HELP OEC or Tiffany & Co??

[trednybr]

I'm so torn between two diamonds! One is an old european cut 2.74carat H/I color (sending to GIA this week for exact) and the other is Tiffany & Co solitaire 1.81 H VS1. I'm so torn I love the the experience at tiffany's and feel comfortable knowing I am getting a good diamond and that it is going to be backed up with a lifetime guarantee. I also love the free cleanings at any location as we travel a lot and it will def come in handy. We also love the one time upgrade polity.

Then there is the Old European Cut where i LOVE the size and character. I also love that it is nearly 100 years old but what makes me nervous is that the top of the diamond is very flat for my taste but it shows beautifully on. However it does not sparkly nearly as much as the tiffany diamond. I'm not even a tiffany girl I actually told my boyfriend when we started dating to never buy me a gift of either Tiffany or David Yurman bc they are both just so commercialized to me. However when we went into tiffany to look at their diamonds "just for fun" we were both blown away by the solitaire. It is absolutely beautiful.

Which one would you guys choose??

thank you!

 

[Acinom]

Definitely the OEC! But I am an OEC girl. I love their history and character. But I cannot really judge as I have not seen the stones.

Exciting dilemma. If you decide you want a modern stone, I would still not buy from Tiffany because of the reasons you mentioned and because you can get more 'diamond value' elsewhere.

Happy search!! Any ideas on a setting?

 

[Acinom]

Just saw your photo's in your other thread. Loooooove the character of the OEC! And the size of the OEC!

 

[trednybr]

thanks acinom!!! I'm getting really excited as I think i might be ready to finally make a DECISION ahhhhh. Here is a pic with it next to the pic of the tiffany diamond

 

[trednybr]

as for a setting the jeweler wants to do a very dainty cushion halo where the diamonds are very small and slightly below the diamond. He thinks it will bring out the center diamond rather than take away from. I was at first nervous when he said cushion halo on a round diamond as I know it can be difficult and i wouldn't want there to be any gaps. He showed me some examples that he has done as soon as he sensed my hesitation and it is absolutely beautiful.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I can't really tell much about either of these diamonds from the photos...

Do you have the numbers on the Tiffany diamond? Do you have any other photos, especially any close-ups and side views of the OEC? Are these your only two choices or would you consider others?

 

[trednybr]

yes these are the only two I am considering we have been looking at diamonds for MONTHS and these are the only ones that have stuck with me.

 

[Dee*Jay]

There's certainly something to be said for a diamond that sticks with you.

What *exactly* does the Tiffany "guarantee" mean?

You made the observation that the Tiffany diamond sparkled more than the OEC. Totally different animals these MRB and OEC, but both beautiful in their own way! One question: If the Tiffany were as large in diameter as the OEC would you then like it more?

(I hope you understand I'm asking these questions not to be nit-picky or a PITA but only to assist in the thinking-through process of making a very important investment!)

 

[diamondseeker2006]

If you are interested in OEC's, there are more vendors we can refer you to. In addition, if you want the cut quality with an OEC cut, you can look at August Vintage Rounds like the stone in my avatar picture (if there are any in your size/budget range). If there is any single doubt about the OEC you are looking at (like it is flat??? it should have a high crown), please do not rush and get one that is not a great one. I think a Tiffany ring is a classic, great choice, and I had the repro setting for that but did trade a round brilliant for the AVR. I love OEC's, too, but I would not settle for less than a great one.

 

[yennyfire]

There's certainly something to be said for a diamond that sticks with you.

What *exactly* does the Tiffany "guarantee" mean?

You made the observation that the Tiffany diamond sparkled more than the OEC. Totally different animals these MRB and OEC, but both beautiful in their own way! One question: If the Tiffany were as large in diameter as the OEC would you then like it more?

(I hope you understand I'm asking these questions not to be nit-picky or a PITA but only to assist in the thinking-through process of making a very important investment!)

Definitely good points DeeJay! Without close up photos, it's hard to really tell anything about the OEC (i.e. small table, high crown, facet pattern). I'm personally an OEC girl, but that's just me....

 

[trednybr]

The tiffany diamond is peace of mind. I know its a great diamond and the brand will stand behind it. I haver zero doubts that i am purchasing a great piece of jewelry. I know that Tiffany's will stand behind the diamond if I should have any complaints about it, i've heard they even replace the setting for you if it gets scratched up. Something about it just gives me more comfort. i know that there is so much that goes into a diamond way beyond the four C's that I am not aware of. I get overwhelmed when I see a diamond and even though the basic C's are good I know that there is still so much that may not be so good. It makes me nervous and stops me from being 100% sure. Originally I wanted an antique cushion. I went to leon mege, mark, looked at settings etc. For some reason I just never absolutely fell in love with anything. Then I saw the tiffany solitaire in person, tried it on, loved it. Didn't want to act too quickly as I know indecisive I am. While I was taking time to think about it I ended up getting into a conversation with someone and my love for antique styled diamonds came up. Turns out this friends boyfriends sister was proposed to with this 2.73 OEC diamond and it was not her style and way too big for her liking. She is very low key/bohemian and doesn't wear much jewelry and asked to trade it for no more than 1 carat. So that is the story on how i became linked up with this jeweler. The diamond is beautiful but i'm worried that something is just off about it. It was not GIA certified but the jeweler is more than happy to send it to GIA for us to get certified. It originally had a small chip on the edge of it from the setting it was in originally and he is also recutting it to make sure that is all taken care of.

NOW, GIA next day is going to cost 300 dollars. The deal is if we do not take the diamond that we pay for it but if we do not we will owe him the $300. i thought this sounded fair? If the GIA report comes back not as good as i was hoping I think I might pass on the diamond. But then again, do stats really matter with these old cut diamonds????

::

and YES if I could have the Tiffany diamond in a 2.73 I would take it. But again, i'm not interested in this style diamond/ring from anywhere else as the reason I am drawn to it is bc it is from Tiffany. It's the story behind the setting that intrigues me. I like how old the setting is and that is the the ORIGINAL.

Would I chose a tiffany setting even if were exactly the same with a bigger round brilliant diamond else where? No.

 

[trednybr]

sorry typo regarding the GIA fee. If we take the diamond he will cover the fee but if we decide not to he will ask us to pay for it.

 

[trednybr]

btw diamondseeker the diamond in your avatar is GORGEOUS!

 

[trednybr]

What makes me most nervous about the Tiffany diamond is because of the size/setting i'm afraid of it looking like everyone else's. I'm hoping that because it is the original it will stand out a little more instead of getting lost in the crowd of +/- 2 carat diamonds in my circle.

 

[madelise]

The tiffany diamond is peace of mind. I know its a great diamond and the brand will stand behind it. I haver zero doubts that i am purchasing a great piece of jewelry. I know that Tiffany's will stand behind the diamond if I should have any complaints about it, i've heard they even replace the setting for you if it gets scratched up.

That's not true. Settings get scratched up regularly. They'll polish it for you, but it's a huge PITA. They don't do their sizing or polishing in-store. They have to ship it out to their bench, then back. It took like 2 weeks for my necklace to be polished.

Their upgrade policy sucks, too. Only one per lifetime, and you have to double your original price.




I also wouldn't go with an OEC that you feel iffy on. I don't know. I need a diamond to WOW me. And it's not a rare occasion! Diamonds wow me often.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

btw diamondseeker the diamond in your avatar is GORGEOUS!

Thank you!!! And I want you to feel that way about your own diamond, once you fine "the one"!

What makes me most nervous about the Tiffany diamond is because of the size/setting i'm afraid of it looking like everyone else's. I'm hoping that because it is the original it will stand out a little more instead of getting lost in the crowd of +/- 2 carat diamonds in my circle.

Well, many people will not realize it is a true Tiffany ring, and that isn't the kind of thing you can just say a lot, either. I don't think it will stand out other than it will be a nice quality diamond and few people are even going to give any thought to a solitaire setting. As Madelise said, the Tiffany trade-up policy is pretty tough..double the purchase price. So do think about that before deciding. It really sounds like to me that you'd love a great OEC more and you'd never choose a plain Tiffany repro for a setting. So I think you may be sorry if you go with the Tiffany ring.

Have you looked at Jewels By Erica Grace, Old World Diamonds, and Good Old Gold for OEC's? Because I would really keep looking if you have any doubts about that OEC you are looking at now. Don't settle just because you are tired of looking! I don't think the GIA report will help a lot. What would help would be an idealscope or ASET image to check optical symmetry and light return and leakage. Even a couple of macro shots of the OEC close up (from top and side) would help.

 

[rileyl]

I am almost certain that I have read here that Tiffany diamonds are not necessarily any better than any other diamonds, and you will be paying a huge premium for the brand name. If your budget will accommodate a ring that size from T, then u can certainly find an incredible OEC at one of the vendors already mentioned here. It's also worth checking out some videos comparing modern cuts to old cuts to see which is more appealing. I'm guessing you have viewed your two candidates in very different lighting conditions rather than side by side, and that makes it difficult to assess them accurately. That being said, all OECs are not equal and the one you are looking at may not be a well cut stone.

Good luck! Will look forward to seeing what you choose!

 

[trednybr]

I know that there are plenty of diamonds out there that are just as good if not better than Tiffany diamonds. I just don't think I am knowledgeable enough in the diamond world to take that risk. Even when I search online for diamonds of similar specs I feel the price difference isn't that bad. I think what Tiffany does is master what goes into everything beyond the basic 4 C's. For sure the Tiffany H/I stones looked far better than other H/I stones that i had looked at.

As for the OEC, the reason i have having trouble moving on from this one and looking at other OEC is that according to our jeweler the OEC is priced so well because it is from the owner who is selling her diamond. He is charging us 22,000 now for the diamond itself and $3,500 for the custom setting. That price seems like the steal but it's the "you get what you pay for" that i am worried about.

He is going to send it to GIA this week and it should be back this week. What should I look for in the report with this particular stone?

 

[Kelli]

As others have mentioned, you can absolutely get a bigger, probably even more beautifully cut diamond of either variety with the help of the experts here. That said, you seem to really love the Tiffany and have some real doubts on the OEC. If the Tiffany is available and makes your heart sing, go with that.

 

[Kelli]

People here can help you find that perfect diamond. I've watched youtube videos from good old gold where he compares his ideal cut hearts and arrows diamonds to Tiffany diamonds and his were clearly the better performers. Seeing these videos may definitely help to ease your mind. Just search good old gold diamond videos on youtube. They also have comparisons of their ideal vintage cuts vs. their ideal round cuts. If nothing else, grab some popcorn and enjoy the pretty light show; the videos are DEFINITELY worth seeing.

 

[dreamer_dachsie]

If it was a car would you just say, "Its all confusing! Oh, you will wash the car for me at any location? Well sure, I'll spend double!" I have no problem with Tiffany, but as a consumer advocate I only would support someone buying there if they covet the brand, specifically. The reasons you give are common for people buying diamonds. But really, a little education and its not so scary.

Go to Jared and buy a peerless brand diamond. Go on Blue Nile and buy one of their Signature diamonds. Go on Whiteflash and buy one of their ACAs or Brian Gavin and buy one of their Signature stones. Or ask your jeweler to call in an AGS0 or GIA Ex cut diamond of the color and clarity you prefer. All of those options will be as well cut and half the price (well online anyways, some B&M jewelers really charge highway robbery prices for diamonds IMO). And you can likely still get your diamond checked and cleaned at virtually any jeweler while you wait.

As to the OEC, I don't like what I see in those photos and 54% is in the depth range where I think its getting very close to being able to say with certainty that the proportions will not work well, even without good pictures. I have only seen maybe one stone with such depth that worked, and it needed recutting to optimize its appearance. You yourself say this stone you are considering is less sparkly. That is likely because it is not cut very well, and that leads to a slightly glassy, lifeless look in diamonds. The price is good for the color and clarity IF as stated (yes stats matter for setting price, not for beauty). But let me tell you something: That line about why its priced so well... all jewelers use it or something similar. Did he also tell you that if you don't buy it then he will buy it for his own inventory because its so nice? Or similar comments? Sales tactics.

I know you have been looking for months, but I don't think either of these options is best.

 

[CharmyPoo]

If you asked me, I would select a unique diamond with a custom made setting. T&CO is sooooo boring to me and while it is a designer ring ... plenty of people have it. Most of my friends have T&CO rings - they are beautiful but boring to me. I guess I feel the brand is very diluted to me - it's not like "oooh it's Tiffany". I call the T&CO e-rings .. the lazy man ring. Don't need to think, not as expensive as Cartier/Harry Winston/Graff, and most girls are happy with a T&CO e-ring.

I haven't seen the OEC you are considering but an OEC in that size and color is rare and hard to come by. It took me a really long time to find an OEC that was white enough in the 2.5 ct range. Mine is GIA H. You can take the diamond and have an awesome setting custom made and designed.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

If you are considering an "Estate" OEC ring, then why not an "Estate" Tiffany? There are plenty of reputable Estate dealers who have Tiffany ER's--with the paperwork included. And they are almost always less money than at a retail boutique. Can't speak to the trade up policy, but if you have the original T & C valuation in hand, it must "help".

cheers--Sharon

 

[sphenequeen]

My advice would be to not let the "experience" at Tiffany sway you, but rather let the stone speak to you - the upgrade policy and free cleanings should not be a determining factor. You can keep your ring clean with a few simple steps and if you have a good relationship with a jeweler in your area, they should be able to offer you a free cleaning as a way to earn your business.

When judging how the stones "sparkle," keep in mind that T&Co uses state of the art LED lighting in their boutiques. If you are not looking at the OEC under the same conditions, you are not really comparing apples to apples.

I am all for someone getting the ring of their dreams from Tiffany if that is what their heart desires. However, it is easy to get caught up in the romance of the experience rather than judging with your eyes and wallet (IMHO).

 

[Rosebloom]

Re: HELP OEC or Tiffany & Co??

You can get a top of the line (Blue Nile Signature, White Flash ACA, etc) 1.8ct H VS1 diamond for $20-23k (and with great upgrade policies). The gorgeous Vatche Tiffany repro is around $3k. So anything more than $23k that you might spend on be Tiffany is what you're paying for the experience of purchasing there. If it were me, I would want a gorgeous unbranded diamond in a bespoke setting. It would stand out from your group of friends and be a small work of art you could be really proud of forever (or until you upgrade...).

Whatever you decide, I hope you'll share loads of pictures!

 

[maple2012]

I still drool over their rings (even though I love my own which is a Tiffany style but not the real deal) every time I go in there. With the amount of "going back and forth" I've done on my setting via an internet vendor... if we had the money honestly I would have gone with the original Tiffany's. Keep in mind I work right next to the store so for me it would have also been a convenience factor of being able to take it in to take advantage of the cleaning, re-sizing, and in-person service they offer.

So my vote is for Tiffany's if you have the funds...!

 

[arkieb1]

Do yourself a favour and find out the exact stats on the stone in the Tiffany ring, then we can all look at the cut of it, the size, colour and clarity and figure out what exactly you are seeing, what you like about the stone and then help save you money. Tiffany stones in my humble opinion are frequently NOT the best cut diamonds that you can buy and they charge you a premium for the name only.

If you like Old Cuts Diamondseekers suggestion about looking at Good old Gold's August vintage Rounds is an excellent idea, but if its flash and fire which I think is what you are after, I would suggest a top cut round and then put it into something like a Halo made by Victor Canera or one of the other high end vendors which will give you the finger coverage you seek. The fact you are stating you didn't visually like the old cut cushions is also suggesting to me your eye prefers the scintillation pattern of a well cut round.

I believe something like these might give you what you are seeking (the bling factor your eye prefers and the finger coverage you are looking for);

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/victor-canera-rb-halo-ring-my-forever-setting-finally.164262/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/victor-canera-rb-halo-ring-my-forever-setting-finally.164262/[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/vc-emilya-halo-w-single-cut-multi-row-pave-pic-overload.185195/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/vc-emilya-halo-w-single-cut-multi-row-pave-pic-overload.185195/[/URL]

 

[GemFever]

trednybr, I wonder if you made a decision since your last post?

 

[distracts]

Any jeweler will clean your ring for free for you. Seriously. ANY JEWELER. And either ring you get, it will need to be insured in case of loss or theft, something store guarantees don't cover.

Re: sparkle - Tiffany store lighting makes everything ten million times sparklier. Unless you viewed the OEC in equivalent lighting, I don't think you have enough information to judge on grounds of sparkle.

I honestly don't think either of these diamonds is for you. You should keep looking for an OEC that really knocks your socks off.

 

[Rosebloom]

Re: HELP OEC or Tiffany & Co??

Did you see this one?

http://m.oakgem.com/Products/Tiffany_(and)_Co_Platinum_2.10ct_I_VS2_Diamond_Engagement_Ring_10952.aspx