Isn't Lucida Tiffany's only? & other questions

[Romeo]

I thought Lucida is a Tiffany's trademark and only available in Tiffany. Is that not true? Oh has the Lucida's setting becomes like Tiffany's 6-prong setting that it's an industry setting now?What's the difference between a Tiffany's Lucida diamond ring and other Lucida's ring.Another question is that we're thinking of buying a high quality diamond ring
(1 carat, DEF, better than VS1, Lucida shape-so we thought), we've only been looking at Tiffany and Cartier, What other places can we look that are similar to these two stores. Also should we go somewhere else that's cheaper and have similar quality and style?Last question, if I've to trade off between color and clarity (say, F and VVS2 instead of E and VS1) which is a better tradeoff?Thanks

 

[Romeo]

thanks

 

[Looking]

The name Lucida actually refers to the cut of the stone. It is a square-ish stone like the princess, radiant, etc. but I believe Tiffany's has a copyright on the name. The setting has been duplicated by many designers and you can find it in a lot of stores.
Tiffany's prices are very inflated. You are paying for the name and the prestige. The quality is very good, however you can get the same or better quality for less money. The best prices tend to be online. I would suggest checking with many of the vendors that post here. You can also look in Pricescope's vendor section. Most reputable online dealers give you the chance to check the stone out and allow you to refund it within a certain time period.If you have to pick between better color or clarity I would say go for the better color. Your eye can detect color much easier than clarity differences. Make sure the stone is eye clean (generally an SI or better) you will not be able to see any inclusions with the naked eye in that range. However, CUT is the most important factor. I would sacrifice both color and clarity for a great cut. That has the most effect on the stone's beauty. Good luck!