Do I go with a Genuine Ritani or a knock off?

[karen2bwed]

I have seriously fallen in love with Endless Love Engagement Ring from Ritani.

I do love this engagement ring, but I have also seen knock offs by other Jewelers, so I guess my question is...

Do i go with a Ritani Engagement Ring or should I look at a knock off and see how much savings there is?

Just some opinions... Remember don''t shoot the person asking the question, I wasn''t the one that knocked off the ring

 

[jaz464]

It never hurts to price compare, but generally speaking, if you fall in love with a designer setting and it is in the budget, I recommend that you go with the original. A replica will never be exactly the same and you may always wish you had the original.

 

[Diamond Explorer]

I do like the look of the endless love settings. The look is quite delicate and the way they fit seamlessly with the bands is nice too. Most jewelers would not be able to come close to the quality and precision of the original even if they make it themselves. Often knockoffs for these types of rings are merely inferior replicas, made out of house by lesser manufacturers.

I would say go with the real deal unless, you are working with a true craftsman to make a truly superior piece, or the money saved by buying a "knock-off" means a significantly better diamond.

 

[neatfreak]

There is nothing that will look exactly like the real thing-so if you love the real thing, and it is in budget I always think you should go for it.

Their designs are a bit more expensive but in reality they aren''t too bad for the quality of the item provided. Remember not all pave is created equal.

 

[karen2bwed]

I really appreciate the responses. Craftsmanship and quality are extremely important. I also would not want to the original designer lose out on what they actually created.

I just had a friend that told me that there were plenty of Endless Love Knock Off Rings in the marketplace.

I appreciate the responses from those in the know!

 

[ajourklaus]

Hi karen2bwed,
beautiful ring.

I would be very careful when somebody is going to pretend he can make a custom made ring cheaper than a ring that comes out of a line like Ritani, Tiffany or Taccory and so on.

These companies make good money on their names granted, but it has limits. They mass produce their lines in large numbers and can therefore be very competitive. They know what they are doing. They make a model a prototype, molds, and are able to cast large numbers in one go. Some companies are better than others in the quality of their work, some deliver very good work.
Everything is streamlined for a very competitive market.

Now the guy who makes a one of a kind piece has to do all the work that these companies did in the very beginning from scratch all over again, all the product development. This is not a quick endeavor.

If you do that right there is no way to do a perfect job, make money on it and beat their prices. It is not that easy to make a perfect ring from scratch.

Can a good jeweler make a better ring? Most likely if he has the qualifications, but not cheaper.

Now if one uses a casting from one of the casting houses the deal can work. It could also work if the guy runs a knock of operation and mass produces himself. Personally I have a problem with that it''s just not right ethically.

A custom ring is a ring made from scratch. Done right this is never cheap.

Many a guy is going to tell you it is custom but in reality it is a modified (if you are lucky) finding.

Be ware and critical of promises. And compare apples to apples.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 4/1/2009 3:56:54 PM
Author: neatfreak
There is nothing that will look exactly like the real thing-so if you love the real thing, and it is in budget I always think you should go for it.


Their designs are a bit more expensive but in reality they aren''t too bad for the quality of the item provided. Remember not all pave is created equal.

ditto. I would just get the real deal.

 

[Circe]

I''m going to play devil''s advocate, largely because I''m procrastinating on work.

The Ritani Endless Love ring is a lovely ring, but we''re not talking about a Faberge in terms of innovation. We''re not talking about a Lalique, we''re not talking about a Cellini, we''re not even talking about a Schlumberger from Tiffany ... we''re talking about a slim bead-set band with a prong-or-bezeled center stone, possibly with a halo. The one key innovation that I can think of is the joining of the head and shank, and even that isn''t unique to them. I have to admit, I don''t know exactly what the mark-up on a Ritani is, but if what you want is a pretty basic (and not particularly copyrightable) design, I don''t necessarily see the sense in paying two to three times what it would cost from a "nameless" jeweler. That''s good money that can go to your center stone ... and towards the support of an independent small jeweler who could probably use the cash to further develop their own skill and creativity.

P.S. - That said, if you really LOVE that exact ring, don''t expect anyone else to be able to deliver it to you: there will always be variation. If you want what you want, pay the mark-up with a light and merry heart ....

 

[ajourklaus]

My philosophy is:

pay money for quality not for a name.

Few Big names give you great quality, lots of times they are propped up illusions created with vast budgets and full page, expensive adds in every big fashion magazine like W, Town and Country etc.

They are created by marketing specialists and not quality. The product in fact is very often of very average quality. Very smart marketing though.

A small one of a kind jeweler with a rock solid local reputation created over years is a safer bet. These people proved themselves through hard work and quality, they grew through word of mouth.

Search for a top local guy and you get service quality and peace of mind all in one.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 4/2/2009 8:21:53 AM
Author: ajourklaus
My philosophy is:


pay money for quality not for a name.


Few Big names give you great quality, lots of times they are propped up illusions created with vast budgets and full page, expensive adds in every big fashion magazine like W, Town and Country etc.


They are created by marketing specialists and not quality. The product in fact is very often of very average quality. Very smart marketing though.


A small one of a kind jeweler with a rock solid local reputation created over years is a safer bet. These people proved themselves through hard work and quality, they grew through word of mouth.


Search for a top local guy and you get service quality and peace of mind all in one.

well, I'm not a jeweler but IMO as a consumer there are certain designers that actually do produce a high quality product. Ritani is not an overpriced average designer to me and you are paying for quality. They create a solid product far above what you see in most mall stores. In the years I've been on this forum you rarely hear of a complaint with a ritani made product. they are do not have the mark-up as some of the other big name designers. Ritani has made and tested their rings time and time again with great success. why take a chance on going custom in that case where the pricing may not even be better?

plus karen said this:

Date: 4/1/2009 3:17:51 PM
Author:karen2bwed
I have seriously fallen in love with Endless Love Engagement Ring from Ritani.

so why no just get what you really love to begin with??

 

[lexychoo]

The Ritani Endless Love ring is a lovely ring, but we''re not talking about a Faberge in terms of innovation. We''re not talking about a Lalique, we''re not talking about a Cellini, we''re not even talking about a Schlumberger from Tiffany ... we''re talking about a slim bead-set band with a prong-or-bezeled center stone, possibly with a halo. The one key innovation that I can think of is the joining of the head and shank, and even that isn''t unique to them. I have to admit, I don''t know exactly what the mark-up on a Ritani is, but if what you want is a pretty basic (and not particularly copyrightable) design, I don''t necessarily see the sense in paying two to three times what it would cost from a ''nameless'' jeweler. That''s good money that can go to your center stone ... and towards the support of an independent small jeweler who could probably use the cash to further develop their own skill and creativity.

I agree with this. I''ve always been the type to just march into a store, and if I see something I like, it''s like, "I want THAT one." Even though the price is questionable; I just was never the one to hunt around and get other options. I think you should look around first, then decide.