Cartier...You''ll never believe it

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 1/28/2007 3:42:46 PM
Author: blondie23
you all would know more than I do. I have no idea how diamond pricing works, but I am super excited!

You should be super-excited! You did get a good deal for a designer ring! We just can''t understand how it happened. I was pricing Cartier watches last night, and one with a white gold case and leather band was over $5000, which illustrates the huge mark-up for the name.

 

[Sundial]

Well however it came about, it sounds like you found a fantastic ring for a reasonable price and from Cartier no less!!! How exciting is that??? Can''t wait to see pictures of this beauty!

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 1/28/2007 3:58:43 PM
Author: Sundial
Well however it came about, it sounds like you found a fantastic ring for a reasonable price and from Cartier no less!!! How exciting is that???

EXACTLY!! Congrats!! And I can''t wait to see pix!

Man, I wish Cartier would SERIOUSLY discount their watches too

 

[angeline]

Blondie, that''s fantastic!!!

!!! Congratulations, you must be over the moon.

I think it''s just wonderful, I would LOVE a real Cartier e-ring, as long as the stone was up to par as well and it sounds like you got the whole deal.

Can''t wait to see the pics. Cheers,

a

 

[kenny]

I hate to say this but don''t get your hopes up too high.

If it was a mistake, as some here have suggested, it may be discovered and corrected.

 

[tanalasta]

Congratulations. Can''t wait to see the pictures - I like the 1895 classic setting too.

Cartier will also do custom setting of suitable (I imagine ACA whiteflash stones are of sufficient quality) diamonds > 1Ct - you need to talk to them about a uote on a case-by-case basis and it takes several months.

However, if you''ve managed to find yourself what you wanted direct from a Cartier store without all the fuss - then enjoy!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Congratulations! What a great deal. I cannot wait to see pictures!

 

[apricot11]

I found this thread very interesting so I decided to do some reasearch myself. Many people have claimed that Cartier probably made a mistake, so I called some of the retailers to find out for myself. I called the LA, Dallas, and Vegas Cartier and all three gave me similar prices that blondie23 claimed. For a 1.5 ct, G, VS2, it would cost about $17,500. Now, I did ask about larger stone sizes and that is where the price gets out of control. A 2 ct can run almost $40,000. I have no idea why the 1.5ct stones are so reasonable but not all of their stones are this way. i just thought people would like to know so you all don''t think blondie is crazy.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 1/29/2007 11:13:14 AM
Author: apricot11
I called the LA, Dallas, and Vegas Cartier and all three gave me similar prices that blondie23 claimed. For a 1.5 ct, G, VS2, it would cost about $17,500. Now, I did ask about larger stone sizes and that is where the price gets out of control. A 2 ct can run almost $40,000. I have no idea why the 1.5ct stones are so reasonable but not all of their stones are this way.

Interesting. I have a new theory about this then .... Cartier has been advertising extensively in mass beauty & fashion magazines (think GLAMOUR & ELLE versus - say - Town & Country). They WOULDN''T do so if they didn''t carry merchandise that''s affordable to "mass" consumers. BTW-- One of the rings featured happens to be that 1895 setting with a stone approx 1.5 cts.

There''s something to be said for getting a customer & keeping them throughout their life (as their income increases - hopefully!) And getting more of a mainstream buzz around their brand -- i.e. Tiffany -- prob. wouldn''t be bad for biz either.

 

[Ellen]

apricot, thanks for the info! although I never thought blondie was crazy.

 

[Harriet]

What''s Cartier''s upgrade policy?

 

[DMBsGirl]

this is so exciting! congratulations!! can''t wait to see pics!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 1/29/2007 11:30:55 AM
Author: decodelighted

Date: 1/29/2007 11:13:14 AM
Author: apricot11
I called the LA, Dallas, and Vegas Cartier and all three gave me similar prices that blondie23 claimed. For a 1.5 ct, G, VS2, it would cost about $17,500. Now, I did ask about larger stone sizes and that is where the price gets out of control. A 2 ct can run almost $40,000. I have no idea why the 1.5ct stones are so reasonable but not all of their stones are this way.

Interesting. I have a new theory about this then .... Cartier has been advertising extensively in mass beauty & fashion magazines (think GLAMOUR & ELLE versus - say - Town & Country). They WOULDN''T do so if they didn''t carry merchandise that''s affordable to ''mass'' consumers. BTW-- One of the rings featured happens to be that 1895 setting with a stone approx 1.5 cts.

There''s something to be said for getting a customer & keeping them throughout their life (as their income increases - hopefully!) And getting more of a mainstream buzz around their brand -- i.e. Tiffany -- prob. wouldn''t be bad for biz either.

Congratulations on finding a great ring at a great price. It makes sense to me that the best buys are where the vendor specializes in exactly what you are looking for. If what you want isn''t what they do most often, you can expect to pay a premium. PS is great in that it helps us get educated about the pricing quirks in the diamond market. The word about Cartier is out now!!!

 

[ayala_jessica]

Waow, now I am really amazed Blondie !

I have a Cartier wedding band "lanières" and in summer 2004 when we bought it we inquired about the 1895 ring...They showed me a 1895 in YG with a diamond F VS1 of 1.07 ct for..more than 24k !!!!!!!

And it was almost 3 years back !!

That is why I completely ruled out any further diamond investment with high brands like Cartier....But maybe their policy in US is different from Switzerland...I already noticed that on SignedPieces site, a 1895 platinum setting with a 1.6 stone F VS if I remember correctly was priced 26k originally (and sold at SP for 18k

) and I know that in Switzerland the price would have surely been much higher than 26k...So...Better buy in US that is for sure !!

But I wouldn''t have expected such a bargain on 1.5 ct rings !

Blondie thank you for sharing your experience with us and congratulations for your buy !

 

[starryeyed]

Date: 1/29/2007 11:30:55 AM
Author: decodelighted
Interesting. I have a new theory about this then .... Cartier has been advertising extensively in mass beauty & fashion magazines (think GLAMOUR & ELLE versus - say - Town & Country). They WOULDN''T do so if they didn''t carry merchandise that''s affordable to ''mass'' consumers. BTW-- One of the rings featured happens to be that 1895 setting with a stone approx 1.5 cts.

There''s something to be said for getting a customer & keeping them throughout their life (as their income increases - hopefully!) And getting more of a mainstream buzz around their brand -- i.e. Tiffany -- prob. wouldn''t be bad for biz either.

This is an excellent thought Deco! I agree - Cartier has been doing a lot more mainstream advertising lately it seems.

So, given the BlueNile comp stone posted by Beacon, it seems Cartier still carries a premium. But at this carat-size, the premium isn''t as large, so their rings are more accessible. If Beacon''s stone ($13K) in a pave setting costs, says $14.5K, Blondie''s Cartier ring carries around a 20% premium to this.

If you compare Harriet''s example, the premium is much greater, like 60%, at the 3-carat size. 3-carat stones (in Cartier''s quality) are not accessible to most people, i.e. - the masses, so what you say makes a lot of sense.

Do you think this "cheapens" the brand? Or does the price preservation of larger stones maintain the Cartier cache?

 

[Harriet]

I'm not sure I'd call a $17k ring "accessible to the masses".

Before I get flamed, remember I started out with a 0.41 ct.

Blondie,
What did Cartier say about trade-ups?

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Congratulations! Glad you got such a good deal.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 1/29/2007 12:24:34 PM
Author: Harriet
I'm not sure I'd call a $17k ring 'accessible to the masses'.

IMO - purchasers of over 1ct ideal cut e-rings would be about the entry point of Cartier's target market. Possibly 1.5. People who value both quality & status.In the areas where Cartier has built stores -- affluent metro areas -- that size & price of rings is quite common.

Think about car prices ... 30K Hondas? That's "mass" too ... Even BMW is trying to "go mass" with their 28-32K "entry" cars ... Land Rover, Jaquar ... lots of em. High-end brands seeking "mass" markets.

Jewelers perhaps were a little slower to catch on ...

 

[starryeyed]

Date: 1/29/2007 12:24:34 PM
Author: Harriet
I'm not sure I'd call a $17k ring 'accessible to the masses'.

Before I get flamed, remember I started out with a 0.41 ct.

I see what you're saying Harriet - isn't the average something like $5K for an e-ring? You're right, Cartier is an exclusive brand and they are not positioned to appeal to the "masses". However, if a person is going to spend $14.5K on a ring, $17.3K isn't an enormous stretch.

The $141K Cartier ring you called about can be purchased from WF for around $90K roughly (without the brand), as you pointed out. (Thanks for doing the research, by the way!) This is a much different premium in dollars ($51K) and in percentage points (57%) than the 1.5-carat example. I would imagine that someone looking for a 3-carat ring for around $90K would be hard-pressed to make the "stretch" to $141K for the Carrtier brand. I know I'd be - would you?

 

[widget]

Has anyone priced out a similar stone/ring from Tiffanys?

Wouldn''t it be interesting if they followed suit?

widget

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 1/29/2007 12:48:21 PM
Author: widget
Has anyone priced out a similar stone/ring from Tiffanys? Wouldn''t it be interesting if they followed suit?

There was that recent thread from a guy who bought a 1ct Legacy ring ... swore it was the same price as buying a cushion & having a Leon halo made.

So .... maybe they HAVE followed suit ...

 

[Harriet]

Date: 1/29/2007 12:43:23 PM
Author: starryeyed

Date: 1/29/2007 12:24:34 PM
Author: Harriet
I''m not sure I''d call a $17k ring ''accessible to the masses''.

Before I get flamed, remember I started out with a 0.41 ct.

I see what you''re saying Harriet - isn''t the average something like $5K for an e-ring? You''re right, Cartier is an exclusive brand and they are not positioned to appeal to the ''masses''. However, if a person is going to spend $14.5K on a ring, $17.3K isn''t an enormous stretch.

The $141K Cartier ring you called about can be purchased from WF for around $90K roughly (without the brand), as you pointed out. (Thanks for doing the research, by the way!) This is a much different premium in dollars ($51K) and in percentage points (57%) than the 1.5-carat example. I would imagine that someone looking for a 3-carat ring for around $90K would be hard-pressed to make the ''stretch'' to $141K for the Carrtier brand. I know I''d be - would you?

Hi Enabler,

Certainly, given that I''m no Park Ave matron. Also, if I had that kind of money, I could get that WF stone plus this to boot:

http://www.whiteflash.com/emerald/Emerald-cut-diamond-72142.htm

 

[starryeyed]

Date: 1/29/2007 1:31:55 PM
Author: Harriet
Hi Enabler,
Certainly, given that I''m no Park Ave matron. Also, if I had that kind of money, I could get that WF stone plus this to boot:
http://www.whiteflash.com/emerald/Emerald-cut-diamond-72142.htm

Now you''re talking, girlfriend!

Or maybe I should say, "tai-tai". Ha-ha!

 

[Harriet]

I''m not the one with an entire jewellery wardrobe!

 

[blondie23]

Harriet--

To answer your question on the trade-up policy, I''m looking in to it. I have called several different cartier salons and each are giving me different answers. I''ll let you know.

 

[Officers girl]

Date: 1/28/2007 4:04:44 PM
Author: decodelighted

Date: 1/28/2007 3:58:43 PM
Author: Sundial
Well however it came about, it sounds like you found a fantastic ring for a reasonable price and from Cartier no less!!! How exciting is that???

EXACTLY!! Congrats!! And I can''t wait to see pix!

Man, I wish Cartier would SERIOUSLY discount their watches too

And trinity rings

Congrats blondie cant wait for pics!!

 

[starryeyed]

Date: 1/29/2007 1:43:59 PM
Author: Harriet
I''m not the one with an entire jewellery wardrobe!

Ha-ha! You''re off to a really good start though! And sounds like it''ll be building pretty quickly!

 

[bookworm21]

Yay! Congratulations! The 1895 Solitair Pave is my all time favorite. I''ve tried on that setting before, and absolutely LOVED it. And it sounds like you got a really good deal too! The prices really do seem to have fallen, because I recall trying on a 1.5 G VS2 that was priced at around $25K. So $17K huh? Great deal!

As to their upgrade policy, I remember asking (the SF store), and they told me that Cartier does not accept any trade ins for upgrades because they felt that it would cheapen their brand. *shrugs* Who knows? Maybe they changed that policy too, along with the pricing. Either way, let us know what you find out and remember to post pics please!

 

[rockzilla]

I''m now imagining a day-after-Thanksgiving-type stampede of PriceScopers into Cartier boutiques across the land...idealscopes in hand!

 

[Swedeabroad]

It would take 2-3 days for my local Cartier store to give me price information. Things work a little bit more slow in the region I live in right now...So I decided to call the Cartier store in the US (Wynn at Las Vegas) to verify and ask if they might be able to ship the ring to me if my local place did not offer me the same deal. To my suprise the nice SA told me that he only had a 1.52 G /VS2 in that setting and it cost: 24.275$...

So it seems you got a very good deal!