Help is Appreciated

[ClownFishFunk]

Hello there. I really love antique inspired engagement rings such as many made by Tacori. If i got a ring custom made to resemble a tacori (however in white gold rather than platinum), would it be similar in price to the actual tacori rings? To me it seems like the tacori rings are overpriced, but I''m not sure. Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!

 

[Giangi]

Howdy!

Well, it depends on how elaborated is the setting... Does it have a lot of details, side stones, etc etc? A pic would be very helpful.
Yes, Tacori rings are expensive... You're paying for a well known brand and you have an hefty markup... Having a setting custom made would be less expensive I guess... But not all jewelers will accept to make a perfect replica... You should make some slight but significant changes (eg. change the number of the prongs, add an euro-shank, etc...) and you will not be violating the copyright.

 

[Mara]

Tacori IS overpriced...as most branded settings are.




For example...we got a setting similar to a Michael B (and Tacori has one kind of like this as well) custom made. The Michael B setting was pave all the way around, about .43c of small stones, typical solitaire type head with 4 prongs. The cost was $2600 though we found it online for $2300. We had the same thing custom made, but with prong-set instead of pave (safer) with slightly larger stones than the MB, and tcw of our finished product ring was .72c of small stones...typical solitaire type head, 4 prongs. Our cost was $2000 out the door (taxes, everything included). So we saved $300-600 AND almost doubled the amount of stones that go into the ring.




Tacori had a similar ring with pave, with filigree all on the sides and on the head, my fiance did not like it...he said it was too busy..but I thought it was pretty. The price for this in retail was something like $2200. Probably around .5ctw in pave. So in essence ours was still a better deal.




I am a huge advocate of custom if you find a good person to do the work. Branded settings IMO are just marked up and overpriced, and half the time I can create something more imaginative by using bits and pieces of other settings I found that I liked. In the end you have a ring that is made just for you, and part of that is something that the $$ doesn't buy. A good feeling of 'one of a kind'.




Also someone else on here was noting that Simon G or similar had Tacori like settings...you may want to check those out. They also said that they were very reasonable ($$)...




Good luck!

 

[niceice]

We carry Tacori, you're paying for a brand name but you are also paying for quality and consistency. Unfortunately brand names require a lot of advertising and that advertising costs money, it goes with the territory... But that might very well be how you learned of Tacori rings in the first place, right? Tacori advertises in practically every bridal magazine and a few of the non-bridal magazines like Cosmo - that type of dedication to marketing costs money and as a result, we pay more for brand name rings and subsequently so will you...

That said, if a Tacori ring is not for you, you might consider a ring from a less recognized designer like Viachi which we also represent. The style of the rings are extremely similar, but the cost is less because Viachi does not do a lot of mainstream advertising. By the way, the price of a full page advertisement in one of the popular trade journals (the magazines intended to get our attention as jewelry buyers for our store) costs upwards of $35K per issue!

In terms of having a ring custom made to look like a ring that already exists in a designer line, it is often not cost effective because you are paying ALL of the design and production costs to produce a single ring whereas the designers spread those costs across the price of a thousand rings when they design a ring style...

 

[ClownFishFunk]

Hey Mara, got a quick question about your post. That price you paid was just for the setting without the center stone right? Thanks alot for your help, i really appreciate it!!!

 

[Mara]

CFF--Oh yes just for the setting...ha ha I wish we got our stone and setting for only $2k!

R&T--While yes, one may be paying extra for production and design of a custom piece, you are not paying those marketing and branding costs that you mention which are significant, so in the end, I think it all balances out and in some cases (such as mine), the better deal IS to go custom and end up with something that is one of a kind.

 

[pauls girl]

Hi,there!

I have a tacori ring and I love it. I don't feel at all that I overpaid for something that I will love forever. It was $3400.00 for the band (3 sided diamond pave all around totaling over 1c of pave diamonds in the band), But it is housing a priceless(in my eyes) diamond. I didn't want to get mine custom made - tacori had it all & I had had my eyes on it for a while. If you find Tacori to be too pricey for you, there are alternatives that are lovely. I am tired of postings from people who put down those who chose to buy brands & make them seem like sheep or cattle just purchasing with the masses. Different strokes for different folks. While I didn't buy Tacori because of the name, I did take one look at it and fall instantly in love, and feel that my ring is just as unique as I am.

-PG

 

[Mara]

PG...no one is putting down the Tacori brand. But it does pay to be part of reality and know that what you are getting in fact is a branded setting that has been marked up because of the brand.




The materials in that setting are the same as if you have it custom-made for the most part, so you do pay more for that brand. But as you noted, different strokes, different folks. However, the original poster asked about Tacori, asked about it being overpriced..and in reality YES it is overpriced as compared to another non-branded or not as well known brand as niceice pointed out. If you can get the same look for less because of a name...it's marked up because of brand. That is reality.




It has nothing to do with putting down a brand or those who buy them (who cares?!), but rather giving the person who is researching and asking the questions ALL the information available to them. We were lucky enough to be able to go custom for less, and get a better setting in the end, one that was made just for me. That is what I am happy with. I love to spread the 'custom word' because I think alot of people think its more expensive than it is. But people DO have more than just one option out there. We looked at Scott Kay and Tacori and MB and probably would have paid the markup--but thank goodness in the end we didn't have to.




Buy branded, buy custom, buy whatever you want. This is not a personal attack here. As long as you are happy with your purchase and the total cost spent, that's all that matters.

 

[pauls girl]

lol. you made me laugh Mara. Thank you. Sorry - I just get defensive when I feel that those who do buy branded things are being judged for it...which I know now you didn't mean. You are right. It is spendy to buy brands, and if I didn't have my heart set on the band I wanted I probably would have gone custom.

Truce!

-PG

 

[Mara]

I know all about being set on brands...I own LV and Fendi purses..I am a purse junkie. Nine West and Guess haven't looked appealing to me in 10 years.

It's Marc Jacobs and Gucci all the way! So I am definitely not one who scoffs at all brands..and I pay a markup for those things...but I know that I do. If I (and my poor fiance) can live with it, that's all that matters

Brands in some instances I think make sense (when I want them to...haha) like when you can 'visually' tell a difference between one and the other, but in others (like maybe a Tiffany e-ring!

) then I don't always agree that you get what you pay for.

 

[pauls girl]

AAh. A girl after my own heart! I was just at Valley Fair (local mall) yesterday trying to decide whether to buy the Cherry blossom LV purse. Ugh. It calls to me, and yet so does my bank account -screaming in pain. It shall be mine, oh yes...it shall be mine. Just as soon as I can convince Paul that the current (boring) LV purse I own simply won't do for those outings that need a "CHERRY BLOSSOM". It won't be easy. I would also love to own the LV white multicolored monogram bag, but it reminds me too much of Jessica S. I wonder if owing that would make me love it so much, and find it so hard to part with it I would take it camping in Yosemite...I guess I will never know. Yes, sadly I am a name brand girl when it comes to fashion as well...as I sit here in my Ralph Lauren Sweater, and DKNY skirt and contemplate the Michael Kors jacket I saw last night. Bother. I need to win the lottery to keep myself in the manner to which I have accustomed myself to. But yes, I do agree that CERTAIN things are overpriced for what you get & your money could be better spent elsewhere.

Cheers!

 

[Mara]

Haaaaaa that sounds so familiar.....and sick and wrong at the same time.

Thankfully now that we are buying a place...I have been required to put the clothes & jewlery shopping bug ON HOLD indefinitely which means no more guilt about buying two sets of Juicy velour outfits (but 'cafe' is NOT 'chocolate'..they ARE different)....but I do get to concentrate on things like a new couch, new washer & dryer....so it's all good!




Valley Fair eh...we live about 5 minutes from there, you must be close!

Oh and at least you have some hope of getting your fiance to agree with the LV cherry blossom bag...mine says that he will NEVER buy me a 'patterned piece of vinyl' for those prices. Well fine...then I'll just have to get it myself. Hee!

 

[pauls girl]

Ok. now I feel officially guilty for taking over clownfishfunk's post, so this will be my last unrelated comment.

Yep. I work in Sunnyvale and live in Fremont. When we first moved here, Fremont was where our friends lived, so we got to know it really well & got to love it. Now that we have lived here for 5 years, it is more habit that keeps us there. I want to move to Cupertino, because we both work on this side of the bay, but Paul HATES moving & would rather have all of his teeth extracted without any anesthetic than move again until we buy a place - which for us will probably be shortly after we get married. Since our wedding is next September, we have about a year or so to start looking for a real home and not some apartment where I constantly feel like if I make too much noise or my cat scratches the carpeting I will get in trouble.

Congratulations on buying a place! I too SHOULD be saving (for our wedding) and not spending on stuff that isn't "necessary", but you know...after years of being able to buy what I want when I want it is hard to change.

 

[ClownFishFunk]

Just as a comment to Pauls Girls original post, I wanted to reaffirm that i have nothing against brand name purchases at all. I think the tacori's are beautiful as well and i'm sure i would buy one but i certainly don't have the money for it, which is why i am looking for a possibly cheaper (custom) alternative. I appreciate all your comments and help! Thanks!