Need technical advice! Harry Winston vs Whiteflash 10-15ct tennis bracelet

[Micina]

Dear PS experts!

I have been looking for tennis bracelet after I was impressed by magnificent pieces especially by @glitterbomb , @kama_s and @RunningwithScissors.

I am convinced to go with WF based on my research and knowledge, thanks to this awesome PS community.

My 99% decision is, starting from over 0.3ct each ACA collection (D/E VVS) with platinum and upgrade to 0.5ct each in the future.

Just before making an order, I visited Harry Winston. At there, I was truly astonished by outstanding beauty of 0.5ct each tennis bracelet. OMG, there are plenty of fire, sparkles and hard to resist…(in fact I enjoyed 1hr and half)
SA was so kind and even showed me 7ct emerald cut selected by their prominent skills.
I went over the moon to wear it!!! I can’t describe well… but it’s like the diamond veiled by highly transparent water deep inside Mediterranean Sea and shine under bright and strong Italian sunlight.

My personal opinion is… HW is best boutique and WF is best online store (I never seen it in reality so just guessing), if we are “ONLY” focusing on the Beaty of Diamond with same color and clarity (and not design or brand name etc). By the way I am only taking about jeweler with commercial scalability so scope-out individual experts who has same/better skills which can source best quality diamond.

So now, I am VERY curious to know PS expert’s opinions what would be the “technical difference of the quality of diamond” offered by HW and WF??? (aside from insane pride difference) How you describe diamond from each???

 

[Micina]

The main reason I asked is I don’t want to have any surprised when I received WF after watching HW. (Even removing lighting affect factor at their store)

If I need to expect, I want to know and be ready for it.

Thank you in advance!

 

[RetroQT]

If you are going with an ACA tennis bracelet, then I can not imagine any disappointment with the diamonds. The only thing I would worry about would be the “mind-clean” aspect. Will the WF bracelet meet the expectations if it doesn’t have the iconic name to go along with it? I know we all say it won’t matter. But in reality, there is just something about having that T&Co. or HW stamped in a piece that just seems to make it even more beautiful. (Marketing is a very powerful tool. I know because I fall for it… and I’m in marketing. LOL!)

 

[tyty333]

White flash ACAs will be individually graded. They will be AGS000 H&A stones with Ideal
Light return. I cant imagine there would be any disappointment in the bracelet. I wish you could go to Houston and visit WF in person and see all the sparklies!

This is going to be an amazing piece!

 

[dk168]

IMHO, there is a significant size difference between a 0.3ct stone and a 0.5ct stone, so don't be at all surprised if you find the WF bracelet with 0.3ct underwhelming after you have tried and seen a bracelet with 0.5ct stones.

It is not a fair comparison in that it is not a like for like.

My hunch is that you might already have DSS (diamond shrinkage syndrome) even before your WF bracelet has arrived, sorry!

DK

 

[Micina]

If you are going with an ACA tennis bracelet, then I can not imagine any disappointment with the diamonds. The only thing I would worry about would be the “mind-clean” aspect. Will the WF bracelet meet the expectations if it doesn’t have the iconic name to go along with it? I know we all say it won’t matter. But in reality, there is just something about having that T&Co. or HW stamped in a piece that just seems to make it even more beautiful. (Marketing is a very powerful tool. I know because I fall for it… and I’m in marketing. LOL!)

Just wanted to double check any their superior fact on stone itself rather than branding because I don’t have enough skill to identify those.
I am happy to know the assurance on ACA!

Maybe not only marketing but also tones of money HW sent for their lighting LOL
My diamonds are also shining more than normal.

 

[Micina]

White flash ACAs will be individually graded. They will be AGS000 H&A stones with Ideal
Light return. I cant imagine there would be any disappointment in the bracelet. I wish you could go to Houston and visit WF in person and see all the sparklies!

This is going to be an amazing piece!

Hi @tyty333! thank you for helping me again!

That must be wonderful if I could visit and learn more about WF ACAs even after purchase!!! Thank you for great information.

I am very happy to get buy-in from you! Now I have no doubt that my wonderful journey with WF will start soon :-p

 

[Micina]

IMHO, there is a significant size difference between a 0.3ct stone and a 0.5ct stone, so don't be at all surprised if you find the WF bracelet with 0.3ct underwhelming after you have tried and seen a bracelet with 0.5ct stones.

It is not a fair comparison in that it is not a like for like.

My hunch is that you might already have DSS (diamond shrinkage syndrome) even before your WF bracelet has arrived, sorry!

DK

DSS (diamond shrinkage syndrome)

That’s right, actually I saw 0.3, 0,4 and 0.5. As you mentioned, the impact from 0.5 was totally another level and exceed my expectations…

But I always like to make my dream come true little by little (better to have dream for future to be motivated!) so happy to go with 0.3 and jump up 0.5 for future anniversary or milestone.

My DDS also happened to my upgrade of ering. I thought 3+ oval is too big for my small finger but after everyday wear in last one year, I needed more impact. Fortunately thanks to Jon’s creativity and bench master’s skills, now my enhancer is under way!

Someday when I get retired, no need to wear at workplace, then my dream is 7ct Emerald cut!!! Many things to do to get there! hahaha

 

[Micina]

Here is some aspect I thought WF is more for me outside of price difference.

By considering my size less than 6inch and the fact that I wanna start from 0.3, WF offers customer friendly options!

-Resize: (WF) customized length with necessary number of diamond, (HW) customize length but no price change and need to keep removed diamond *there is full customize order but typically expensive

-Certificates: (WF) above 0.3 ACA, (HW) above 0.5 there is cert for each stones

-Upgrade: (WF) above 0.3 ACA lifetime upgrade, (HW) no

 

[RunningwithScissors]

There are two other factors I want to point out.

First, if you are planning on upgrading your ACAs from .3's to .5's in the future, know that the setting itself isn't inexpensive. I was told the "blank" or setting (3 prong, platinum, for holding .33 diamonds) will run approximately $3,500. So that will be a cost you will "eat" (not get refunded) when you go to upgrade the size of your ACAs, and you will have to buy a new one to hold your new, larger-sized diamonds.

Second, while I like Whiteflash's settings, they are stock settings, and the craftsmanship of the metalwork doesn't compare, IMO, to the craftsmanship of Harry Winston's settings, which are truly first rate, heirloom quality. WF's stock settings are very decent, but the two just don't compare.

HOWEVER, to my eyes, the ACAs absolutely do "hold their own" stacked up to HW diamonds. I live in Houston and have been to both HW and WF numerous times and I prefer ACAs to HW rounds. For me, I care much more about diamonds than I do about metal, so there's no question I'd go with WF. Plus the $ savings is substantial. And the upgrade policy, even if you will "eat" the setting cost, gives one peace of mind.

 

[glitterbomb]

WF ACA round brilliants are extremely gorgeous, I think they are literally some of the best diamonds you can buy. They are super ideals, whereas HW are likely GIA triple excellent. I believe WF ACAs stand up to (and are actually better than) HW's round brilliants, at a significantly lower price. HW also has incredible lighting in their stores, and lighting plays a major role in how diamonds look in the moment.

That being said, stores such as HW, VCA, and Cartier typically use D-E-F color diamonds in the majority of their pieces, whereas WF uses a mix of F & G color for their tennis bracelets unless you specifically request otherwise (and requesting higher color diamonds will increase the price).

G color diamonds do, to my eye, have more warmth in them than D-E-F color diamonds, which is to be expected. However, many people cannot see the difference between these diamond colors (in fact many people are comfortable even going to H, I, J, or lower color diamonds), but it might bother you if you are color sensitive and want exactly what you saw at HW.

I do sometimes wish I requested E color (instead of a mix of F & G) for the diamonds in my WF bracelets, but that likely would've increased the price by approximately $20,000 in total for both bracelets.

Another amazing thing about WF is they allow upgrades, so down the line if I decide I do for sure want D or E color diamonds I can upgrade them without having to pay for an entire new bracelet.

 

[glitterbomb]

btw, here's some interesting data.

This is the GIA report of a diamond sold from Harry Winston
https://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=2125992110

1.08 carat, F, VVS2, triple excellent

Depth	62.1%
Table	57%
Crown Angle	35.0°
Crown Height	15.0%
Pavilion Angle	41.4°
Pavilion Depth	44.0%
Star Length	50%
Lower Half	80%

With the pricescope HCA tool, it scores a 4.6 (that is considered a bad score)

 

[glitterbomb]

Here's another diamond sold from Cartier.

Really bad numbers and not even triple excellent!

https://www.betteridge.com/cartier-3.05-carat-round-brilliant-diamond-ring/p/8516/

 

[glitterbomb]

WF ACA round brilliants are extremely gorgeous, I think they are literally some of the best diamonds you can buy. They are super ideals, whereas HW are likely GIA triple excellent. I believe WF ACAs stand up to (and are actually better than) HW's round brilliants, at a significantly lower price. HW also has incredible lighting in their stores, and lighting plays a major role in how diamonds look in the moment.

That being said, stores such as HW, VCA, and Cartier typically use D-E-F color diamonds in the majority of their pieces, whereas WF uses a mix of F & G color for their tennis bracelets unless you specifically request otherwise (and requesting higher color diamonds will increase the price).

G color diamonds do, to my eye, have more warmth in them than D-E-F color diamonds, which is to be expected. However, many people cannot see the difference between these diamond colors (in fact many people are comfortable even going to H, I, J, or lower color diamonds), but it might bother you if you are color sensitive and want exactly what you saw at HW.

I do sometimes wish I requested E color (instead of a mix of F & G) for the diamonds in my WF bracelets, but that likely would've increased the price by approximately $20,000 in total for both bracelets.

Another amazing thing about WF is they allow upgrades, so down the line if I decide I do for sure want D or E color diamonds I can upgrade them without having to pay for an entire new bracelet.

by the way so sorry, I just saw you are going with D/E VVS from WF. In that case I think you will be absolutely blown away and very very happy!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You cannot get finer cut round diamonds than WF ACAs, so as long as color and clarity are equal, it is possible that the WF diamonds will be better than HW. I know for sure people here have compared diamond grading reports from Tiffany with WF and WF is superior in almost every case. As runningwithscissors already said, the setting at HW may be superior, however, I value the diamond quality the most, and I am guessing the price would be half (or less) of the HW price. I would go to WF for any round diamonds for classic stud earrings, solitaire pendant, tennis bracelet, or rings.

 

[Micina]

There are two other factors I want to point out.

First, if you are planning on upgrading your ACAs from .3's to .5's in the future, know that the setting itself isn't inexpensive. I was told the "blank" or setting (3 prong, platinum, for holding .33 diamonds) will run approximately $3,500. So that will be a cost you will "eat" (not get refunded) when you go to upgrade the size of your ACAs, and you will have to buy a new one to hold your new, larger-sized diamonds.

Second, while I like Whiteflash's settings, they are stock settings, and the craftsmanship of the metalwork doesn't compare, IMO, to the craftsmanship of Harry Winston's settings, which are truly first rate, heirloom quality. WF's stock settings are very decent, but the two just don't compare.

HOWEVER, to my eyes, the ACAs absolutely do "hold their own" stacked up to HW diamonds. I live in Houston and have been to both HW and WF numerous times and I prefer ACAs to HW rounds. For me, I care much more about diamonds than I do about metal, so there's no question I'd go with WF. Plus the $ savings is substantial. And the upgrade policy, even if you will "eat" the setting cost, gives one peace of mind.

Good point! I didn’t know that WF use stock setting…

HW’s one was so smooth and not heavy at all as they minimize the usage of metal thanks to craftsmanship. They also use special mix of platinum (SA couldn’t disclose what metal they mix) therefore diamond stands out on human skins.

From my handcraft ering and diamond studs ring w/stock, I can easily see the difference. That is pretty big factor for jewelry. So I hope WF can start option to go with handcraft in near future!

I’m glad to have another recommendation of the quality of ACAs!!!! I always LOVE and enjoy to see your luxury jewelry collections so there is no doubt you have aesthetic eye!

 

[Micina]

WF ACA round brilliants are extremely gorgeous, I think they are literally some of the best diamonds you can buy. They are super ideals, whereas HW are likely GIA triple excellent. I believe WF ACAs stand up to (and are actually better than) HW's round brilliants, at a significantly lower price. HW also has incredible lighting in their stores, and lighting plays a major role in how diamonds look in the moment.

That being said, stores such as HW, VCA, and Cartier typically use D-E-F color diamonds in the majority of their pieces, whereas WF uses a mix of F & G color for their tennis bracelets unless you specifically request otherwise (and requesting higher color diamonds will increase the price).

G color diamonds do, to my eye, have more warmth in them than D-E-F color diamonds, which is to be expected. However, many people cannot see the difference between these diamond colors (in fact many people are comfortable even going to H, I, J, or lower color diamonds), but it might bother you if you are color sensitive and want exactly what you saw at HW.

I do sometimes wish I requested E color (instead of a mix of F & G) for the diamonds in my WF bracelets, but that likely would've increased the price by approximately $20,000 in total for both bracelets.

Another amazing thing about WF is they allow upgrades, so down the line if I decide I do for sure want D or E color diamonds I can upgrade them without having to pay for an entire new bracelet.

As you pointed out HW use GIA, HW never cut diamond by themselves so SA told me that they gather the best and only pick up the best of best…thanks for the interesting analysis data of HW’s diamond!

For color, I am color sensitive. I only select G for my oval because that has incredible light return and no bow tie. And I absolutely love it but won’t go under colorless except that one. (And designed jewelry with melees) I started my diamond story with .8 D ering decade ago which has icy white so naturally that became my standard I guess.
For WF, “ACAs Collection Series“ which only use colorless but I added my request of D/E.

Can’t wait to see ACA’s authentic beauty which we can’t find others…!!!

 

[Micina]

You cannot get finer cut round diamonds than WF ACAs, so as long as color and clarity are equal, it is possible that the WF diamonds will be better than HW. I know for sure people here have compared diamond grading reports from Tiffany with WF and WF is superior in almost every case. As runningwithscissors already said, the setting at HW may be superior, however, I value the diamond quality the most, and I am guessing the price would be half (or less) of the HW price. I would go to WF for any round diamonds for classic stud earrings, solitaire pendant, tennis bracelet, or rings.

“ it is possible that the WF diamonds will be better than HW” love that!!!!

Regarding the price for .3’s, even more… HW(DEF, above VS) cost over triple of my WF(DE, above VVS)

This is one of reason I start to think “there might be significant difference on diamond itself otherwise can’t justify just because of brand name, marketing cost, store running cost etc…” but PS make me think that actually those price difference is coming from outside of diamond…

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

You will be fine either way. It’s hard to discern tone of voice over internet posts but honestly it sounds like you want HW. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Micina]

You will be fine either way. It’s hard to discern tone of voice over internet posts but honestly it sounds like you want HW. Nothing wrong with that.

I am confident to go WF round brilliant thanks to everyone who shared their own perspective!

Before my future upgrade to .5’s I would love to visit Huston showroom.

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

I am confident to go WF round brilliant thanks to everyone who shared their own perspective!

Before my future upgrade to .5’s I would love to visit Huston showroom.

Ok remember to come back and post pics!

 

[Micina]

Ok remember to come back and post pics!

Sure I will