Is Tiffany really worth it?

[Nalgene1894]

For all of those out there who themselves own a Tiffany ring, and even those who do not, I have a few questions.
1. The Tiffany Round Brilliant ring with bead set diamonds has no match as far as I can tell and I am still searching. Does it sound about right for this setting along with a .73ct G color VS2 diamond to go for $7700?
RB with Bead Set
2. I have a strong feeling that Mark Morrell could duplicate this ring or something similar to it, however there is the fact that I was not able to find a bead set ring on his site. There is a ring similar in the Jan 05 section that was made for Chris though but it is not really bead set.
3. I am personally inclined to buy the ring from Tiffany because my GF has completely fallen in love with how delicate it is and how well it matches up with the bead set wedding band from Tiffany, however I am also one to search for the better deal....is it possible that MM will be able to beat these prices considering that this is a custom job?
4. Has anybody ever heard of somebody negotiating the price of a ring with the sales reps at Tiffany?

Thank you all for any help you may be able to give to me.

 

[mrssalvo]

my hubby purchased a gift for me from Tiffany's for Christmas. I asked him that exact question now that he's been in the store and seen the mark-ups first hand. He said "it's worth it if it's what the wearer wants." Can you get beautiful if not better diamonds elsewhere, yes, but there are many gals who want the tiffany experience that they market us to buy into. nothing wrong with that..the question is, is it worth it to your girl?? Tiffany's won't negotiate. you can look at signedpieces.com. they sell secondhand genuine tiffany rings and it's a great way to get the real deal and not pay the premium.

most on this forum will tell you tiffany's is not worth is, they'd rather have a larger, equal if not better cut stone from a pricescope vendor.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi,

You cannot negotiate prices with Tiffany. If your GF is 100% sure she wants the Tiffany style and is willing to sacrifice the size of the center stone, you may be better off going for the real thing IF you can afford the $7700 plus tax price tag.

Tiffany & Co has been asked about unimaginable amounts of times on PS and it''s pretty much agreed that their prices are highly inflated and you can find as good (or even better) cut/color/clarity/size diamonds for a more reasonable price, but if a person''s heart is set on a Tiffany, sometimes it''s best to go for the real thing.

Call Mark Morrell and see what he says about making a setting similar to the Tiffany one and possibly make your decision after doing so.

PERSONALLY, unless money was no object, I''d never go with a Tiffany! If I was able to buy as I please, however, I''d be shopping at Tiffany RIGHT now!

 

[Nalgene1894]

The price that Tiffany has given me is within my budget and I also am absolutely sure that she want that ring and no other, unless of course MM can craft something similar which is my ultimate home. I am quite sure she is fine with the smaller stone and having the Tiffany ring so I am very interested to see what I hear from MM, although he is on vacation until Jan 6th and I am on vacation until Jan 12th so it looks like this will have to wait a little while to be decided.

 

[mrssalvo]

I''m sure MM can make something similar...but from what you say, your gal doesn''t want similar

if you can afford it, she wants it, get her the real deal. it''s also a nice perk to have a local Tiffany''s to go and get your ring polished and cleaned for free whenever she wants. A MM will have it''s polish wear down and then you''d have to ship back to MM for a repolish with his finish...Just my humble .02

 

[sera]

For myself, no. I would much rather have a bigger diamond and a bit more unique setting for $7700.

For your GF, if she wants the Tiffany name and is ok with a .73ct diamond, yes. Like has already been said, sure you could get similar for less, but if that''s her dream ring and you want to get her what she wants, then Tiffany is worth it.

 

[HappyFish]

It is worth it if your girlfriend has set her heart on it.

It costs 40%+ than a similar ring else where.

 

[orbaya]

Date: 12/27/2007 4:29:18 PM
Author: Nalgene1894
The price that Tiffany has given me is within my budget and I also am absolutely sure that she want that ring and no other, unless of course MM can craft something similar which is my ultimate home. I am quite sure she is fine with the smaller stone and having the Tiffany ring so I am very interested to see what I hear from MM, although he is on vacation until Jan 6th and I am on vacation until Jan 12th so it looks like this will have to wait a little while to be decided.

It sounds like Tiffany is worth it to your girlfriend. I say go with Tiffany. I''m taking this post to mean that having that specific ring is what she wants, not something similiar. Did your GF say she''d be okay with something close made by MM, or are you hoping he can so you can save some cash? If you can afford the Tiffany pricetag on the ring she so obviously loves, get it. Maybe you can have MM make the wedding bands?

 

[bee*]

It really is up to the individual. I have a tiffany ring and for me, I wanted a lucida, and the only place that I can get the lucida stone and the setting is Tiffanys. If your g/f would be happy with something similar, then go elsewhere as you will most definitely get a bigger diamond for the same money, but if she wants that exact one, then you can''t get it elsewhere. They will not negotiate at all either.

 

[oldminer]

The world shops with Tiffany & Co, but it is not a store serving the masses. The name and the brand carry a large impact with shoppers, but it is not a store which caters to everyone or every budget. The mark-up is high enough to cover their overhead and still make a profit. People who are willing to pay the price can have the famous blue box with a very well made piece inside it. MWM pieces that we have had the pleasure of seeing are every bit as fine as any sold anywhere of a similar type. No store has better, but there is a considerable process to obtain a MWM piece which can be satisfied in an instant for those who opt for a Tiffany purchase.

There is plenty of room for many levels of competition just as there is plenty of room from low to high mark-ups. If one gets fine service there is a value to it above the content of the item purchased. Some vendors on Pricescope give superb service even without the mark-up. Yet, the vast majority of diamond engagement ring purchases are still made in stores. Its a brand thing, a comfort factor, a face to face event, something intagible that most individuals still get from actual shopping that is not as much present in the virtual shopping one does with the Internet. I happen to appreciate the efficiency of Internet shopping because my personality prefers less face to face, less wating in lines, more research and a more fact based style of shopping than some other may like.

Shopping carefully and buying in a way that provides you long term pleasure is always worthwhile. If a Tiffany experience has a high value to you, then it is definitely worth the money. If you find that saving some of the money and missing the experience is acceptable or even preferable, then no one should disagree with what amounts to a very personal decision.

Buying from a repuatable vendor is at the core of making a good purchase. How much you spend and who you buy from is something each of us works out for ourselves.

 

[erica k]

i would love a ring from Tiffany, but why pay retail when you can purchase from Signed Pieces? so, in answer to your question, it''s worth it to me to have a Tiffany ring, but it would be even better to find exactly what i want discounted.

as for your ring, if you went with mark morrell, it would probably take a while for it to be completed since it would have to be designed first. i have no doubt that he could create something very similar, but it would also demonstrate qualities found in a mwm piece, not a Tiffany ring. if your gf loves every last detail of the Tiffany ring, then you should get her what she wants.

as for your budget, you might want to go down in color. as long as the stone is well cut, you could probably up the carat weight by picking a diamond that is H-I. do you know your gf''s ring size? that will be an important factor in how the ring looks on her hand. if her ring size is 5 or less, i think a .75-.90 ct stone will have a nice presence.

i think Tiffany''s rings are lovely, and if i had the money, i would definitely buy from them (or Cartier). good luck with your decision!

 

[gailrmv]

Has she shopped around elsewhere, seen other high quality merchandise, and prefers the Tiffany? If so, I''d get it for her, provided you are OK with the budget.

Has she only just begun to look, or only looked at so-so stores, and then the Tiffany ring blows away the competition? If so, I''d make sure she understands that there are other nice pieces out there and the same budget could buy more elsewhere.

I personally would MUCH rather have an original Mark Morrell, or select another high quality setting from a designer, buy an ideal cut stone from a pricescope vendor, and have a bigger stone and more unique ring to boot. The Tiffany name no longer means as much to me as it once did. But that''s just me, and I''m not everyone!

 

[Deelight]

Tiffany''s as anything is worth as much as your willing to pay for it and for the person who is willing to pay

.

If your GF has her heart set on the tiffany''s ring and thats all that makes her heart go pitter patter then I would go with that even if there was a bigger stone for better money.

The craftsmanship is surperb as is the service and it is the experience . I don''t think the price is completely outrageous but if you are looking for a bigger diamond in a similar budget why not ask them to call and source some other rings for you in lower colours.

GL with your search

 

[urseberry]

Nalgene1894, is there a reason you''re only considering Mark Morrell as an alternative to the Tiffany bead-set? MWM has a very distinct, fluid style, that to me looks very different from the Tiffany. If I wanted something close to the Tiffany, I''d consider other options, such as this Ingwer setting, or one of these two settings from WhiteFlash. WhiteFlash also does custom work and could specially make a setting even closer if not identical to the Tiffany one.

Good luck and have fun with your search!

 

[urseberry]

Just noticed this WhiteFlash setting also closely resembles the Tiffany, and this one appears to be an exact replica.

 

[Nalgene1894]

While all of those settings do come close to the Tiffany one there is still something missing. My girlfriend and I have looked at nearly every bead set ring on the planet at this point and there is still something missing in each of them. The Tiffany ring shows nearly no platinum on the edges of the bead set while most of the other settings that emulate that of the Tiffany have a noticeable band on the sides which is why my GF loves the ring so much.

In response to Erica K, her ring size is 4.75 so I too believe that the .75-.90 size range would have amazing presence, and in fact I know this because some of the rings that she tried on were in this size range and they looked amazing.

I also am going to look into the whiteflash custom work that was mentioned by urseberry because they do have several settings that are similar but there is still the difference of the noticeable platinum on the edge which is the main difference between the Tiffany ring and all others. Either way I am sure this search is going to take some time and I will of course keep you all updated.

 

[bee*]

Date: 12/28/2007 10:33:27 AM
Author: Nalgene1894
While all of those settings do come close to the Tiffany one there is still something missing. My girlfriend and I have looked at nearly every bead set ring on the planet at this point and there is still something missing in each of them. The Tiffany ring shows nearly no platinum on the edges of the bead set while most of the other settings that emulate that of the Tiffany have a noticeable band on the sides which is why my GF loves the ring so much.

From reading this, I think that you might be better going with Tiffanys. The reason that I say this, is I looked at so many lucida replica settings and I nit-picked at all of them, as they weren''t exactly like the lucida (which I know they couldn''t be due to copyright issues). In the end I went with what I wanted exactly.

 

[Haven]

Date: 12/28/2007 11:57:28 AM
Author: bee*

Date: 12/28/2007 10:33:27 AM
Author: Nalgene1894
While all of those settings do come close to the Tiffany one there is still something missing. My girlfriend and I have looked at nearly every bead set ring on the planet at this point and there is still something missing in each of them. The Tiffany ring shows nearly no platinum on the edges of the bead set while most of the other settings that emulate that of the Tiffany have a noticeable band on the sides which is why my GF loves the ring so much.

From reading this, I think that you might be better going with Tiffanys. The reason that I say this, is I looked at so many lucida replica settings and I nit-picked at all of them, as they weren''t exactly like the lucida (which I know they couldn''t be due to copyright issues). In the end I went with what I wanted exactly.

Ditto to what bee* said. It sounds like she wants the Tiffany ring, and if it''s in your budget, I say go for it. And for goodness sake, post pictures when you do!

 

[HappyFish]

Nelgene, if I were you, I would stop searching right away and get her a Tiffany bead set. It looks to me she is the one who really really wants a Tiffany.

 

[QOTDR]

She clearly wants the Tiffany so I would just get that and be done with it.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 12/28/2007 2:59:13 PM
Author: QOTDR
She clearly wants the Tiffany so I would just get that and be done with it.

exactly. why make it harder on yourself? you all have researched, determined she/you like the exact Tiffany ring the way it is, you can afford it...buy her the real deal and just enjoy the tiffany experience along the way.

 

[Nalgene1894]

It looks like that is what I will be doing. I am heading out of the country until the 12th of Jan for vacation so I will be posting pictures and/or asking for help on making the decision between diamonds towards the end of Jan.
Thanks for the help everybody, you all helped me to realize what I already knew in the back of my mind....that she truly does want that Tiffany ring.
THANKS!!!

 

[bee*]

Enjoy shopping! We had a great time picking our ring there-make sure you get the champagne

 

[Sharon101]

I think you should only get the T. ring, especially as you can afford the size that you are happy with. I think it makes sence to pay a premium for a superb design that you have established cant be copied to your satisfaction. I also think that the champagne, blue box, and whole entertainment....`pretty woman` style is worth paying a bit extra for !!!!!!

I think its great that you did your research, and you are going with the ring that best suits your requirements. You can go forward knowing that you did try to give other cheaper alternatives a fair shot, and that you are doing the right thing for you in sticking with T.

 

[Quash]

I think you probably made the right choice in going with Tiffany, as it's exactly what your gf wants and it's within your budget, so you know she'll be happy.

If you read Mark's site, you'll find that he, like other well-regarded custom jewelers, probably doesn't like to be asked if they'll do a "duplicate" of someone else's work, nor would I think he could "beat" Tiffany's prices.

Custom work is a longer process which is not cheap and he does excellent work. I'd suggest if you had an idea and loved Mark's work, call him to have him design a Mark Morrell piece.

But, if you want him to design a Tiffany piece, you're probably better off sticking with Tiffany.

I think you made the right choice and you'll make your gf very happy. At the end of the day, whether MWM or Tiffany, you're getting a high-quality piece of jewelry, so you won't be wrong.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

If your FF truly loves the ring, and you can comfortably afford it...then, I whole heartedly believe that you should purchase it.

An engagement ring is the ONE thing that your fiance and eventual wife will wear everyday. If the T&Co piece will make her happy, and she doesn''t care that the diamond is on the smaller side and you are paying for the namesake, then, it is a deal--for her.

Like always, an ering is a personal choice.