my research re: Tiffany is different?

[aljdewey]

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On 2/13/2004 5:58:03 PM iknowquinn wrote:





well i don't consider myself a 'newbie' as you put it.
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Quinn........you've been here less than 48 hours! To us, that's a newbie.

Further, *newbie* is not not a slur or anything. You're taking Mara's comments personally when they aren't intended as such. All the contributions by others to your multiple threads have been offered in the spirit of trying to help.

If you don't like the suggestions/offerings or don't want the help, then simply disregard them. It's really very simple. There's no need to get your shorts in a twist.

 

[iknowquinn]

no- i have been so happy with all the various points of view and comments in general offered by this board. but it is a little patronizing to say the least when someone says "isn't it funny how all the new ones say the same thing". i have been very careful not to be disresepctful to anyone else....i was just hoping for the same treatment in return.

anyway- tiffany or no tiffany- the object is simply to get the BEST diamond at the BEST price AND feel completely comfortable with the source of your purchase. I think we can all agree on that...and that is all i am looking for. the key is that i am STILL looking...but tiffany's IS in the running.

 

[Mara]

I am sorry that you feel it's patronizing...but it's the truth. Run a few searches on Tiffany and you will see that my comments were not meant to be patronizing, but in fact are reality. I don't have enough fingers to count the number of times per week we hear such terms as 'Tiffany haters', 'Tiffany fire', 'Tiffany is the best', 'Girls want Tiffany over another diamond'...

Congrats and good luck with your Tiffany!

 

[pricescope]

Article at Fool.com: The Cost of Love.

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...
If you're cost-conscious, you might think it's foolhardy to even bother with Tiffany. But what about your partner? As Bill Mann once wrote, "Tiffany's trademark blue box evokes strong, positive emotions among consumers", and that's no accident. Tiffany's brand casts a pall over people in the market for an engagement ring or other fine jewelry. It screams luxury, importance, and "how much you really care about me." Even if you're not under its spell, there's a good chance your significant other is. When the time comes to pick out the ring, all roads lead to Tiffany. If you don't want to rock the boat, bite your lip, sell your car, and pay up.
...
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[someguy]

Hi iknowquinn,

I just had to chime in when you said:

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...so someone go find me a 2.75, H color or better, VS2 or better ring...that is a top cut- and tell me how much it is...and how i can see it before i buy it...and who i would be buying from...and i want to buy it LOOSE..not set...


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. I was a bit nervous (like you) when it came to buying a diamond without seing it, so I made a little trip down to New York, and checked out the stones in person. I am really happy I did because the trip put all my fears to rest, and I got to see the most beautiful diamonds that I had ever laid eyes upon, and I was treated as royalty even though I wasn't buying the most expensive stone that ever existed.

So anyway, here is (after 5 seconds of looking in one place) a 3 ct stone that satisfies your criteria:
3ct diamond for $30K

If you were to go for an I colored rock, there is this one that was previously mentioned in this thread: 2.74ct.diamond

This baby goes for a puny 22K--over 10K under what you'd pay for a lesser stone at Tiffany's.

As for how you could see it before you buy it, there are lots of things that you could do. First, you could fly across the country and go check out the stone in person (or drive if you live close by to one of the good pricescope vendors). I know that this sounds silly, but it isn't!! You'll end up paying at most 1.5K for the trip, while you'll probably be saving ~10k!! If you don't like to travel, most online vendors will even ship the diamond right to your doorstep for free (well, you have to "pay" for the diamond, but once you return it you get your money back). If you'd rather not do that, just about every vendor will ship the stone to an independent appraiser for verification. You just have to pay the appraisal fee, not the shipping. As for the setting, if you want to get it somewhere else, that's fine and you can just buy the diamond loose.
On top of this all, you'll be getting the best service in the industry, guaranteed. Places like GOG, have a 30 day money back guarantees, and then, should you ever decide to upgrade, the full cost of your original stone will be credited towards your new purchase.


When I started looking into the online thing, I was really nervous and uneasy about the whole thing. However, after having gone through the process, and can safely say that I'd NEVER buy a diamond anywhere else than one of the pricescope vendors. This way I know that I'll be getting the best price, the best service, and (most importantly) the absolute best quality.

Good luck!

 

[pqcollectibles]

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On 2/13/2004 7:43:06 PM someguy wrote:

Hi iknowquinn,

I just had to chime in when you said:

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...so someone go find me a 2.75, H color or better, VS2 or better ring...that is a top cut- and tell me how much it is...and how i can see it before i buy it...and who i would be buying from...and i want to buy it LOOSE..not set...


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I can answer that! I live in Kansas City. There is Price Scope Approved Appraiser just southwest of town on the Kansas side of the state line. I can have the diamond shipped to that appraiser, WITHOUT PAYING IN ADVANCE. I can run by the appraiser's office after the diamond arrives and preview the diamond there. If I like it, I buy it. If I don't like it, I pay $20 or so to have the diamond shipped back to the Vendor.

Check the List of Approved Appraisers. If there's one near where you live, you don't have to spend a penney up front to preview a diamond from a Price Scope Vendor.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

If you want to have some entertainment at Tiffany's expense count the % of diamonds that look good through an Ideal-Scope

The sales staff have no idea what you are doing and just give you blank stares while they continue the banter.

In my experiance Tiffany fare better than Cartier and the European brands.

I would love to know what % of really nice stones others find in USA. In Hawaii 2 years ago it was around 50:50, but Japan seemed to have the best cuts from Tiffany when I was there 3 years ago. HK was around 2/3rds (if you do not count Lucida's which are not real good).

 

[pulp_princess]

Last week, I thought that perhaps he didn't truly believe in what he was saying and just the sort of person who enjoys pushing people's buttons. He's probably read a few posts on PS to know the general opinions here. If he does truly believe in what he says, I hope he lives far away.

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On 2/13/2004 3:23:55 PM LawGem wrote:

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You had some bad luck on the timing--last week's Tiffany thread was especially nasty. Someone with a lot of ego issues resurrected a bunch old threads and went on a big rant. Thus the nerves were a little raw. Not your fault.

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[iknowquinn]

hi someguy,

thanks for the input. that 3 carat seems to be right up our alley! we have also just spoken with a dealer in chicago who can get what we are looking for. see- now we are leaning AWAY from tiffany! just like that. this forum is a great way to express opinions and ask questions, and do research and get info. i never intended to be "that person" who jumps on and pounds the table for tiffany....i came on this site to LEARN...and what i am learning is that we CAN get the size and quality and price AND walk into the store AND have it be fully refundable in 30 days and upgrade and everything else. this is very exciting!!! we are still a couple months away from making the actual purchase...but as we get closer- good old gold will be getting a visit from us! i appreciate your input....

 

[Daniela]

Okay, quinn, I can't resist this one. The stone that someguy suggested was the EXACT same stone, from the EXACT same vendor, that I suggested to you in your other thread yesterday morning. I have to say that I was a little puzzled when you challenged people in THIS thread to help you find an equivalent quality stone for cheaper, when I thought we had done just that in the other thread.

What gives? Or are you just realizing now that it's a real possibility since TWO people have recommended it?

 

[iknowquinn]

no, but why is it so hard for people to understand thatsome of us have been led to believe (by other sources) that buying a ring over the internet is like buying ring from a guy in the diamond district in nyc. before this forum- i truly believed that i would NEVER- in a million years, spend 30k on an internet diamond. that i would be an actual fool to do so. so it's taken me some further reading and researching to see that maybe it IS ok (privided i could walk into the store- personally i need to do that)...so when you first posted a ring from good old gold- i was in the mindset of "no way, not off an internet site"...but now i (we) are seeing that this is a very real and viable and possible option for us- to go to Massapequa and visit Good old gold is now something we plan to do! it's funny- it's like some were "mad" at me for being interested at tiffany's...and now some are mad at me for seeing the OTHER side of the coin, and possibly going to an internet site!! i thikn that if we were having these discussions in person- people would have a better understanding of each other. it cn be hard over email to have real conversations, cuz you can't pick up tone and voice inflection etc. i have been honest this whole time about my intentions, and as things change in my mind, my emails reflect that. but like alot of people here i am sure, i have been given SO MANY OPINIONS rom different friends and family and people in the diamond business, that i have gotten almost fed up with the whole process. but now i am back int he swing, and excited about the possibilites!!!!!!!! hope you can all understand how this process can be frustrating and tough to decipher...

 

[Daniela]

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On 2/14/2004 10:28:02 AM iknowquinn wrote:

no, but why is it so hard for people to understand thatsome of us have been led to believe (by other sources) that buying a ring over the internet is like buying ring from a guy in the diamond district in nyc. before this forum- i truly believed that i would NEVER- in a million years, spend 30k on an internet diamond. that i would be an actual fool to do so. so it's taken me some further reading and researching to see that maybe it IS ok (privided i could walk into the store- personally i need to do that)...so when you first posted a ring from good old gold- i was in the mindset of 'no way, not off an internet site'...but now i (we) are seeing that this is a very real and viable and possible option for us- to go to Massapequa and visit Good old gold is now something we plan to do! it's funny- it's like some were 'mad' at me for being interested at tiffany's...and now some are mad at me for seeing the OTHER side of the coin, and possibly going to an internet site!! i thikn that if we were having these discussions in person- people would have a better understanding of each other. it cn be hard over email to have real conversations, cuz you can't pick up tone and voice inflection etc. i have been honest this whole time about my intentions, and as things change in my mind, my emails reflect that. but like alot of people here i am sure, i have been given SO MANY OPINIONS rom different friends and family and people in the diamond business, that i have gotten almost fed up with the whole process. but now i am back int he swing, and excited about the possibilites!!!!!!!! hope you can all understand how this process can be frustrating and tough to decipher...----------------

Fair enough. I just wanted to know your reasoning. You've answered my question. I understand that it's a lot of money, and that the internet is scary at first. I did six months of research before we bought my stone.

No one is mad at you for buying at Tiffany's, or elsewhere, or not buying at all, or whatever... Least of all me! You made the comment in another post that you were thankful that people were being very civil about this whole question, and I think that is very true. I suggested to you another option (the 3 carat from GOG), then told you to post pics of whatever you choose, and told you that it should be the stone that speaks to you. I was just puzzled by why you hadn't seriously considered that stone before now.

I will follow up with one thing though: Buying over the internet will save you money or allow you to get a bigger rock, it will also get you a more beautiful rock, but you've got to decide which is more important to you, the diamond or the setting. Because according to what you've said, you LOVE the Tiffany setting. And no matter whether or not you get a good copy, it will not be EXACTLY the same from somewhere else. The copy may also be very beautiful, but that's not the point. So as you do your research, really reflect on what your priorities are, and then I'm sure that you will come up with the perfect stone for you.

But you did mention that you have a friend that could copy it exactly. If that's really true, right down to the subtleties, then you've got yourself the perfect situation. Internet stone and the setting you love.

 

[iknowquinn]

yes yes! i think we DO have the perfect solution. my friend who copies the tiffany setting (and has shown it to me, and i was completely fooled) coupled with the better pricing etc from an internet site. we will definitely post pics...but like i said, it won't be for a couple months...

the fact that you did 6 months of research first is great. i know you understand then, the various states of mind you go through from the beginning of your search when you are just starting to learn- until the end when you finally buy the stone. i have a friend who SWEARS by fred cuellar (and has a stunning 3 carat emerald cut stone)...another who is a friend of the family, and a dimaond dealer here in nyc who SWEARS you can not go online and get what you want (it will be a scam etc)...the list goes on and on...everybody puts their two cents in. anyway- thanks for your last post. i think i was able to explain my position clearly, and i feel like now you understand where i am coming from. once again- i think sometimes there is miscommunication over email.

 

[aljdewey]

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On 2/14/2004 10:47:12 AM iknowquinn wrote:




another who is a friend of the family, and a dimaond dealer here in nyc who SWEARS you can not go online and get what you want (it will be a scam etc)...the list goes on and on...everybody puts their two cents in----------------

I understand how frustrating that is, Quinn.....and I think it's an education process we all go through. EVERYONE starts out feeling like they cannot trust buying from an "internet" site......and it doesn't help to have others (diamond dealers) telling you you cannot go online and find what you want. Unfortunately, those folks have a vested interest in discouraging you.

When I was looking, I went into a Belden Jewelers here (the primary goal was to get an idea of what mm would look best on my hand). The VP from Chicago was in the NH store that day, and he began asking questions about what I wanted. When I started talking about the crown/pav angles, he actually told me that it would be nearly IMPOSSIBLE for me to find *a* diamond in those specs, nevermind *several* of them. I wanted to laugh on the spot.....I could find 23 diamonds through PS that met my criteria EXACTLY.

You need to consider the source of the information. Are they truly educated about diamonds? Friends can recommend Fred Cueller, the jeweler down the street, whatever.....they mean well in their recommendations, but they don't know enough about diamonds to make a meaningful recommendation sometimes. It would be like me trying to recommend a performance car to someone.....I know SQUAT about performance cars, so I could say "oh, check out an XXXX", but that wouldn't carry the same weight that a recommendation from someone who's totally into performance cars and knows them inside and out.

Same thing with diamond dealers/jewelers. They are trying to get your sale, so of course, they are going to highlight all the possible pitfalls. I'd say that the same pitfalls occur in "real-life" vendors, too. You can as easily get fleeced by a local jeweler as you can by an online jeweler. Whichever venue you choose, the key is KNOWLEDGE. Learn about who you're dealing with - like checking references. If you do this homework, you're ahead of the game no matter who you buy from.

Differing opinions are very confusing at first, because it's hard to know what to believe. However, I think there's a great deal of benefit to them - gives you a chance to consider ALL options. Like anything else, once you begin to see consistent information, you'll separate the "wheat" from the "chaff" and your confidence will grow in your ability to make this purchase.

 

[someguy]

Hi iknowquinn,

I'm happy to hear that you are now seriously considering the "online" thing! And you are right, things do become very exciting when you go this route because you know that down the line you'll be getting an AWESOME diamond, for an increadible price... I wish you the best of luck, and please keep us informed about how your search is going (I think that people here live solely on diamond stories and pictures)!

Daniela--I'm sorry for suggesting the same stone without referring to your post! I didn't read the other thread and just posted the first diamond that popped out to me.