Opinions on this Tiffany e-bay find?

[pinkie621]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tiffany-and-Co-Solitaire-Diamond-Engagement-Ring-1CT_W0QQitemZ270099447794QQcategoryZ67726QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

is this a decent buy?

 

[belle]

Date: 3/14/2007 9:41:01 AM
Author:pinkie621
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tiffany-and-Co-Solitaire-Diamond-Engagement-Ring-1CT_W0QQitemZ270099447794QQcategoryZ67726QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

is this a decent buy?

okay....i''m going to *try* and hold back here...
ARE YOU SERIOUS???

would you seriously consider sending more than EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS to someone on ebay that you don''t know? they have feedback of only 46...one negative already.... and at least 7 of those that left feedback are ''no longer registered users''
the only red flag not out there is the one saying ''run away as fast as you can''

 

[Maisie]

That depends if you are looking for a Tiffany ring. If you want to upgrade at a later date I''m not sure that Tiffany would let you. You could get a similar ring from a PS vendor for less and have the option to upgrade it down the line.

Maisie

 

[tanalasta]

If you ''absolutely must have a Tiffany'' then yes, it is a decent buy. Provided of course, the seller and the ring are genuine which is always hard to tell on eBay. I would suspect there isn''t a happy story with this ring as nobody sells an e-ring after only a few weeks unless they needed the money or the engagement fell apart.

You could probably get a decent 1Ct sparkler at about the same price but without the ''Tiffany'' label. There is a significant >1/3 markup at Tiffany over an online store... just for the name and design alone. So in that regard, if you don''t absolutely want a Tiffany, it would be worth your while looking at the prices of other 1Ct diamonds online at GoG/WF/JA etc...

 

[Nicrez]

I personally distrust E-Bay. If you can SEE the ring, or have it appraised first, then Yes.

What I can tell you is that the ring likely is new, according to their pictures. If their pictures are correct, the ring is new because the certificate they show is a newer one. Probably within the last 6-8 months. They could very well be trying to sell their ring and get some money back from a bad engagement or family tragedy, or what-have-you.

If you want Tiffany, then try your local listings FIRST. See them in person and before you buy get them appraised! Have them verified as the stone and setting in the cert. That said, Tiffany will not upgrade for a 1ct stone, unless you are buying at least something twice the value. There is no receipt policy either. From what I know, they determine if the stone is theirs, then they will take it back, likely unmount it, regrade the stone, fix it, if need be, then remount it and sell it back out int the market again...and you get the ring that is twice the value of what that ring would be worth (but you pay for it!)...

 

[diamondfan]

Tiffany''s will upgrade if you spend at least twice the original sales prcice. The ring is then taken apart and the stone sold on the secondary market, it does not go back out in the case at Tiffanys. My bigger issue is I too do not trust Ebay generally, and this seller might not be reputable. If you lived nearby and could meet at an appraisers I might say go for it, but otherwise, you know the saying, buyer beware? I would definitely heed it now.

 

[avlis]

a decent buy.. yes. BUT, as mentioned before, ebay scams are a dime-a-dozen, and this is a good chunk of change. if you are considering this buy, i would recommend you buy the plane ticket and travel to the buyers location, then you both goto an independant appraiser that YOU pay for and have the ring looked at. if all is good, then make the transaction.

 

[avlis]

on a side note.. what is this VS1-VS2 clarity garbage? there is only 1 stone, which is it vs1 or vs2? does tiffany really put a range on thier reports?

 

[Nicrez]

Date: 3/14/2007 11:43:32 AM
Author: avlis
on a side note.. what is this VS1-VS2 clarity garbage? there is only 1 stone, which is it vs1 or vs2? does tiffany really put a range on thier reports?

as stated on the website for the sale of this specific ring.

"Authentic Tiffany and Co Diamond Engagement ring. 1.03 carat, 950pt platinum band, absolutely perfect. Honestly worn about 2-3 weeks then has been in storage. H color, VS1 clarity, Depth Percentage 61.7%, Table Diameter Percentage 55%, Crown Angle 34.5 degrees, Pavilion Depth 43.0%. Polish- Excellent Symmetry- Excellent"

Tiffany's certs have only one grade, I have never seen a double clarity graded cert. Some will actually be plotted as well.

 

[orbaya]

I wouldn''t spend $8,000 on this either. If you want a Tiffany ring, keep an eye on well-respected Signed Pieces. They have one whole section dedicated to Tiffany jewelry and they often have solitaires listed. Right now, the smallest is a 2+ carat. Keep checking there because you never know what could show up.

 

[Nicrez]

Agreed with Orbaya! Go to a reputable estate person near you, or Signed Pieces, whom I have seen personally, I have recommended and seen what they did, AND they are in NYC, so if you want me to verify anything, I can.

Good luck! But again, get someone to take a look at the stone, like an independant appraiser before you bid...

 

[CaptAubrey]

Don't do it.

Tiffany is currently suing eBay because they discovered that better than 75% of the alleged "Tiffany" stuff offered for sale was counterfeit. So, you've only got about a 25% chance of getting an authentic piece.

Edit: This one looks like a failed engagement. The seller is just some random guy who's bought and sold a whole variety of stuff since 2001. It's probably legit, but do you want to risk 8 grand on it?

 

[ebonykawai]

I myself wouldn't do it because of the probablilty of being scammed. However, it is a good price and if you're seriously considering it, if I were you, I would have them send you several more pictures of the ring and certificate. Get pictures of the inside of the shank, the serial number that should be matching on the certificate, make sure the ring is also stamped with legitimate TCO hallmarks, as well as the diamond ct size. Then, if all that checks out, and if possible, meet this seller in person, get the ring appraised, and if you can pay them with a check from a credit card company, it would give you additional insurance in case you do discover fraud in the end.

Like I said, I wouldn't personally do it, but I also don't have $8000 lying around to spend on this. If I did? I'd probably buy a huge stone from James Allen.

 

[neatfreak]

Just an FYI: Tiffany has a 6 month failed engagement policy. So if the "cert" is only 6-8 months old, it is a really odd situation if the reason for the ring being sold is a broken engagement. If I had bought a ring at Tiffany's and knew they had a 6 month return policy, why the heck would you put it in "storage" after it was worn for only a few weeks? I would sure as heck bring it back to Tiff's and get my full refund. Odd.

Something seems fishy...stick with Signed Pieces.

 

[kcoursolle]

do a search here on ebay to read other people''s horror stories before bidding on this item. Also, signedpieces often has pre-owned tiffany engagement rings and they are very trusted here.

 

[ebonykawai]

Date: 3/14/2007 3:06:30 PM
Author: neatfreak
Just an FYI: Tiffany has a 6 month failed engagement policy. So if the ''cert'' is only 6-8 months old, it is a really odd situation if the reason for the ring being sold is a broken engagement. If I had bought a ring at Tiffany''s and knew they had a 6 month return policy, why the heck would you put it in ''storage'' after it was worn for only a few weeks? I would sure as heck bring it back to Tiff''s and get my full refund. Odd.

Something seems fishy...stick with Signed Pieces.

It looked like it might be the woman/receiver selling the ring, not the man/giver. That would be my guess as to why she can''t return it. Also probably why she doesn''t have a receipt. Maybe?

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 3/14/2007 3:43:42 PM
Author: ebonykawai

Date: 3/14/2007 3:06:30 PM

Author: neatfreak

Just an FYI: Tiffany has a 6 month failed engagement policy. So if the ''cert'' is only 6-8 months old, it is a really odd situation if the reason for the ring being sold is a broken engagement. If I had bought a ring at Tiffany''s and knew they had a 6 month return policy, why the heck would you put it in ''storage'' after it was worn for only a few weeks? I would sure as heck bring it back to Tiff''s and get my full refund. Odd.


Something seems fishy...stick with Signed Pieces.

It looked like it might be the woman/receiver selling the ring, not the man/giver. That would be my guess as to why she can''t return it. Also probably why she doesn''t have a receipt. Maybe?

Makes sense. But if I were the guy I would have been smart enough to get the ring back. It''s a conditional gift!

 

[innerkitten]

if you like it and are willing to spend that much for it and they offer a good return policy then why not. But with that budget you could do much better with one of the pricescope vendors as was already mentioned above.

 

[anne_h]

I have bought antique/estate jewelry on eBay a few times and haven''t had a bad experience so far. However, I am nervous about this seller because they do not list a return policy with the listing. I do not buy jewelry from sellers without a refund policy (or, at least an exchange policy). Also, I tend to buy from established eBay "stores" that often have a non-eBay presence in real life. I check feedback also (some people don''t believe in it, but I do).

As far as price... I once spent 4k on a diamond tennis necklace that when I got it appraised, graded lower in color/clarity than listed, and so I returned it for a full refund. I am currently trying to negotiate a tennis bracelet in the 5k region. Wish me luck!

Anne