name brand stones??? what is better.

[lost on 5th]

i know this is a very popular topic, but i am looking for some fresh opinions.

first, here is my situation. i live and work on the wonderful rock called manhattan, and could hit tiffany’s with a well placed 5 iron (assuming i could carry the ball over cartier and harry winston). so most people i know do recognize branded designs from across the room.

my dilemma is my girlfriend likes the best of everything, and she has her eye on rings from T&Co. She sees them as the best diamonds (good marketing on the part of the folks at tiffany’s). I am interested in knowing where their stones really stand in rating to the competition. (i.e. what might be a better cut stone for the same dollar amount)

her desire is: 1.5 to 1.7 ct. Round. center stone
3 stone setting w/ pears on the side.


any and all comments would be appreciated. and if you know of a thread that already addressed this topic in part, please send me the link.

thanks

 

[Sashabella]

Tiffany stones sparkle because they are all ideal cut, polish and symmetry. The generally have no/minimal flourscense and are all VS2 and above. I personally prefer a colourless stone.

If you buy a stone ranked AGS 0 by the American Gemological Society (with a certificate) it will shine just as much and, depending where you buy it, cost much less./

I have a 1.22 carat AGS 0 stone (ideal cut/polish/symmetry), E colour, VS1 stone. I was recently in Tiffany''s in Toronto and the saleswoman commented that my diamond is just as nice as a Tiffany''s diamond. An equivalent Tiffany''s diamond without the pears) was about $25CDN. We paid $13 CDN for the stone and $4 for the setting.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 3/16/2005 10:46:36 PM
Author: Sashabella
Tiffany stones sparkle because they are all ideal cut, polish and symmetry. The generally have no/minimal flourscense and are all VS2 and above. I personally prefer a colourless stone.

If you buy a stone ranked AGS 0 by the American Gemological Society (with a certificate) it will shine just as much and, depending where you buy it, cost much less./

I have a 1.22 carat AGS 0 stone (ideal cut/polish/symmetry), E colour, VS1 stone. I was recently in Tiffany''s in Toronto and the saleswoman commented that my diamond is just as nice as a Tiffany''s diamond. An equivalent Tiffany''s diamond without the pears) was about $25CDN. We paid $13 CDN for the stone and $4 for the setting.

not all T&CO stones meets ags 0 cut grade.

 

[lost on 5th]

thank you for the info. i didnt know if tiffany had a AGS grades below a 0. (they have neglected to mention such information while going over their high standards).

what other directions might i look for a better cut stone than a tiffanys?

i am trying to determine what would be the best thing i can get at a certain price. (keeping ct. wt. and $ the same... what would be a better stone)

 

[Sashabella]

Sorry, I stand corrected. T & C uses excellent and ideal cut diamonds and they use GIA certification (I called this morning). However, if you were to get an Ags 0 OR 1 (excellent or ideal) you would get the same flash. They told me that on the phone as well when I asked.

You can go to any diamond dealer and get an AGS certified stone, have it re-appraised to make sure it''s the same as the AGS cert. Tiffany''s doesn''t grow thier own diamonds - they are all supplied by the same suppliers. It''s just a matter of making sure you have the right specs on a GIA or AGS cert that would make it comparable to those sold by T&C.

 

[valeria101]

It's not that Tiffany sells bad stuff.... the stones are nice. The only catch is that you can get the same across the street for about a third less.

Anyway, it sounds like the point is to get a ring from Tiffany and nothing else. Good luck !

With these guys, it's the pain, not the product that matters .

 

[mrssalvo]

If your girlfriend has always dreamed of T & C and wants that little blue box and you have the $$ that''s what you should do. Keep in mind you will be paying extra $$$ for the name and that little blue box. To some it''s worth it. You definitey can get more bang for your buck dealing with one of the vendors here or even some local jewelers. Try doing a search with all you critera and see what comes up. I personally think Whiteflash''s H & A diamonds are amazing and would take a branded or unbranded one of those over T & C anyday, but that''s me. Good luck

 

[codex57]

If name matters more, and she wants a T&Co., just get one. None of their stuff is bad. It''s not necessarily the best, but you won''t get stuck with a real dud like you''d find in a store in the maul. Still, I always thought Harry Winston had more cachet than Tiffany & Co.

Luckily for me, when my girl wants "the best" of something, she means the best quality including value. That meant I didn''t have to buy a name brand ring and could get a much bigger one that I know is the best quality. But, to me, (and this is prolly blasphemous on this board), a diamond is purely luxury anyways so name can be just as important as the 4 C''s depending on the person''s tastes.

 

[lost on 5th]

style="WIDTH: 99%; HEIGHT: 71px">Date: 3/17/2005 3:11:21 PM
Author: codex57
.......But, to me, (and this is prolly blasphemous on this board), a diamond is purely luxury anyways so name can be just as important as the 4 C''s depending on the person''s tastes.

you make a very good point and this gives a fresh perspective to the whole matter. unfortunately attaching value to the store is more subjective and hard to put a number to. My thinking is more aligned with yours. The best of something is a combination of all factors… and value does enter into it.
I guess the thing to do is find out how much value she puts into the name. (after-all the whole purpose is to make her happy). Would anyone have a suggestion on how I might pose this question without sounding like I am backing down on something or downgrading????

The reality is a T&Co. e-ring would be of a lowered 4 C’s than what I could get elsewhere for the same price.

thanks again for the information thus far...

 

[codex57]

Have you broached teh subject of marriage before? It becomes infinitely trickier if she has no clue you want to marry her and you want to keep it a pure surprise (risky IMO). If you have, then you can always throw out hypotheticals. I do. I'm constantly asking my g/f "what if" questions and she knows it's usually related to something I saw or read recently.

You said your girl has her eye on T&Co. Well you could always ask her why she likes it. Bring up Harry Winston. Just as good name, but it allows you to figure out if she just wants a T&Co, or wants a brand name, or maybe just thinks they're the best but is open to something better if it exists.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/18/2005 4:10

PM
Author: lost on 5th


I guess the thing to do is find out how much value she puts into the name....

The reality is a T&Co. e-ring would be of a lowered 4 C’s than what I could get elsewhere for the same price.

"better for the money" is always a great argument

Just make sure you have a self-assured definition of "better" at hand.

It can''t be too hard. The basic "Tiffany setting" has been copied with success for many years by now - it is a tried and true setting that you can have made at leats as nicely as the original elsewhere. The H&A branding for rounds should help with that part of the checklist.

If in doubt, you might want to open up some nice websites displaying hand made jewelry: Artofplatinum.com is downright dangerous is this regard.

Dvatche.com makes an really precise version of the respective Tiffany ring (round + pear sides) and a few others (Lucida''s twin is called "X-prong").

A couple of very nice round & pear settings are posted on display at MWMjewelry.com (Mark Morell''s site); including this:

Some of this should work. For some reason, the vintage Tiffany pieces seem allot better than the current - so... there''s room for improvement allright.

 

[fortheloveofdiamonds]

Wow! I just had to say, i''m no real fan of three stone rings, but that mark morrell is STUNNING!

 

[lost on 5th]

first off: WOW that is a beautiful ring! and others on that site are simply amazing!!!! would you or anyone else have more links to similar quality designs/settings????

::

as for getting information from her, a lot of it is openly offered and hinted at. she had picked her ideal e-ring options long before she met me. and a lot of her comments are simply, "i want better than X.... or better than so-and-so" i guess all of this is what has brought me to discuss things here and learn as much as i can.

 

[codex57]

Date: 3/18/2005 10:43:42 PM
Author: lost on 5th
as for getting information from her, a lot of it is openly offered and hinted at. she had picked her ideal e-ring options long before she met me. and a lot of her comments are simply, ''i want better than X.... or better than so-and-so'' i guess all of this is what has brought me to discuss things here and learn as much as i can.

Perfect! Just get more hints and nudge her along. Instead of nodding along and saying, "Ok, that''s nice honey" like we all tend to do, this time, be more proactive and try and steer it along by asking her questions back like, "Better than this?" or "Does it have to be from those companies or would you mind something that actually is better quality?" or "Hey, I passed by this sign that said ''Hearts and Arrows'' and I thought it was cool, have you heard of it?" Stuff like that.