sparklemotion
Rough_Rock
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2004
- Messages
- 9
Hello everyone,
This is my first "official" post, although i''ve been reading for quite some time. I think that i''ve learned a lot about diamonds over the last 3 or 4 months, and feel fairly educated having been to several jewelers here in New York City (Tiffany''s, Michael C. Fina, Mimi So, Harry Winston, Piaget, Cartier, etc)...You get the picture. I''ve looked around a lot!
My girlfriend is in love with Niwaka, a small couture Japanese jeweler that has a boutique in Soho here in the city. This is the only store of theirs in America, so they are quite exclusive. All of their other stores are in Japan. I know that some have posted items relating to Niwaka on this forum, and I, too tend to be fairly confused about their markup on diamonds. While their jewelry is gorgeous and immaculate in design, aesthetic and quality, their diamonds are extremely expensive. For example, a .52 ct round brilliant D VVS2 EX/VG goes for about $7200. A 1.0 ct RB F VS1 EX/EX is around $12000. Their diamonds are gorgeous, but they only offer a GIA report with them, and when I mentioned (to the very nice lady there) if whether or not they offered any other grading reports (ex AGS, Sarin, etc), I got a blank stare. She truly did not know exactly what I was talking about. While I do not fault her for their overpricing, or lack of other grading reports, i''m trying to justify what exactly is the allure to paying these type of prices.
There is so much data out there for grading diamonds now. Niwaka has "H&A" diamonds...they are beautiful, but after being bombarded with all the information i''ve learned, i''m wondering whether it''s simply a matter of putting your trust in the hands of a name and letting the intangibles be. People buy Tiffany''s, not just for the blue box, but for the support - the "knowing" that you bought into legendary quality and that you are becoming apart of that tradition. These are things i''m wondering about. When someone buys something at such incredible markup, is that what you really are paying for in the end? Just so you have the ability to say "yes, I bought a diamond from X or Y," for piece of mind? Obviously, for high-rollers, price is not a concern. There does seem to be a fine line, however, for feeling somehow that you are getting the short end of the stick in the end.
Some have suggested to buy the diamond of choice, then take it in to the store. You have to pay a "custom" charge of $1500-2000 to do so. Seems one way or another they are going to get the markup. Having someone else "custom" make the piece just doesn''t seem to feel right, either. It''s truly a one of a kind setting, and I would always feel as if I bought second best. I know for some this would not be a difficult choice to make.
So i''m wondering how you all feel about setting aside all the figures and data to go with the company''s setting and diamond (Tiffany, Niwaka, Cartier, etc)? You have to agree that their is something about getting a piece from a well respected jeweler, even when the diamond specs are a little out of your control. I have to admit, i''ve never seen a bad Tiffany diamond, regardless of how much I know about grading, etc. Are "firescopes," and "brillant scopes" etc a bit overrated? Is there such a thing as being "too" educated about something like diamonds? Isn''t it the human eye in the end that matters most, not mathematical figures? I know my lady will care less about this...i''m starting to wonder.
Can you sense my confustion/frustration!
This is my first "official" post, although i''ve been reading for quite some time. I think that i''ve learned a lot about diamonds over the last 3 or 4 months, and feel fairly educated having been to several jewelers here in New York City (Tiffany''s, Michael C. Fina, Mimi So, Harry Winston, Piaget, Cartier, etc)...You get the picture. I''ve looked around a lot!
My girlfriend is in love with Niwaka, a small couture Japanese jeweler that has a boutique in Soho here in the city. This is the only store of theirs in America, so they are quite exclusive. All of their other stores are in Japan. I know that some have posted items relating to Niwaka on this forum, and I, too tend to be fairly confused about their markup on diamonds. While their jewelry is gorgeous and immaculate in design, aesthetic and quality, their diamonds are extremely expensive. For example, a .52 ct round brilliant D VVS2 EX/VG goes for about $7200. A 1.0 ct RB F VS1 EX/EX is around $12000. Their diamonds are gorgeous, but they only offer a GIA report with them, and when I mentioned (to the very nice lady there) if whether or not they offered any other grading reports (ex AGS, Sarin, etc), I got a blank stare. She truly did not know exactly what I was talking about. While I do not fault her for their overpricing, or lack of other grading reports, i''m trying to justify what exactly is the allure to paying these type of prices.
There is so much data out there for grading diamonds now. Niwaka has "H&A" diamonds...they are beautiful, but after being bombarded with all the information i''ve learned, i''m wondering whether it''s simply a matter of putting your trust in the hands of a name and letting the intangibles be. People buy Tiffany''s, not just for the blue box, but for the support - the "knowing" that you bought into legendary quality and that you are becoming apart of that tradition. These are things i''m wondering about. When someone buys something at such incredible markup, is that what you really are paying for in the end? Just so you have the ability to say "yes, I bought a diamond from X or Y," for piece of mind? Obviously, for high-rollers, price is not a concern. There does seem to be a fine line, however, for feeling somehow that you are getting the short end of the stick in the end.
Some have suggested to buy the diamond of choice, then take it in to the store. You have to pay a "custom" charge of $1500-2000 to do so. Seems one way or another they are going to get the markup. Having someone else "custom" make the piece just doesn''t seem to feel right, either. It''s truly a one of a kind setting, and I would always feel as if I bought second best. I know for some this would not be a difficult choice to make.
So i''m wondering how you all feel about setting aside all the figures and data to go with the company''s setting and diamond (Tiffany, Niwaka, Cartier, etc)? You have to agree that their is something about getting a piece from a well respected jeweler, even when the diamond specs are a little out of your control. I have to admit, i''ve never seen a bad Tiffany diamond, regardless of how much I know about grading, etc. Are "firescopes," and "brillant scopes" etc a bit overrated? Is there such a thing as being "too" educated about something like diamonds? Isn''t it the human eye in the end that matters most, not mathematical figures? I know my lady will care less about this...i''m starting to wonder.
Can you sense my confustion/frustration!
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