New Guy Here, Buying Soon

[mtangorre]

Hello everyone.

I have been researching diamons and settings for months now, in hopes at finding a variety of diamond and setting options to choose from for my soon to be fiance (I hope!).

She absolutely loves the classic Tiffany engagement ring and we have seen them in NYC and here in Chevy Chase, MD. I think they look fantastic and the quality seems great, etc etc etc. BUT I wanted to educate myself so I set out on a diamond research expedition.

I looked in malls, kiosks, private salesman, distributors, and online. BlueNile.com is now the #1 competition against the Tiffany ring for me. My GF does not own nor care to own a lot of jewelry; she is a simple woman with simple tastes EXCEPT with the engagement ring. She has always loved and wanted the Tiffany ring. We have talked about how a better diamond can be had for a lesser value and a comparable if not better setting could be had as well. However, she is set on it, so I am going tomorrow to take on last gander at it before I make a decision.

She would be happy with anything I got her, but this would really make her happy.

All that being said I wish she was not set on Tiffany so I could get her more quality for the money (~$5K) but if she is getting what she loves (and I like it too even though I know better quality can be had as well as a larger stone for the same money) would you make the purchase? I look at it as giving her the one piece of jewelry she has always loved and wanted. She is not concerned with stone size or how many people are going to ask if it is from Tiffany, it is simply a piece of jewelry she loves and has not been able to find in all the places we looked... and we looked all over the east coast!!!

What does everyone think? Please be kind, I know all about the other Tiffany threads etc.. and do not want this one to turn into a Tiffany v non-Tiffany thread.

Mike

 

[sumi]

If she REALLY wants a Tiffany and that is all that is going to make her happy, then I say go for it! After all, she is the one who is going to wear it, she might as well get something that she'll love (especially if her e-ring will be her only piece of jewelery).

When she talks about wanting a Tiffany ring, does it sounds as if ONLY a Tiffany will do? In other words, do you think she would be just as happy with a non-Tiffany ring, even though she says she wants a Tiffany now? Before I got engaged, I used to tell my husband all the time that I wanted a Tiffany ring. However, I said that not knowing how much more expensive a Tiffany ring is and also not knowing that you can get a same quality or even better diamond for less cost elsewhere. After I got my ring and my husband gave me a basic education on diamonds (he really did his research) I realized that I got an amazing ring that he might not have been able to get from Tiffany. Instantly, I didn't care that my ring wasn't a Tiffany. In fact, I was SO GRATEFUL that he didn't listen to me and went with his gut instinct. For the type of ring that I wanted, he would have spent so much more money at Tiffany. I think this especially applies to a solitaire, where the focus is on the stone and not the design of the setting.

I'm not trying to sway you either way. Just wanted to give you a little something to think about as you make your decision. Either way, I am sure your future fiancee will be thrilled. Keep us posted!

 

[fire&ice]

Yipppeeeeee! It's Friday - another rowe at Tiffany's time.

I'm kidding. As long as she understands that she can get *much* more for her money & still wants the Tiffany name in the band, then go for it. But, make sure she knows the sacrifice or premium - it's significant & wouldn't want her to think just a few hundred.

Good luck & let us know what happens!

 

[mtangorre]

Thanks Sumi for your reply.

At first my gut said she would be happy either way (and she will be) but what I wanted to keep in mind was that this was the one special piece of jewelry that would mean so much to her and If I could provide that to her then go for it. Then the business man in me kicked in and said, get the most bang for your buck; what I am realizing is that the bang is not measured in carats or color but rather the smile on her face when she sees the ring, that alone will be worth the weight in gold, or platinum rather

I guess since stone size is not important to her I will get her the ring that she always wanted and probably be glad that I did, even despite all the facts we both know about diamonds from Tiffany's versus not.

Luckily for me, I am waiting another week or so to make a decision and I have enlisted the help of her sister to do a little "recon" for me as she is visiting this weekend and due to arrive this evening. We are going to get breakfast in the AM and head over to Tiffany when they open... plus her and her sister are identical in size so I can see how different rings will look. We are also going to a few other local places just to gander.

I will keep you posted though! Thanks again.

Mike

 

[aljdewey]

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On 3/5/2004 7:53:00 PM mtangorre wrote:

She has always loved and wanted the Tiffany ring. We have talked about how a better diamond can be had for a lesser value and a comparable if not better setting could be had as well. However, she is set on it,

She would be happy with anything I got her, but this would really make her happy.

All that being said I wish she was not set on Tiffany so I could get her more quality for the money (~$5K) but if she is getting what she loves (and I like it too even though I know better quality can be had as well as a larger stone for the same money) would you make the purchase? I look at it as giving her the one piece of jewelry she has always loved and wanted. She is not concerned with stone size or how many people are going to ask if it is from Tiffany, it is simply a piece of jewelry she loves and has not been able to find in all the places we looked... and we looked all over the east coast!!!

----------------

You said it yourself........she knows that she could get more, but more isn't important to her. She has always wanted that....the Tiffany.....and she is willing to give up other things (size, etc) to have it.

I think you should ABSOLUTELY get the Tiffany. You look at it *absolutely* the right way.....it is giving her the one piece of jewelry she has *always* loved and wanted.

You've clearly put a lot of thought into it. Now do what you KNOW is the right thing. Get her the ring of her dreams. You won't regret it.

And don't fret about what you *could have* gotten for more value.....it wouldn't mean the same thing to her. Getting the ring of her dreams is priceless.

Good luck!

 

[icelady]

Yup, it's Friday on PS! (Instead of breakfast at Tiffany's!

) Sorry, I couldn't resist.

I couldn't agree more with the other posts. If this is something she has
always wanted, and you have discussed other options, and both of you are really OK with this, than by all means, you should get a Tiffany for her. No question about it!

Only requirement is that you have to post pics when you get it!!

 

[sumi]

Yes! Please post pictures!

 

[Griffin]

Hey, if she is informed about what else is available for the price, and still wants Tiffany's, more power to her. Nothing wrong with that, as long as she knows the score.

Can anybody tell me if Tiffany's sells just mountings? I'm guessing they would be stupid to, but you never know. It would solve a lot of objections if you could skip thier diamond prices.

Also, do they sell other than diamonds in thier rings? This could also solve the same objections a different way.

I once had a customer who really wanted a mount from another "name" store who ordered it with a Chatham Sapphire instead of a diamond since they wouldn't sell empty mounts. He bought the exact cut of diamond he wanted from another source, then had us set the diamond. He had the "name", a better cut stone, and saved a massive bundle to boot. He tipped us the Chatham, too.

 

[baltneu]

Mike
I too looked at Tiffany's and was almost ready to fork it over, but, I used this site and other info to get educated, many people on this site have bought from other than Tiffany's. Don't get me wrong, their stuff is very nice and I almost took the plunge, but if you educate yourself and buy from a reputable dealer, you will get a bigger rock for you money, and anyway the pale blue box will be put in the drawer or thrown away over time, it is the ring her finger that will prevail. Best of luck either way. Bill

 

[aljdewey]

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On 3/6/2004 8:17:24 AM baltneu wrote:





Mike
I too looked at Tiffany's and was almost ready to fork it over, but, I used this site and other info to get educated, many people on this site have bought from other than Tiffany's. Don't get me wrong, their stuff is very nice and I almost took the plunge, but if you educate yourself and buy from a reputable dealer, you will get a bigger rock for you money, and anyway the pale blue box will be put in the drawer or thrown away over time, it is the ring her finger that will prevail. Best of luck either way. Bill
----------------

From what Mike wrote above, it sounds as though he's already educated and knows that he can get a bigger rock........but that's not what she wants.

SHE knows she can get a bigger rock of equal quality......but that's not what she wants. She wants Tiffany.

From what he said, it's about more than the "blue box" to her.....it's her dream ring. Not everyone wants the bigger rock.

 

[drdeano]

Get this:




http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2695517613&category=11707




And buy a ring from a PS vendor (MUCH more bang for the buck)




Present the ring in that box and after she's done crying and says yes...admit you deceived her and thank her for not judging a book by its cover. If she throws the ring back at you, OUCH. If she hugs you, then you KNOW you have a woman who will stick with you forever.

Just kidding around.. I bought a box online for the ring I purchased (a cherry wood box) and when I was searching I saw those Tiffany boxes and got a laugh out of the possibility. I'm sure there are guys who HAVE done it! LOL




DrD

 

[baltneu]

 

[phoenixgirl]

Yes, if she wants Tiffany's, I say go for it.

Perhaps you can get a bigger stone by dropping color/clarity a bit like H/I VS2/SI1 (I think Tiffany's carries SI stones, right?).

If you do reconsider, I think that Dirt Cheap Diamonds, a PriceScope vendor, is in the DC area.

Keep in mind that a diamond's value has a lot more to do with societal value than intrinsic value. Just because you can get basically the same diamond and setting elsewhere for less doesn't mean that there isn't value in the Tiffany's name. If that's what your sweetie wants more than size, then go for it! And show us pictures when you get it!

 

[sumi]

Tiffany only carries diamonds of vs2 or higher.

 

[Rhino]

Good for you Mike. Just something to keep in mind. As the previous poster mentions the lowest clarity they sell is VS2 and the lowest color is "I". While the proportions are generally screened by Tiffany buyers (nice numbers I might add) you will find varying grades on polish/symmetry. Not all Tiffany stones are triple ideals so if they are pricing a VG/VG the same as an Ex/Ex you may want to ask to look at only Ex/Ex grades if the same money is being charged for either. You may also want to pick up an IdealScope from Gary because there may be some in their inventory that have better optical symmetry than others and you would be able to see this through Gary's viewer or even an H&A viewer for that matter. Even though you've decided to purchase through Tiffany doesn't mean it has to be a blind purchase regarding these aspects of polish/symmetry and 3d or optical symmetry. We'd all be interested to hear what you find if you do indeed take these precautionary steps.




Peace,

 

[glitterata]

Have you seen some of the really good imitations of the tiffany mounting? Most "tiffany style" mountings look nothing like the real thing, but there are a couple of place that make good imitations. One is Superbcert; I forget the other, but people on this board have bought them and said they were really happy--I even remember a story about one of them that fooled Tiffany, who offered to polish the ring when they went into the store with it.

If it's the Tiffany *look* she's going for, that might be a solution. But if it's the Tiffany name, you should just buy it from Tiffany.

 

[hoorray]

A ring is more than just the 4c's. If being from Tiffany's is important to her, than it becomes an important piece ofthe puzzle. It sounds as if you are pretty sure that it is the "from Tiffany's" that is important to her, so I think that's what you should get her. (It's not Friday, so I can't get into the Tiffany's debate

), but to some people it has value that should be factored into the whole decision. Since it has value to her, it's not necessarily that you are getting less if she puts value in the Tiffany's brand. You are just making tradeoffs.

 

[sluke]

If she wants a Tiffany, get her a Tiffany. Otherwise, it will bother her everytime someone compliments her ring or everytime she looks at it. SHe may say its okay, but what starts out as "it's okay" will start eating at her later.