New user with indecision problem

[Dreamearth]

Hello! This is my first post. I've been reading this forum for a few months and really appreciate the in-depth diamond knowledge of everyone here!
I'm looking at much smaller diamonds than most of what I've seen here (around .27 carat) but I'd still like to get a quality one.

My boyfriend and I have been talking about getting engaged for a while now, and finally made an appointment at Tiffany's in Philadelphia to see what rings they have this past Saturday. I am mostly interested in the Tiffany setting because of how old it is and Tiffany's contributions to the history of jewelry and other things in the US past. I'm very much into the history of stuff! I acknowledge their present reputation is not as good as it used to be though, and was ready for a limited selection of possibly less than ideal-cut stones.

I was happy to get "the experience" but it wasn't as in-depth as I'd hoped, maybe due to a bunch of odd reasons. We decided to put a fully refundable deposit on a .27 carat VS1 3X cut I color with faint fluorescence. They are shipping it here so we can see it in person. It was $1920, about $100-300 less than the other .27 carat rings they had on the short list they gave us. I assumed the reduced price was because of the fluorescence, which I actually was looking for!

Of course, after the deposit was placed, I checked the HCA chart and was disappointed to see it was listed as 3.5, very similar to the thread I was just reading here! https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-with-my-tiffany-ring-opinions-please.238068/ Of course that one was for a much bigger diamond.

Will an HCA rating of 3.5 matter on a small stone, or does it not matter that much at all? https://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/diamond-education/holloway-cut-advisor-hca.htm
Since the ring is only $1920 (not including tax) does it not really matter since a lot of the price is in the platinum setting which I wanted? (even though platinum prices are down the past few years they are still much more than gold bands, similar styles are about $800 to $1500)
Should I give up on the historical appeal of the authentic Tiffany setting and get a similar one from Whiteflash? I really like how they take great photos of the diamond and your finished ring.
Would it be worth it to bother more SAs at Tiffany's trying to chase down the perfect diamond? I was pretty direct about what I wanted, but the SA was more about recommending their limited selection.
Should I get a great priced and possibly better diamond on a used Tiffany setting off of eBay? (But odds are it won't come with the documentation or could be misrepresented)
Do you recommend buying a loupe to look at the diamond that's being shipped here? It would be good to know what kind of inclusions there are in this VS1 (would be nice if it was a cloud for personal reasons!), but I don't think Tiffany specifies that at all.

Phew! Thanks for reading. As you can see I'm super particular and my ideal would probably be very hard to find even on the top websites. It's most likely going to be the largest diamond I ever own unless I keep spending more time here. Haha! I'd appreciate any advice!

 

[Dreamearth]

And some numbers.... I guess in the meantime I can try to call and ask about the other SKUs here. I wish it had been easier to see all the stats of the available diamonds.

 

[TreeScientist]

Well, the first questions for you are:
1. Are you looking at the classic 6-prong knife-edge setting from Tiffany? and
2. Have you seen the knife edge setting with smaller diamonds?

The only reason I ask is because, IMO, diamonds much smaller than the .45-.5 carat range get swallowed up by the Tiffany setting, as the shank is rather thick at the top. Might want to look at a mounted stone in that setting first to see if you would like it.

The argument for/against Tiffany has been rehashed countless times on this site. It basically comes down to whether you as a buyer believe the Tiffany name is worth the premium.

Can you get a bigger, better cut stone for less money with an identical setting through the online vendors like Whiteflash?

Sure can.

Knowing this, is the Tiffany name still worth it to you on an emotional level?

Only you can answer that.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Should I give up on the historical appeal of the authentic Tiffany setting and get a similar one from Whiteflash? I really like how they take great photos of the diamond and your finished ring.

I would ..unless you "must have" the blue box..

Much better stone for less $$...$1463

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...-bkags-104097998037#!prettyPhoto[gallery2]/3/
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...-bkags-104097998038#!prettyPhoto[gallery2]/3/
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/six-prong-solitaire-platinum-5351p

 

[foxinsox]

You’re the only one who can quantify what the value of the Tiffany experience is in your overall decision.
However, I think that ideal light return is probably every bit as important in a smaller diamond as in a larger one. You want sparkle and fire and brilliance and those are all more dependent on cut than anything else. So I would go Whiteflash or another super ideal vendor in a heartbeat over Tiffany. I don’t have the cultural attachment to Tiffany as I’m not from the US so to my eyes, they’re a much much better version of a mall store.

 

[the_mother_thing]

So I would go Whiteflash or another super ideal vendor in a heartbeat over Tiffany.

Double Ditto - I would maximize every penny of my budget (whether it’s $2k or $20k) to get the best/most tangible return for my money - what my eyes see (diamond cut/performance & size) vs what they don’t (engraved hallmark on the inside of the shank).

 

[OoohShiny]

Getting a SuperIdeal diamond will mean it is bright from edge to edge, which will mean it looks bigger and 'punches above its weight'.

My other half's 0.67ct CBI looks really quite substantial in some lights - even in a softly-lit room with no point-source lighting, it looks white across the whole stone!

 

[Lorelei]

Everyone makes excellent points.

That's the thing, most cars will get you from A to B just fine but some do prefer Range Rovers or Mercedes as examples and they'd rather have an entry level model into the brand than perhaps a more powerful or bigger vehicle of a different brand, that's what makes them happy.

Only you can answer if knowing you are wearing the classic Tiffany is worth it to you, to some it is and there's nothing wrong with that as long as you're aware you might need to sort through their stones to find the best performers as you've discovered, or that you could get a bigger diamond elsewhere.

It's about what makes your experience the most special and that experience will be with you every day each time you look at your finger.

 

[SimoneDi]

I agree with the others that you are the only one who can put a value the Tiffany brand. There are multiple pre-loved pieces that do come with the paperwork, original boxes, etc. but it would be up to you if you are alright with purchasing a pre-loved. I would prersonally prefer to invest the majority of your budget in a diamond and get a simple solitaire setting which you can then upgrade over time. I would probably pick something like this:https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3876824.htm
And set it in a simple setting like this one: https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...ni-1rz7295-solitaire-engagement-ring-4031.htm
Or this one: https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...ffany-style-solitaire-engagement-ring-582.htm
Replica Tiffany settings do exist, but they also are more expensive, so I would currently maximize your budget toward the diamond and later down the road look into possibly changing the setting and/or even upgrading the diamond.

I also love the Tiffany brand and many of the jewels they create, but I mostly love their bands. I think that as a compromise you can possibly just get your wedding band from T&Co and that way you will still have a piece of tiffany without compromising on your engagement ring.

 

[skypie]

Others have hit the nail on the head. For some the "Tiffany brand" is worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

For others, it is all about how the diamond actually looks and performs. My personal preference is to pay for performance and size you can see. I suppose the value of being able to say "it's a Tiffany" isn't worth that much to me, but for some it is the most important quality.

I would suggest doing a blind comparison of a Tiffany stone and a non-Tiffany stone from one of the superideal vendors preferred by PS and see which diamond you prefer.

Again, this all assumes that you want to find the best looking and performing diamond. If that is secondary to the brand, then you can ignore my suggestions!

EDIT: I did a quick search on WhiteFlash and for around $2000 you could get a diamond that's 0.8 carats! Not sure if you wanted to go bigger than 0.27 but for most, bigger is better!

 

[OoohShiny]

0.8ct vs 0.27ct and a pretty box and a stamping that no-one will see day-to-day?

Surely that's no contest!!

 

[farrahlyn]

@TreeScientist makes a good point on the size of the stone. THe setting is going to swallow up a stone that size. I think .5ct is the smallest i would go with that particular setting.

@SimoneDi suggestion of getting a tiffany band instead is a great idea imo. Great compromise by getting a larger stone but still having something with that tiffany band.

 

[Golden_bird]

Hello! This is my first post. I've been reading this forum for a few months and really appreciate the in-depth diamond knowledge of everyone here!
I'm looking at much smaller diamonds than most of what I've seen here (around .27 carat) but I'd still like to get a quality one.

My boyfriend and I have been talking about getting engaged for a while now, and finally made an appointment at Tiffany's in Philadelphia to see what rings they have this past Saturday. I am mostly interested in the Tiffany setting because of how old it is and Tiffany's contributions to the history of jewelry and other things in the US past. I'm very much into the history of stuff! I acknowledge their present reputation is not as good as it used to be though, and was ready for a limited selection of possibly less than ideal-cut stones.

I was happy to get "the experience" but it wasn't as in-depth as I'd hoped, maybe due to a bunch of odd reasons. We decided to put a fully refundable deposit on a .27 carat VS1 3X cut I color with faint fluorescence. They are shipping it here so we can see it in person. It was $1920, about $100-300 less than the other .27 carat rings they had on the short list they gave us. I assumed the reduced price was because of the fluorescence, which I actually was looking for!

Of course, after the deposit was placed, I checked the HCA chart and was disappointed to see it was listed as 3.5, very similar to the thread I was just reading here! https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-with-my-tiffany-ring-opinions-please.238068/ Of course that one was for a much bigger diamond.

Will an HCA rating of 3.5 matter on a small stone, or does it not matter that much at all? https://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/diamond-education/holloway-cut-advisor-hca.htm
Since the ring is only $1920 (not including tax) does it not really matter since a lot of the price is in the platinum setting which I wanted? (even though platinum prices are down the past few years they are still much more than gold bands, similar styles are about $800 to $1500)
Should I give up on the historical appeal of the authentic Tiffany setting and get a similar one from Whiteflash? I really like how they take great photos of the diamond and your finished ring.
Would it be worth it to bother more SAs at Tiffany's trying to chase down the perfect diamond? I was pretty direct about what I wanted, but the SA was more about recommending their limited selection.
Should I get a great priced and possibly better diamond on a used Tiffany setting off of eBay? (But odds are it won't come with the documentation or could be misrepresented)
Do you recommend buying a loupe to look at the diamond that's being shipped here? It would be good to know what kind of inclusions there are in this VS1 (would be nice if it was a cloud for personal reasons!), but I don't think Tiffany specifies that at all.

Phew! Thanks for reading. As you can see I'm super particular and my ideal would probably be very hard to find even on the top websites. It's most likely going to be the largest diamond I ever own unless I keep spending more time here. Haha! I'd appreciate any advice!

Please ! But the stone with excellent cut from well recommended vendors !you will be much much more happier !o.27 is def beautiful size ,but in 6 prongs ,it will be so tiny ! Get yourself a wedding band /or necklace /or any signature piece as wedding present ! Or one of those diamonds by yard necklaces ! They look very cute with small stones !!

 

[Dreamearth]

Wow! Thanks for so many replies! It's exciting because no one else knows about the future engagement yet! Yes, I know it's been gone over and over on the boards: Tiffany vs. better value, etc. but it helps to hear about it in my situation too. I've thought about getting the wedding band from Tiffany instead, but it's the e-ring setting that's so famous. Are there any other branded settings that have a long history like that?

2. Have you seen the knife edge setting with smaller diamonds?

I did try on a few smaller rings they had in store: one that was .28 and even a .18 carat on the Tiffany setting, and I thought it was fine! Arg, I wish I had taken a picture of me wearing one. I thought the setting sized down ok, and the similar settings sold online are usually shown with bigger diamonds too so it might not size down as well.

It's encouraging to know we could afford a bigger diamond through White Flash or Brian Gavin, but I'm pretty happy with the smaller size! I'm strange, I know. I've heard of this diamond shrinkage thing, and also people generally say they wish they had gotten a bigger one. But what about fear of it looking too big? The setting already sticks out a lot, so I'm afraid of the diamond taking over my hand or looking inappropriate because I'm not very glamorous. (I have long fingers, not too thin around 5.75 size, but not meaty. )

I think that ideal light return is probably every bit as important in a smaller diamond as in a larger one.

The truth hurts but I have to admit you're right! Even though it's a triple ex, the 3.5 on the HCA scale would be hard to live happily with. I would hope my e-ring would look white and sparkly even in a dim room.

you might need to sort through their stones to find the best performers as you've discovered

I will do this before going in again to decide what to do with the ring we have on hold. Ultimately I had hoped to look at lots of different rings the first time, but just wasn't pushy enough.

later down the road look into possibly changing the setting

That's a really interesting idea! I just saw WhiteFlash does setting of stones on a customer's band also for $100. Hmmm!

I will enjoy looking at all the diamonds and settings you all linked while I ignore the mail from Tiffany's that the ring arrived today and when can I come in again.

 

[rockysalamander]

Just one more note. Not to disparage Tiffany, but they are not what they once were. There was a time when they did have the best diamonds (ok...as good as Harry Winston and Cartier) and gorgeous settings. They were innovative and pushing the industry. They treated their customers with a unique care unlike some other stones. But, I have not had such great impressions of them in the recent decade. Their diamonds are no longer the best, they hire sales people and not diamond experts, and the setting of their stones is no longer always flawless. They no longer treat customers with the same level of respect...more of haughty "we are so much better than them". I think they are one of the many brands that trade on nostalgia for what they used to be, not what they are. To me, if they can't offer better diamonds, better service or better settings...I'm not sure what you are paying a premium for...

 

[MissGotRocks]

For many, there is something really special about the allure of a Tiffany diamond ring. However, I have to agree with RockySalamander above. Their diamonds are not the best in terms of cut or performance. I would rather have a super ideal cut stone roughly twice the size of stone that you are considering. You can set it in a six prong setting and while it won't be identical to a Tiffany setting, it will be close. A .50 carat diamond will not be too big on a 5.75 finger - in fact, once you get used to wearing a ring, I think you'd love it! I do have a Tiffany wedding band and I love it but other than the romanticism sometimes associated with Tiffany diamond engagement rings, they would not be my first choice. I used to think that if I won the lottery I'd still go there and buy a diamond but I know better now - even with money to burn, I'd invest my money in better cut stones.

 

[Dreamearth]

they are not what they once were

I agree, sadly! But I'm also one of those people that lives in the past I guess, and for a company that's over 100 yrs old with a good reputation during that time I hope the past decade or so wouldn't tarnish that. Unless there was a big coverup or misunderstanding, the past can't be changed. Tiffany contributed to a lot of improvements in things, supplied the union army, created the designs for things still in use today including the Tiffany setting. So I don't mind paying a premium to have a piece of that history. It is a shame when your options nowadays are topping it off with a dubious stone though. I do have other Tiffany stuff already, just a few silver pieces which I enjoy. Finding an old one would be the ultimate! I always get tingles watching the antiques roadshow and someone brings in their estate sale piece that turns out to be Tiffany or some other significant maker. Is there any dirt on Tiffany's past really? It might make it easier to jump ship on my original e-ring idea if there was something I didn't know about.

 

[HappyNewLife]

it sounds to me like you want the T&C ring that you have your heart on, so I would try to round up a diamond with a better HCA score (better angles, more importantly). Win-win!

 

[SimoneDi]

Here is a pre-loved larger solitaire + band with receipts and all: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/292505862786
You can also make an offer.

Here is another one: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/173217026967

 

[Tophat1]

Check out therealreal.com

There are TONS of low carat weight Tiffany engagement rings, usually under $1000

 

[GearGirly]

OP, I would buy a beautiful stone from Whiteflash with the setting you like and then if you do want to upgrade over time it will be easy. But if you want Tiffany go for it. My first ring is Tiffany, although back then it wasn’t a premium. I don’t love it and it’s sits in a box because the stone is not as pretty as my other stones. I’m saving it for my kids!

 

[mk206]

OP, just wanted to write that I was like you at one point! The allure of the history and the original Tiffany setting had me hooked for a long time. Before discovering PS I even truly believed that Tiffany had the best diamonds available. I figured the price premium was for not only the name, but also for having "perfect" diamonds in the "perfect" handcrafted setting. However, it didn't take long after finding PS to find that is is sadly not the case. As others have pointed out above, the company is just not quite what it once was, yet the price premium is extreme these days. They have not "kept up" with the superideal cutting standards of the PS-recommended vendors, and it is so difficult to get information from them. It is a pain in the rear to get all of the angles and measurements for a large number of stones to compare, and it feels like an inconvenience/annoyance to the sales professional that is doing the work. They aren't trained in the angles and proportions and HCA, they are trained in selling you on the Tiffany story. Therefore, from my experience, they don't understand why someone would really need those numbers and angles from the report, since they think all Tiffany diamonds are cut to perfect proportions.

Realizing that I would be paying a *significant* premium for the Tiffany box and name and while receiving a less-than-ideal diamond, I decided Tiffany was not for me with the engagement ring purchase. This made my fiancé-to-be a whole lot happier, since now he can find a considerably bigger, whiter, brighter, super-ideal cut stone from one of the amazing PS vendors for equal or less money. Now, I understand this might not be the same conclusion you make! I just wanted to share my experience because I started this journey in a very similar place as you!

If Tiffany is where your heart is, please take the time to find a stone that has the best performance you can find in their inventory! PS experts can help with that part when you have numbers to compare. There was a thread a while back of someone who bought an idealscope and brought it into Tiffany to find the best/closest thing to a super-ideal hearts and arrows cut diamond. I'd also recommend trying on a few different sizes of stones to find out what you're comfortable with and what you prefer on your hand. I'd hate for the Tiffany name and story to wear off after a couple years, and then realize you wish you had gotten something bigger or better for the money. IF you decide on the alternate route, there are some good Tiffany solitaire replicas out there, some which you can customize to make as close to the real thing as possible. These are fairly expensive though, so I'd suggest going with what others have recommended: a larger stone, less expensive but similar 6-prong setting, and options to upgrade one or both down the line!

Best of luck to you with the search!!! Only you can decide what is most important to you.

 

[Dreamearth]

I was just chatting with Whiteflash about their service to reset one of their diamonds with a customer-owned setting. It seems they would be able to do it, but the setting might only be upsizable by about .10ct. Maybe buying a used Tiffany setting with a diamond about the right size off eBay (or the RealReal! Thanks for that suggestion!) and then having an ideal diamond set in it would still be doable in our budget. We'd end up with the loose Tiffany diamond, and I'm not sure what Whiteflash would do about the engraved old carat weight and serial number in the ring setting. There's a cute setting on eBay for only a .16ct (which isn't large enough to have its info engraved) but the setting might be too small to fit around a .30+ct. The "A Cut Above" diamonds never have fluorescence though, right?
But anyway that's an interesting solution.
We're going to check out the ring we have a deposit on Friday and before that, I'll be near another store Thursday so maybe I'll check on other rings from there.

Thanks again for all the help and advice!

 

[rockysalamander]

If history is important to you...why not buy an antique diamond? At the time of that history you so admire, the diamonds would have been old european cut, antique cushion and maybe some transitional diamonds. Not the modern cuts you are looking at. If you find an antique you love, it would be buying something from that moment in history. Antique diamonds were hand-cut and each one is unique as a result. Modern round diamonds were not in the market until the 1940s.

Tiffany was founded in 1837 and was bought and resold in 1976 and 1984. The only supply I'm aware of in the Civil War from Tiffany was to create commemorative swords and medals for high ranking officers (sabers they created are still quite valuable). The company has not been under the founders Lewis and Young since 1976. That company you admire is not the company you see today. There is lots of dirt on diamond sellers from this time period. Diamonds were discovered in Kimberly African in 1866 (previously diamonds were only known from India and Brazil). African communities around the early diamond mines exploited to benefit the american and European miners. No economic benefits flowed into the local communities, rather their land was stolen and polluted. The demand for diamonds and the attempts of the colonial government to control them, was what drove the Civil War in Sierra Leon (infamously shown in the movie "Blood Diamonds"). Tiffany, like other jewelers, have a much dirtier history if you look at the exploitation and environmental harm from gold extraction. Modern TIffany has been the target of many accusations of sexism and racism from management toward their workforce. To their credit, Tiffany was a vocal opponent of "blood diamonds" although by that point they had vertically integrated their supply and would not, themselves, be economically affected by the boycotting of those diamonds.

These vendors have very nice videos showing old cuts in all their beauty. I know these are bigger than you wanted, but I'm posting to show you what an old cut looks like (floral, chunky and rainbow flashes).
Old European Cut (Round) - https://www.jewelsbygrace.com/62ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-i-vs2
{click on the video tab}

https://loveaffairdiamonds.smugmug....ld-European-Cut-Diamond---Est-IJ-I1/i-Kbv7ngh {video link is near the bottom of the text on the right}

Antique Cushion Cut - http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/0-80ct-antique-cushion-cut-diamond-est-j-k-i1/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GIA-CERTIF...CELLENT-OEC-/152968115787?hash=item239d9c364b {closer to your size goal, such a pretty stone. You can ask for a video}

 

[Lorelei]

If history is important to you...why not buy an antique diamond? At the time of that history you so admire, the diamonds would have been old european cut, antique cushion and maybe some transitional diamonds. Not the modern cuts you are looking at. If you find an antique you love, it would be buying something from that moment in history. Antique diamonds were hand-cut and each one is unique as a result. Modern round diamonds were not in the market until the 1940s.

Tiffany was founded in 1837 and was bought and resold in 1976 and 1984. The only supply I'm aware of in the Civil War from Tiffany was to create commemorative swords and medals for high ranking officers (sabers they created are still quite valuable). The company has not been under the founders Lewis and Young since 1976. That company you admire is not the company you see today. There is lots of dirt on diamond sellers from this time period. Diamonds were discovered in Kimberly African in 1866 (previously diamonds were only known from India and Brazil). African communities around the early diamond mines exploited to benefit the american and European miners. No economic benefits flowed into the local communities, rather their land was stolen and polluted. The demand for diamonds and the attempts of the colonial government to control them, was what drove the Civil War in Sierra Leon (infamously shown in the movie "Blood Diamonds"). Tiffany, like other jewelers, have a much dirtier history if you look at the exploitation and environmental harm from gold extraction. Modern TIffany has been the target of many accusations of sexism and racism from management toward their workforce. To their credit, Tiffany was a vocal opponent of "blood diamonds" although by that point they had vertically integrated their supply and would not, themselves, be economically affected by the boycotting of those diamonds.

These vendors have very nice videos showing old cuts in all their beauty. I know these are bigger than you wanted, but I'm posting to show you what an old cut looks like (floral, chunky and rainbow flashes).
Old European Cut (Round) - https://www.jewelsbygrace.com/62ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-i-vs2
{click on the video tab}

https://loveaffairdiamonds.smugmug....ld-European-Cut-Diamond---Est-IJ-I1/i-Kbv7ngh {video link is near the bottom of the text on the right}

Antique Cushion Cut - http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/0-80ct-antique-cushion-cut-diamond-est-j-k-i1/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GIA-CERTIF...CELLENT-OEC-/152968115787?hash=item239d9c364b {closer to your size goal, such a pretty stone. You can ask for a video}

Nice post my Fairy!

 

[tyty333]

Ask WF if they can buff the carat weigh engraving off the inside of the ring.

 

[TreeScientist]

If history is important to you...why not buy an antique diamond? At the time of that history you so admire, the diamonds would have been old european cut, antique cushion and maybe some transitional diamonds. Not the modern cuts you are looking at. If you find an antique you love, it would be buying something from that moment in history. Antique diamonds were hand-cut and each one is unique as a result. Modern round diamonds were not in the market until the 1940s.

Tiffany was founded in 1837 and was bought and resold in 1976 and 1984. The only supply I'm aware of in the Civil War from Tiffany was to create commemorative swords and medals for high ranking officers (sabers they created are still quite valuable). The company has not been under the founders Lewis and Young since 1976. That company you admire is not the company you see today. There is lots of dirt on diamond sellers from this time period. Diamonds were discovered in Kimberly African in 1866 (previously diamonds were only known from India and Brazil). African communities around the early diamond mines exploited to benefit the american and European miners. No economic benefits flowed into the local communities, rather their land was stolen and polluted. The demand for diamonds and the attempts of the colonial government to control them, was what drove the Civil War in Sierra Leon (infamously shown in the movie "Blood Diamonds"). Tiffany, like other jewelers, have a much dirtier history if you look at the exploitation and environmental harm from gold extraction. Modern TIffany has been the target of many accusations of sexism and racism from management toward their workforce. To their credit, Tiffany was a vocal opponent of "blood diamonds" although by that point they had vertically integrated their supply and would not, themselves, be economically affected by the boycotting of those diamonds.

These vendors have very nice videos showing old cuts in all their beauty. I know these are bigger than you wanted, but I'm posting to show you what an old cut looks like (floral, chunky and rainbow flashes).
Old European Cut (Round) - https://www.jewelsbygrace.com/62ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-i-vs2
{click on the video tab}

https://loveaffairdiamonds.smugmug....ld-European-Cut-Diamond---Est-IJ-I1/i-Kbv7ngh {video link is near the bottom of the text on the right}

Antique Cushion Cut - http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/0-80ct-antique-cushion-cut-diamond-est-j-k-i1/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GIA-CERTIF...CELLENT-OEC-/152968115787?hash=item239d9c364b {closer to your size goal, such a pretty stone. You can ask for a video}

I love the last diamond posted by @rockysalamander (the .44 I/VS1 OEC). I agree with her in that, if you really are looking for a diamond with history behind it, buying an old diamond (that ACTUALLY has a history behind it) is the way to go. The Tiffany as we know it today is really only a few decades old, and during that time they have largely rested on their laurels.

Setting the diamond posted above in one of the Tiffany replicas like the Vache U-113 would make for a beautiful engagement ring that would cost much less that a .25 carat from Tiffany and would have much more uniqueness and character.

 

[Lorelei]

So, how are you feeling about things now OP, now you've visited the store and seen what else you can get for the money, also considering the various opinions given and options?

Will it still be the blue box....?

Great thread chaps, very useful for those thinking of buying from Tiffany.

 

[MarionC]

Like another poster I too at one time was mesmerized by Tiffany. Now I see it as hype. In fact, at one point I was so in love with Tiffany that I wanted to buy stock in their company but my financial advisor said not to, as the company is not doing well.
I love their sterling but would never buy a diamond there. I would not go as far as to say they are second rate, but they are definitely not the best.

 

[ringo865]

You already said you went in and "had the Tiffany experience" and that it was meh.

So buy a spectacular (larger) ACA or CBI diamond in a Tiffanyesque setting and have the amazing whiteflash of HPD experience and then buy a blue box off eBay.