Recently checked-out e-rings at Tiffany''s, Cartier, Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, etc.

[jcrow]

in my dealings with tiffany''s it seems when viewing, the price of the stone determines if you get escorted off to their private room.

thanks for sharing your experiences.

 

[diamondfan]

That would make sense to me, but would think if you asked to go in a more private area for any type of diamond I would think they would be fine with that, some people just like more privacy.

 

[Ty Cobb]

Just wanted to add that Tiffs printed off about 10 different GIA reports for me when I was picking a ring. All of which were under 1 carat.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 7/3/2007 3:40:34 PM
Author: jcrow
in my dealings with tiffany''s it seems when viewing, the price of the stone determines if you get escorted off to their private room.

thanks for sharing your experiences.

I was in the market for a 3+. I guess that''s not enough to excite them?

 

[fanboy]

Date: 7/3/2007 3:40:34 PM
Author: jcrow
in my dealings with tiffany''s it seems when viewing, the price of the stone determines if you get escorted off to their private room.

thanks for sharing your experiences.

Right, well I was looking at $50k+ rings. I guess that wasn''t high enough then?

 

[Harriet]

Fanboy,
Maybe the 5th Ave one is just too busy?

 

[fanboy]

Date: 7/3/2007 3:06:48 PM
Author: diamondfan
I never looked at the Legacy, I got an emerald cut stone and it was brought in just for me to see loose. So as far as the legacy setting etc I cannot comment. But I think anyone could have a bad experience at any store, it can vary on a given day. My only point is to walk into a huge store like that which is not only a high end jewelry store and as such has lots of traffic and not make seek to make special arrangements and then come away annoyed seems to miss the point. I dealt with an SA and then higher level management when I got my second stone and I was called to come in to view stones at my convenience and taken into a private area. I would assume that this is doable any time a client is looking at items beyond the basic. Or if you just told an SA, this is very hectic and busy out on the main sales floor, can we go into a more quiet area to look at things? I am sure they would accomodate that. And honestly, whatever people think of each of these stores is dependant on their experience, and as I only have had good ones I have no problems deciding to shop there. Had I had an issue, I would certainly decide what to do then.

What point am I missing? I wasn''t trying to make a ''point'' per se; I''m just reporting what my personal experience was like. Take that for what it''s worth: more than nothing, less than everything.

 

[fanboy]

Date: 7/3/2007 5:32:07 PM
Author: Harriet
Fanboy,
Maybe the 5th Ave one is just too busy?

Very plausible. They were very crowded. Perhaps it would help if their space wasn't so open.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 7/3/2007 5:33:25 PM
Author: fanboy

Date: 7/3/2007 5:32:07 PM
Author: Harriet
Fanboy,
Maybe the 5th Ave one is just too busy?

Very plausible. They were very crowded. Perhaps it would help if their space wasn''t so open.

You would think that there would be more security, given how crowded it is.

 

[surfgirl]

Date: 7/3/2007 5:31:02 PM
Author: fanboy

Date: 7/3/2007 3:40:34 PM

Author: jcrow

in my dealings with tiffany''s it seems when viewing, the price of the stone determines if you get escorted off to their private room.


thanks for sharing your experiences.

Right, well I was looking at $50k+ rings. I guess that wasn''t high enough then?

Maybe you rubbed them the wrong way?

I have to say though, I personally prefer initial viewing at the counter where I can have them pull out many rings quickly while I narrow down the selection. In Graff I dont remember a private room but I was the only person in the store so it was already a private experience.

 

[fanboy]

Date: 7/3/2007 5:46:05 PM
Author: surfgirl

Maybe you rubbed them the wrong way?

I have to say though, I personally prefer initial viewing at the counter where I can have them pull out many rings quickly while I narrow down the selection. In Graff I dont remember a private room but I was the only person in the store so it was already a private experience.

Who knows? Anything''s possible.

I wasn''t trying to say that one way or another is better, but certainly each has its advantages and disadvantages. I would prefer to discuss very expensive purchases in a slightly more private setting, particularly since NYC is a smaller world than one might think. I think many would agree.

Anyway, like I pointed out, the format of a store may have as much an effect on one''s feeling of privacy as the availability of private rooms. Cartier and VCA are much more compartmentalized stores, so you see fewer crowds and there are necessarily fewer people in any one room.

 

[stevied]

Fanboy --

I''ve searched the forum but don''t see if you mentioned where you purchased your RA. I''m in NYC and in the market for asimilarly-sized one.

 

[diamondfan]

Date: 7/3/2007 5:32:48 PM
Author: fanboy

Date: 7/3/2007 3:06:48 PM

Author: diamondfan

I never looked at the Legacy, I got an emerald cut stone and it was brought in just for me to see loose. So as far as the legacy setting etc I cannot comment. But I think anyone could have a bad experience at any store, it can vary on a given day. My only point is to walk into a huge store like that which is not only a high end jewelry store and as such has lots of traffic and not make seek to make special arrangements and then come away annoyed seems to miss the point. I dealt with an SA and then higher level management when I got my second stone and I was called to come in to view stones at my convenience and taken into a private area. I would assume that this is doable any time a client is looking at items beyond the basic. Or if you just told an SA, this is very hectic and busy out on the main sales floor, can we go into a more quiet area to look at things? I am sure they would accomodate that. And honestly, whatever people think of each of these stores is dependant on their experience, and as I only have had good ones I have no problems deciding to shop there. Had I had an issue, I would certainly decide what to do then.

What point am I missing? I wasn''t trying to make a ''point'' per se; I''m just reporting what my personal experience was like. Take that for what it''s worth: more than nothing, less than everything.

Guess I am missing YOUR point. There is not really a need for your apparent confusion. You reported your individual experience and I was merely reporting MINE. Your experience is not necessarily indicative of anything other than what happened to you on a given day at a certain store. There are people here who have had similar experiences and there are those who have gone in and come away with a totally different view. Since you put YOURS out there, I merely wanted to put out MINE. And pointing out to you that if you were actually buying and had wanted to move off the crowded sales floor to have more peace and privacy you could have, that most stores would be happy to oblige a customer in the midst of purchasing.

 

[Beacon]

On Tiffany's conference call they made a comment that the NY flagship store did something like 25% of their revenues - for the whole chain - last quarter! I may be remembering it slightly wrong, or it may be 25% of diamond sales, but what ever, it was huge. A huge portion of that flagship store business was done by foreigners. Due to the very weak dollar that store must be an insane mad house. Most likely they don't have time and attention to pull everyone into a private room. They probably have a special insurance rider for that store that allows them to show more costly things on the showroom floor.

For that location I would certainly call in advance if I were seriously shopping them for an ering.

In my area, they are supposed to show anything over 50K in a special room. This past weekend though, they showed me a 55K item w/o a private room. They just told the security guy before they did it. This was fine b/c I didn't need a private room to see it.

I have to say I have shopped at TIffany for many years and never had a bad experience. Everyone has always been extremely accomodating.

On my last trip I spent some time reading their books - they have some super oversized books with photos of their history. Those books are excellent gifts. What struck me was what a great brand Tiffany is. Truly one of the great American inventions.

 

[Beacon]

I want to emphasize that the whole private room thing is not just about snob appeal. It often has to do with the insurance company''s demands regarding how expensive items are shown and what the store''s internal security systems/policies require.

Sometimes it''s not the customer they are accomodating, but their insurance company!

 

[Harriet]

Date: 7/4/2007 6:29:53 PM
Author: Beacon
I want to emphasize that the whole private room thing is not just about snob appeal. It often has to do with the insurance company''s demands regarding how expensive items are shown and what the store''s internal security systems/policies require.

Sometimes it''s not the customer they are accomodating, but their insurance company!

Thanks for the explanation, Beacon.