Need help avoiding Tiffany''s

[Mrs_Darcy]

Of course I don''t mind John!

Hopefully you can catch my SMTR thread in a few weeks. Many others have chosen a similar design before me. I agree that it is breathtaking, and I''m glad you''ve figured out what you want. I don''t think you can go wrong either, not with the design or with Brian and Lesley. Also, I think it would be completely unnecessary to fly to Houston, especially since you have a clear idea of what you want and it is a relatively simple design. We drove from Oklahoma, and while it was a very fun experience, it certainly could''ve all been done online and over the phone.

 

[lalantha]

Date: 6/23/2009 3:01:18 PM
Author: johnkorean
summertime:


Thanks for the response! I hope you don''t mind, but I''m pretty sure that we''ve been using your ring as a model of what I want mine to look like (I assume that no one would ever be upset that their ring was being used as a model of what rings should look like, but you never know). First thing I thought was ''I don''t want those prongs,'' so I''m glad that''s cleared up!


I will be very interested to see what the finished product looks like, as I have a suspicion that I''m going to want something 99% similar. I talked with my GF and although she understands that I don''t want to screw up the details, she''s taking the position that she likes such a wide range of styles that she doesn''t have ''a'' perfect ring: what makes it perfect is that it''s coming from me, etc. Of course, what I do know is that she thought the round with pear sides at Tiffany''s was breathtaking. Even though it would be nice to be completely absolved of responsibility, like your BF, I just don''t think I can possibly go wrong with a ring like this.


And in case anyone is interested, I''m putting the diamond on hold. Since it''s new inventory, they don''t have the AGS/ASET reports, but when I get the numbers I''ll be sure to post them. I''d really appreciate thoughts.


Also, I''m debating whether or not it''s economically feasible for me to fly out to Houston from DC to meet with Brian and Lesley. Based on reputation alone, it sounds like I can completely put my trust in them (especially since I don''t know half as much as they do, so I don''t know what I could possibly hope to accomplish), which would be good because I want to keep all of my expenses to a minimum for the time being. Can anyone back me up on the idea that flying to Houston and back would be redundant and unnecessary if all I''d really be looking for is peace of mind?


Thanks everyone!

Hi John,

Well, the only input I can give you is that I put my trust in them from the UK based on:

o the rating of the others on this forum
o their blog - which keeps showing how they are working on new and exciting stuff
o my impression of Lesley based on her emails and telephone conversations I''ve had with her.
o the quality of the reports/images she provided.

All in all, esp from within the US, I''d say save your money and have lots of conversations with them over the phone. Also with technology like online conferencing/IM, you can almost have a whiteboard discussion with them if you wanted to.

Hope that help with your decision making. Oh, and try and enjoy it.

 

[the tree sees]

Ditto to Lalantha.

I''m waiting on my soon-to-be-fiancee''s ring to make its way to DC right now, too. I''ll let you know how it goes.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I bought from Brain''s old company without going there, and I wouldn''t hesitate to buy from him now without going there. I think you can''t go wrong with the round with side pears considering that she loved that design at Tiffany''s! I''d let it be a surprise!

 

[johnkorean]

Thank you all for the advice! I think you're all quite right: at this point I'm just being paranoid.

I did have one question, though. When I was looking at the pricescope's Price search function for diamonds with specs like mine, it came back with several USA Certed results priced a few thousand dollars lower. I ran the search for H&A's and AGS0's, and the USA Certs are in some cases nearly half the price. What gives?

EDIT: Never mind, I figured it out. Apparently the default search function is to include AGS0's, not to require them. When I tried the "cut quality" search, I figured it out. Wish I knew all the numbers on this diamond.

 

[the tree sees]

I don't know anything about USA Certed, but I did see this thread earlier today, with just one response:

Link

Do they provide images? If not, then perhaps that's why their popularity is down. You can't really trust an ideal & H&A grade if you can't see the ASET & hearts images!

 

[johnkorean]

Ok, so I just got back from Tiffany''s (before I found pricescope or had even heard of BGD the saleswoman there promised to order some rings for me to take a look at, so I felt obligated to return) and while I''m still convinced I can''t afford what I want from there, man oh man were those rings gorgeous!

That leads me to this question: how do Tiffany''s cuts compare to, say, ACA, BGD Signature, etc.? Slightly "worse", roughly the same, or are we talking apples and oranges? The saleswoman there said that they use only the best cuts geared towards optimum symmetry and brilliance, but I have no idea what a Tiffany''s stone''s IS/ASET would look like. Can anyone speak to this? Thanks!

 

[the tree sees]

John,

Terrific lighting in Tiffany, right? I just love walking around that store, admiring all the bling.

I was curious about this too when I first discovered RT, so I searched some threads. The general consensus seems to be that Tiffany & Cartier both carry quite beautiful stones that tend to be in the top 10% in terms of cut, whereas stones like those at BGD tend to be in the top 1%. The problem, aside from shelling out the blue- or red-box premium, is differentiating between a stone that''s an A- and one that''s an A+. Without the proper tools, like ASET & Idealscope, it''s really hard, if not impossible, to do. I hope others will chime in here to share their own experiences as well; I know that some participants on this forum wear Tiffany jewelry.

 

[ILoveDiamondsToo]

I have a Tiffany''s near me and have admired their diamonds often (in fact, that''s how I decided what size I wanted from Brian & Lesley). I have had a chance to look at the paperwork on several of Tiffany''s stones. They do their own grading which they claim is even more strict than AGS. However, when I looked at depth, pavilion angle, and crown angle, most of them were not as good as what I found on all of Brian''s (meaning they didn''t score below 2 on the HCA).

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 6/24/2009 7:13:30 PM
Author: johnkorean
Ok, so I just got back from Tiffany's (before I found pricescope or had even heard of BGD the saleswoman there promised to order some rings for me to take a look at, so I felt obligated to return) and while I'm still convinced I can't afford what I want from there, man oh man were those rings gorgeous!

That leads me to this question: how do Tiffany's cuts compare to, say, ACA, BGD Signature, etc.? Slightly 'worse', roughly the same, or are we talking apples and oranges? The saleswoman there said that they use only the best cuts geared towards optimum symmetry and brilliance, but I have no idea what a Tiffany's stone's IS/ASET would look like. Can anyone speak to this? Thanks!

I recall a thread from a couple of years ago where the groom-to-be purchased an Ideal Scope and took it with him when shopping for a Tiffany diamond. He had Tiffany call in several stones, and was able to quickly pick out the best from the batch. It is my understanding that some of the boutique diamonds here on PS (such as ACA, BGD Signature, Crafted by Infinity, etc.) are cut to tighter specs than Tiffany's. On the other hand, a well cut diamond, such as you will find at Tiffanys, can be very beautiful. It doesn't always need to be spot on the numbers.

 

[lowphat]

From what I''ve read and seen, Tiffany''s diamonds are pretty close but not quite as good. But for the majority of the population, including myself and probably you, as wel, it''s impossible to tell the difference.

It''s like figuring out whether to buy one car that goes 200 mph or another car that goes 170 mph without using a speedometer.

 

[johnkorean]

Thanks for the responses everyone! I'm glad to have reassurance!

Also, if you have time and/or are interested, I've posted the diamond specs here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/bgd-rb-yay-or-nay.118562/

I'd really appreciate a variety of opinions, even if it's just 30 people all saying "Ditto what above poster said." Thanks so much!