank you Smith for rescuing me from mirror oblivion--apparently I also need one.....and how very convenient since my BD happens to be THIS Wednesday. Thank goodness for simple mercies! :)) Off to shop online...... :appl:

cheers--Sharon


Ooooh, if you get a purse mirror, post it online! Happy Birthday for Wednesday!
 
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