Is this Harry Winston ring worth $33k?

[skypie]

1 carat F VVS1...starting at $33,000. I assume it is a super ideal? Even then it seems like it should cost $15k or so even if you sourced the diamond from a super ideal vendor. I guess the Harry Winston brand adds another $15k to the price tag?

https://www.harrywinston.com/en/one-cushion-cut-diamond-micropavé-engagement-ring.html

 

[bludiva]

Worth it is in the eye/wallet of the beholder i suppose. I don't think there is an ideal for cushions and would be interested to hear what people think about the general cut quality of HW stones.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

One thing I've learned from DH:

It's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Consumers drive premium pricing by opening their wallets, if the demand was lower then they would have no choice but to adjust their pricing if they want to survive.

Some people have to have the brand and are willing to pay the extra 15K. Not this girl!

 

[TreeScientist]

It's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Exactly. Business is all about supply and demand. If a brand is able to sell their supply of any particular product at $X, then they will sell it at $X, not at $0.5(X).

In pretty much every business sector (not just jewelry) there are consumers that are more than willing to pay a premium for a branded product, even if said product comes with no discernible benefits over its non-branded counterparts other than exclusivity ("Look, I can afford this brand and you cannot.") And in every business sector, there are brands more than willing to charge people a premium for said exclusivity.

 

[TreeScientist]

Regarding the quality, I have no doubt that HW makes top of the line bespoke rings. Their quality has stood the test of time. But you can get a similar quality setting from Victor Canera for much less. For example, a 1 carat E/VS1 VC antique cushion would run about $9k, and a VC Emilya hand-forged halo in platinum would cost another $4-5k. So out the door cost would be about $13-14K for exactly the same quality of ring.

https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/8x5zr9-1.010-e-vs1-excellent-antique-cushion

 

[lovedogs]

I would guess that VC is higher quality than HW for significantly less. I would take VC over HW any day !

 

[AV_]

The best versions of that style I know of come from Art of Platinum and David Klass; the first is so technically refined, I hardly get what they do, the letter takes wear more into account.

Art of Platinum has commissioned their own type of cushion cut a few times. DK does one too. (HW habits! - at scale...)

Footnote: I do not understand brands beyond what their product is.

Regarding cushion cut diamonds, Gem Concepts (interesting diamond cutters) have written a good one about them. There are more ideas around about how to look at diamonds (see 'ASET').

I hope you have time to put the purchase on hold for a couple of days and get an impression of these things.

Fingers crossed!

 

[CareBear]

Unlike the Tiffany solitaire, which in my opinion Tiffany makes the best version of, I've seen cushion halos from PSers made by Victor C, Brilliantly Engaged, David K, (to name a few), that surpasses the HW 'The One' in aesthetics.

 

[missy]

I think there are vendors here (VC, Erika Winters, CVB to name just a few) who could create masterpieces superior to this HW ring. For the best value my bet would be on our PS vendors over HW.

Having said that I appreciate the name brand (I am a Cartier girl personally) when I feel the value is worth it. In this case no I don't think it is.

 

[AV_]

@missy If your opal is Cartier (memory slip!), it is one of those items that honor the brand rather than the other way around...

 

[missy]

@missy If your opal is Cartier (memory slip!), it is one of those items that honor the brand rather than the other way around...

Aww thank you @AV_ , that is such a lovely thing to say.
For me it is a truly special ring because it represents the love between my mom and dad and now they want me to enjoy it.
And the fact it is a Cartier is icing on the cake.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Not to me on any day - especially knowing what kind of stone I could get for that money. Even having a 5k setting made for it wouldn't diminish the size that much and I would have a gorgeous, large ring!

 

[rockysalamander]

To my mind, there was HW from when HW was alive and very much in control of the company until the early 1970s (he died in 197 and HW after he died and the company was taken up in a legal battle over ownership by his sons. Since 2013, HW has been owned by Swatch (yes, the watch company).

There is no comparison in quality between the pieces HW produced pre-1970s and the current pieces. So, if this was from the hey-day pre-1970s (pre-1960s ever better) of his exceptional quality and fame, maybe it would feel different. For a modern piece, it feels overpriced and riding on the brand's name power over quality to me.

 

[HappyNewLife]

1 carat F VVS1...starting at $33,000. I assume it is a super ideal? Even then it seems like it should cost $15k or so even if you sourced the diamond from a super ideal vendor. I guess the Harry Winston brand adds another $15k to the price tag?

https://www.harrywinston.com/en/one-cushion-cut-diamond-micropavé-engagement-ring.html

I tried a HW ring on once and I talked to the salesperson about the certification and she said that the GIA is the ONLY valid cert when it comes to jewelry. She also said something to the effect of how HW would never source anything below F and VVS. I think the 2 carat ring I tried on was like $200k

So then I bought a 2.937ct WF ACA for about 17% of that cost...

 

[doberman]

Someone somewhere thinks that it's worth it. They're probably just hanging out now on this cold winter day throwing money on a nice crackling fire.

 

[bmfang]

For folks who don’t care about how much they throw down, HW or any other luxury brand is worth it to them. For us mere mortals (and I would probably add, we might have a bit more common sense than the others mentioned above), our regular PS recommended vendors would do a far better job at far less cost.

 

[ringo865]

No one carat ring TO ME is worth $33K. I’d rather have two two carat rings or one two carat ring and a trip to Greece ...

 

[holeydonut]

Depends on the woman who gets it... HW's cushion cut "The One" halo is a design that many other jewelers "draw inspiration" from. Almost all vendors offer a ring with this halo layout and pave on the shank. But replicating the gallery orientation is a bit tougher to find since that's usually where designers want to put their own stamp on things instead of a straight up clone.

It's up to the buyer to figure out if the ring recipient is okay with the "real thing" versus something that just mimics the design. Personally, know women who received authentic HW The One and also women with rings where the husband's family jeweler "tried their best" to replicate The One. Once you've been able to hold both, it's pretty obvious the difference between HW; and the clones. The clones typically looked less polished in terms of the fit of the pave, and in my experience felt cheaper. Maybe they used white gold in the clones I saw.

In my opinion, the important thing to figure out is whether your partner wants The One because of the look, because of the construction/quality, or because it's a status symbol.

If it's a look thing... there are quality jewelers that can create a cushion halo with a great looking shank and gallery for much less than HW. Plus you can focus on the center stone and get something much larger than if you went with HW.

If it's a quality thing... you can find a jeweler that will go the extra step to ensure the fit and finish of your ring is to up to a very high standard. It means the bead and bright work is amazing... the prongs are finished to a high standard, the melee is uniformly set with no deviations even with slight magnification... the best platinum alloy mix... etc. You'll still get more bang for your buck than HW, but you'll likely pay a premium versus the likes of a Blue Nile or James Allen.

If it's a status thing... it could be because your partner has friends with halos like HW The One, Tiffany Soleste, or Cartier Destinee. Just stick with HW so she doesn't show show up with a similar-but-not-The-One ring.

 

[SandyK]

I say NO WAY. I went to a HW store for fun and tried on the rings below; was not impressed at all. I subsequently went to Brian Gavin and got to see his ECs and signature cushions, and there is seriously no comparison. His stones blow the HW ones I saw out of the water any day. The cushion was a crushed ice cushion and I asked the saleswoman if she had any cushion brilliants rather than cushion modifieds and she was confused at first, and then said that "oh that is just a technicality that GIA puts on the cert, which one they put can totally vary depending on who is grading your stone. all cushions pretty much look the same." LOL

 

[dumbo]

1 carat F VVS1...starting at $33,000. I assume it is a super ideal? Even then it seems like it should cost $15k or so even if you sourced the diamond from a super ideal vendor. I guess the Harry Winston brand adds another $15k to the price tag?

https://www.harrywinston.com/en/one-cushion-cut-diamond-micropavé-engagement-ring.html

Having never been into nor seen a HW boutique, I still imagine that their rent costs aren't cheap. What is prime NYC real estate: $20/sq foot per month? They have to charge these prices!

That is worse than Hearts on Fire

 

[Kaycee2018]

Having never been into nor seen a HW boutique, I still imagine that their rent costs aren't cheap. What is prime NYC real estate: $20/sq foot per month? They have to charge these prices!

That is worse than Hearts on Fire

Class A Retail in NYC in prime locations is more like $1000 per sf!

 

[tigertales]

No.

But it's hard to tell without trying it on in person...maybe it gives you supernatural powers, like invisibility, or being able to fly, or something...
in that case, yeah.

 

[JPie]

The $33K HW makes me think of the time I was at a winery, and our host poured some of their $2,000 cab for us to try alongside their regular $68 one. Was there a difference? Sure. Was it worth it? Not for me. The QPR (quality to price ratio) simply wasn't good enough. I'd imagine it would be the same for me when it comes to diamonds.

 

[dumbo]

Class A Retail in NYC in prime locations is more like $1000 per sf!

Per month, or year? Out here, most retail spaces is quoted per month, but when reading the NYT, it is quoted per year. So, a 1,000 square foot space is a million bucks a month? Are they selling high-grade coke or something?

 

[dumbo]

The $33K HW makes me think of the time I was at a winery, and our host poured some of their $2,000 cab for us to try alongside their regular $68 one. Was there a difference? Sure. Was it worth it? Not for me. The QPR (quality to price ratio) simply wasn't good enough. I'd imagine it would be the same for me when it comes to diamonds.

Above $150 a bottle, I really can't discern a difference! A well-rounded $30 bottle of wine is a real treat! With that said, we have some off-the-beaten-path wineries locally that put out $30 bottles that would be $75 in Napa. Old logging acreage is pretty cheap.

 

[AV_]

@JPie I would agree about the HW wreath designs, but not their standard lines - it is not possible to match classical bench work at scale. The One is a marvelous compromise.

I wonder if AoP is still charging less.

 

[AV_]

Nts.

The only times I hear of hypothetical kudos for paying twice

 

[Kaycee2018]

Per month, or year? Out here, most retail spaces is quoted per month, but when reading the NYT, it is quoted per year. So, a 1,000 square foot space is a million bucks a month? Are they selling high-grade coke or something?

Yes, annually. Which equates to heck of a lot more than the $20 per sf per month @dumbo mentioned. You gotta sell a lot of rocks to pay that kind of rent!

 

[MauiGirl]

1 carat F VVS1...starting at $33,000. I assume it is a super ideal? Even then it seems like it should cost $15k or so even if you sourced the diamond from a super ideal vendor. I guess the Harry Winston brand adds another $15k to the price tag?

https://www.harrywinston.com/en/one-cushion-cut-diamond-micropavé-engagement-ring.html

In my opinion, HW makes the best rings ever. HW rings are made very carefully with nice details such as diamonds inside the crown just under center diamond. Also, they polish prongs inside where you could never see... I owe pieces from Tiffany, Kwiat, Cartier, but HW is so far my favorite.

 

[cflutist]

In my opinion, HW makes the best rings ever. HW rings are made very carefully with nice details such as diamonds inside the crown just under center diamond. Also, they polish prongs inside where you could never see... I owe pieces from Tiffany, Kwiat, Cartier, but HW is so far my favorite.

And for us mortals, there is HPD. They use the same casting house that HW uses. You should see the exquisite polish on their rings, they also polish prongs, baskets, and heads on the inside for less money than HW.