Educational visit to Tiffany''s

[Muppetina]

Hi all,

I just wanted to relate an interesting experience I had yesterday. My boyfriend and I are currently looking at diamonds for an e-ring, and we thought that an F/G would be the sweet spot for a round brilliant diamond that would look white to both of us. But just to confirm, I went to Tiffany''s and asked to see mounted D-E-F-G stones, in platinum, all around 1.2 carats, so I could see if I could tell the difference.

I was surprised to find that not only could I tell the difference between an F and a G, but I could tell it immediately, face up, and with mounted diamonds. I was shocked at how noticeable the yellow in the G was to me. For me, an F is definitely the sweet spot. I could see the difference between an E and an F as well, but it was much less noticeable, and the F just looked less brightly white, not faintly yellow like the G. For the record, I could not tell the difference between a D and an E without a lot of staring.

So, to guys wondering what color diamond to get - make sure your GF isn''t a freak like me

A G might seem perfectly white to most people, but I know having a G would bug me!

 

[chialea]

It must be Friday! Maybe I should take a trip to Tiffany's too, and get them to explain to me what's so cool about the little blue box. (Can you tell I grew up with very few girlfriends?)

Seriously, what is cool about the little blue box? I've never actually seen one. Is it leather or wood or what?

 

[katbadness]

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On 7/23/2004 12:04:35 PM chialea wrote:

It must be Friday! Maybe I should take a trip to Tiffany's too, and get them to explain to me what's so cool about the little blue box. (Can you tell I grew up with very few girlfriends?)

Seriously, what is cool about the little blue box? I've never actually seen one. Is it leather or wood or what?----------------

It is Friday!!

Well, I guess it depends on what type of gift you're getting.
I have the cardboard blue box... with a small blue pouch for a necklace. The box for an engagement ring may be different.

I'm with you, chialea, I still don't get what the big deal is for the blue box.

 

[sumi]

Well, if you get their less expensive pieces, you get a cardboard blue box with a blue pouch. When I got my etoile band, I got some sort of very dark navy blue velvet-ish box (which came inside a cardboard Tiffany-blue box).

Yes, it must be Friday. Man, I'm too tired this morning for this......

 

[jenwill]

It isn't that the box is so special- it is that the color is instantly recongnizable as Tiffany's blue- therefore letting everyone know that you have something special in it. Also, the smaller the bag the more special the something usually. I have a couple of silver things from Tiffany's, and it is pretty funny to watch peoples eyes catch sight of the bag as you are walking through the mall (Stanford mall over here). People seem to see it,, then immediately look at you and smile....it is just a happy making bag/box. I will most likely never own a 'special' piece of jewelry fom Tiffany's due to intensly ingrained frugality from my Oklahoma dirt farming family, but it really was worth it to spend $150 on a nice pair of earring that make me smile every time I put them on!

 

[sumi]

Ha ha ha, that's so funny that you mentioned walking around with the Tiffany bag. I have to confess that I have quite a few Tiffany pieces, mostly the silver necklaces though. (I love their silver pendants, they're very nice pieces considering it's just silver. BUT I can't stand their heavily branded pieces like the Return to Tiffany line).

Anyway, I notice that when I walk around the shopping area after buying something from Tiffany, I get extra special service from salespeople. It's a little pathetic considering that I usually only have something work $100 inside the bag.

 

[chialea]

We had the same thing happen ... kinda. My SO and I went to Yet Another Jeweler wearing typical computer-people clothes, with a brand-new powerbook in a box that we'd bought a few doors down. We got excellent service, but they couldn't find us what we wanted

 

[msbennie]

Just out of curiosity, I would be interested in knowing if the diamonds all had the same cut. Naturally, Tiffany's will want to sell the most expensive diamond. I'm sure an F Ideal cut looks much better when compared to a H Premium cut. However, I'm not into Tiffany's and don't know if they sell all Ideal cuts...if so, what I just said is a mute point....

 

[Jennifer5973]

I have been pondering the Tiffany's debate and I think that if I was so wealthy that it didn't matter, I might just walk into Tiffany's and pick out stuff....Why not? Or Harry Winston... Or Cartier...

I think it comes down to the fact that most of us have a budget and pay attention to cost, and you really can get Tiffany quality at lower prices. I'd rather have a larger stone or more jewelry overall than just one or two pieces from Tiffany.

But that's me. I have a friend who just wanted a Tiffany eRing period--so she got one and it's very modest but it's Tiffany and that's all that mattered to her.

PS great question msbennie--I hope someone knows the answer.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Compare this ring at the Tiffany website and this DiamCalc image.

And see how many things you can find that you might not like in your Tiffany diamond ring ?

 

[sparker]

The little blue box is only made of cardboard and paper. Whats so cool is the color with the weird red ribbon they use. I think its a stange combination.

 

[finerthings]

So the DiamCalc image is supposed to be a legitimate representation of "what" exactly? I find it entertaining that a photo taken from a web site and then plugged in and "examined" with some program could ever prove anything. Give me a break.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

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On 7/25/2004 1:57:26 PM sparker wrote:

The little blue box is only made of cardboard and paper. Whats so cool is the color with the weird red ribbon they use. I think its a stange combination.----------------

Red ribbon? lol Both of my Tiffany items were wrapped with a white (or was it vanilla) color ribbon

I agree with Jennifer. If I had loads of money, I'd buy a ton of Tiffany diamond jewelry. They've got some fun and cool designs and it would be a blast to own a whole collection of their treats and wear them with pride. But, of course, I'm not super rich, so generally every jewelery piece I pick out is with a budget so I've only purchased from Tiffany twice.

Michelle

 

[valeria101]

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On 7/25/2004 3:29:45 PM finerthings wrote:



I find it entertaining that a photo taken from a web site and then plugged in and 'examined' with some program could ever prove anything.
----------------

Noooo! DiamCalc does not analyse pictures! I think Garry just created a diamond model that best resembles face up the ring on the Tiffany website. I was admiring how much the pattern of reflections looks like the Tiffany picture, in fact.

Remember the H&A thing? Actually, every set of RBC proportions does produce a signature immage only most do not look like anything specific. You may find little "flowers" and "stars" generated by typical AGS0 proportons, for example - only no one bothered to give those a name! The signature immage is a very good indicator of proportions (the same pic can be achieved only with withing some very tight range of proportions and specific facet alignment or 3D symmetry). Actually, I could but wander why no one made a refference chart with such images aside the typical H&A

What does it prove? Not sure... Obviously the Tiffany poster kid ring does not hold a H&A diamond. No need for Diam Calc for that. The simmulation should be frighteningly close to reality and approximates the optics of that diamond in particular

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

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On 7/25/2004 3:29:45 PM finerthings wrote:

So the DiamCalc image is supposed to be a legitimate representation of 'what' exactly? I find it entertaining that a photo taken from a web site and then plugged in and 'examined' with some program could ever prove anything. Give me a break.----------------

The comparison shows a number of interesting features Finerthings. As Ana has indicated, this is not just any software, it has been used extensively by AGS in their research and will be the basis of this cut grading system at HRD.

 

[finerthings]

By manipulating a photo by using something like Adobe photoshop, I could very convincingly produce a picture that shows wonderful sparkle and proportion, or the opposite. My point is that you can't simply hijack a photo from someone else's web site and then apply a "magical" analyzer to prove your point when the intent of the original photo was simply to show a beautiful ring. If the photo had been submitted for some scientific purpose...DiamCalc analysis (?!), you can be sure the submission would have been very carefully chosen to represent the stone showing it at full face and perfect proportion.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Trouble is Finerthings that it is not "full face and perfect proportion" diamond. And I do not need to manipulate anything in Adobe to tell that that is true.

Unfortunately the diamond in this photo has a slightly deep pavilion and would look something like this image through an ideal-scope. I have seen personally many diamonds that would not pass my version of ideal-cut in Tiffany stores.

 

[Mara]

Yes Garry. I was in Tiffs recently and their 'ideal' stones did not hold a candle to my almost H&A stone in terms of symmetry and good looks. But their sparkle was very nice even with lack of visibly great symmetry, could have been the lighting though.

I will second that 'red ribbon??' comment as Tiffany's items come in the robins egg blue box tied with an ivory grosgrain ribbon.

 

[Greg]

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On 7/23/2004 11:48:39 AM Muppetina wrote:

So, to guys wondering what color diamond to get - make sure your GF isn't a freak like me

A G might seem perfectly white to most people, but I know having a G would bug me!----------------

Couldn't agree more. E color is our cut off point.

 

[moremoremore]

Muppetina- I've never really given rounds a good hard look but with fancies, the color is very apparent to me. I can easily tell the diff b/t an F & G too...It kinds sucks b/c it's more $$$

but I"m sticking with an F

 

[sparker]

Well, maybe the red ribbon was used at Christmas. Thats when I received a little bobble from my Mom from Tiffany's

 

[MichelleCarmen]

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On 7/26/2004 9:52:40 AM sparker wrote:

Well, maybe the red ribbon was used at Christmas. Thats when I received a little bobble from my Mom from Tiffany's----------------

oooh, fun! Now I'll have to buy something from them around christmas time just so I can add the red ribbon to my collection

lol

Michelle

 

[allthingscarbon]

Tiffany & Co. lets you choose the color ribbon you want, red or white. You just have to ask! And it''s true that people give you a smile when they see you carrying that little blue bag. I had several people say to me the other day, "Oh, you went to Tiffany''s! Some girl is going to be very lucky!" (although I think I''m the lucky one.)

 

[twinkletoes]

a few years ago my bf asked me what i wanted for my birthday. i told him i wanted a little blue box. he has no idea what i was talking about. he asked my best friend and she told him and even went so far as to pick out thinks i might like. on my birthday he pulls out this huge box and i think to myself, ''oh how cute! he hid it in a big box to trick me'' but then he handed it to me and it was heavy. i got a dvd player.

um, what happened?

he eventually returned it and got me a pearl bracelet from tiffany''s. and then for xmas i got the matching pearl earrings. i think he learned his lesson. LOL

he told me that 3 different women at the mall (Century City) stopped to ask him what he has bought at Tiffany''s when they saw him with the little blue bag. he was astonished by the reaction it had on women.. LOL

 

[allthingscarbon]

Hmmm...he obviously does not ascribe to the "allthingscarbon School-of-Gift-Giving Rules"...

1. Never buy her anything that requires electricity, in any form. Ever.

2. Never buy her anything that makes her work. (I''ve seen a man give his wife one of those battery-operated shower scrubbers. That''s two counts against him!)

3. Never buy her anything that is really a gift for the one giving it. Lingerie is a prime example. Honestly, who is it *really* for?

Three simple rules is all it is, but it can save so much trouble in the long run.