Seeking Feedback: Used, 3EX Tiffany Round Brillant Cut Solitaire. HCA Score: 1.1

[Murphys]

Used Tiffany & Co. 3EX, HCA Score: 1.1.
Round Brilliant Cut Solitaire, Classic Platinum 6 prong Engagement Ring Mount w/ boxes, certification and appraisal from 2016.



Here are the diamond specs and HCA Score:

Carat: 1.75
Triple Excellent
Year originally sold: 2016

Measurements 7.71 - 7.73 x 4.82mm
Clarity: VVS2
Color: H
Table Size Percentage: 54%
Total Depth Percentage 62.4%
Pavilion Depth Percentage: 43.4%
Crown Height Percentage: 15.4%
Crown Angle: 33.3%
Cutlet: None
Fluorescence: None
Star Length Percentage: 50%
Lower Half Length Percentage: 75%
Girdle Thickness: Medium to Slightly Thick
Girdle Finish: Faceted

HCA Score: 1.1
Light Return: Excellent
Fire: Excellent
Scintillation: Excellent
Spread: Very Good

AGA Cut Class
Tab Percent: 1A
Crown Angle: 1B
Crown Height: 1A
Pavillion Depth: 1B
Girdle: 1A
Depth: 1B
Polish 1A
Symmetry: 1A
Total Grade: 1B

Here's what I can get if for:

Price: USD$23,000 (original valuation in 2016 was USD$38,100 plus tax)

A few questions for the community:

1. Although the HCA and AGA rating seems ideal, I'm a little concerned that the diamond doesn't appear from the photos to have a symmetrical Hearts and Arrows Patterning -- though I'm not sure if this is a real concern or just somewhat poor quality photos (noting that I have a 2 week return window from the date of receipt)?

2. Is this a good price given the overall specs?

3. Is 1.75 ct a good size diamond for a five foot tall women with a ring size of 4? Before coming accross this ring in particular I was planning on purchasing something closer to the 2 ct mark.

Thanks very much in advance -- and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[ctsamg]

Have you looked at this thread: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ant-cut-solitaire-hca-score-very-good.244979/
I am sure it will be a lovely ring.
Unless the Tiffany's name is important to your intended, you can do much, much better at the same budget. Including a much larger stone

 

[bmfang]

...
A few questions for the community:

1. Although the HCA and AGA rating seems ideal, I'm a little concerned that the diamond doesn't appear from the photos to have a symmetrical Hearts and Arrows Patterning -- though I'm not sure if this is a real concern or just somewhat poor quality photos (noting that I have a 2 week return window from the date of receipt)?

2. Is this a good price given the overall specs?

3. Is 1.75 ct a good size diamond for a five foot tall women with a ring size of 4? Before coming accross this ring in particular I was planning on purchasing something closer to the 2 ct mark.

Thanks very much in advance -- and Happy Thanksgiving!

Tiffany’s MRB’s are not specifically cut to be H&A stones. Some may turn out that way due to sheer luck, but they are not cut to the same standards and tolerances as stones from Whiteflash, Brian Gavin Diamonds, Crafted By Infinity, August Vintage or Victor Canera as a rule of thumb.

As for price, it’ll certainly be cheaper than paying full retail at T&Co.

As for the size of the stone on your significant other’s hand, my wife is 5ft 3 with an original ring size of 4, now 4.5 two years after the birth of our son. For her a 1.75ct stone is way too big on her finger and hand (she has said that if she ever got a stone above 1.5cts, she’d appreciate it but would find it too ostentatious to wear around her friends). YMMV in this aspect. Your SO might think it’s too small for her finger size as she values carat size.

 

[LLJsmom]

What is your priority? Most sparkly diamond for your money? Maximize size within certain specs? A good “deal” meaning biggest discount from full retail? What are your priorities in order of most important to least? For example mine is
1. Cut meaning most sparkly diamond
2. Size
3. Color / clarity.

What about you? It would greatly help us advise you.

 

[Murphys]

Thanks for the responses so far.

@ctsamg - appreciate the response. The brand is somewhat important to the intended. From looking around, I don't think this ring is the best deal I can get, but given the brand and the specs, this is one of the better T&Co diamonds I've been able to find. I also don't the price is totally out of wack, as even sites like Whiteflash appear to be charging between 17 and 23K for similar stone.

@bmfang. Thanks very much for the insight on size -- good to know. I didn't intend to suggest that I was looking for a H&A stone per se, but am helpful that the stone will from a straight down look have a symmetrical 8 pointed star (i.e. visually symmetrical).

@LLJsmom. Thanks for forcing me to put it in perspective. Again brand is somewhat important to me and to her - not sure where exactly this would fall on the ordering below but if I can get the brand at a fraction of the retail cost than that would of course be nice. Otherwise, I think your order set out above aligns with my own, being the following in order of priority

1. cut (noting again that this diamond seems to be much better cut than many other T&Co diamonds I've seen based solely on the specs);
2. carat size (noting that I was originally thinking of something closer to 2 cts);
3. colour; and
4. clarity (noting that I would ideally pay the premium for better than H colour over VVS2 in clarity ...

Again, appreciate all the input so far!

 

[Matilda]

I am petite and would not think 1.75 ct too big at all. I believe thats a pretty personal choice. A taste which can change once she has tried on and worn a diamond of a certain size for a while. Pre ring I would have assumed what I have now is BIG, from the moment I saw it I did not think it big at all!! I needed to see and feel the number on my hand to know if it felt right

Perhaps you could visit a local jewellery shop together so she can try different sizes, colour grades etc may help her taste develop in reality not just in theory. And find what is a priority in a given budget. For instance go lower on colour to go up on size, lower clarity to increase size/colour etc

 

[Matilda]

@Murphys sorry I posted just when you did!

 

[kmoro]

Have you looked at this thread: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ant-cut-solitaire-hca-score-very-good.244979/
I am sure it will be a lovely ring.
Unless the Tiffany's name is important to your intended, you can do much, much better at the same budget. Including a much larger stone

Pretty sure it’s the same poster ... posts are nearly identical, right down to forgetting to mention the pavillion angle ...

So ... I’m thinking Murphys’ number one priority is reallly Tiffany’s, then cut, etc.?

The HCA is better than the 2.33 carat, but it’s hard to tell what is better without the pavilion angle, and also I’m sure you’re looking for expert opinions, not mine.

Good luck finding the perfect ring!

I found a video ... which diamond would you rather give to your fiancée?

 

[ctsamg]

Thanks for the responses so far.

@ctsamg - appreciate the response. The brand is somewhat important to the intended. From looking around, I don't think this ring is the best deal I can get, but given the brand and the specs, this is one of the better T&Co diamonds I've been able to find. I also don't the price is totally out of wack, as even sites like Whiteflash appear to be charging between 17 and 23K for similar stone.

@bmfang. Thanks very much for the insight on size -- good to know. I didn't intend to suggest that I was looking for a H&A stone per se, but am helpful that the stone will from a straight down look have a symmetrical 8 pointed star (i.e. visually symmetrical).

@LLJsmom. Thanks for forcing me to put it in perspective. Again brand is somewhat important to me and to her - not sure where exactly this would fall on the ordering below but if I can get the brand at a fraction of the retail cost than that would of course be nice. Otherwise, I think your order set out above aligns with my own, being the following in order of priority

1. cut (noting again that this diamond seems to be much better cut than many other T&Co diamonds I've seen based solely on the specs);
2. carat size (noting that I was originally thinking of something closer to 2 cts);
3. colour; and
4. clarity (noting that I would ideally pay the premium for better than H colour over VVS2 in clarity ...

Again, appreciate all the input so far!

Having just gone through this myself, a few things I wish someone had told me:

Be aware that Whiteflash ACA is a super premium offering. You can get a diamond cut better than the T&Co but less expensive than the WF ACA at a price that may make sense for yoy. That is not to say it's overpriced, but you should not think of WF as a less premium brand than T&Co, just different. The Super Ideal diamonds do perform better, no doubt, but the question becomes is it worth the other trade offs (Cost, Carats, Clarity Color).

Personally I'd love to own an ACA, but I put one side by side to a bigger GIA XXX with dimensions recommended here and thought the size was more important. I also took my intended on a recon mission and understood her preference for coverage over ideal vs super ideal cuts.

There are many on here that understanad its a trade-off, while others that are more comfortable going with WD, BGD or HPD and would sacrifice for the cut (there are other benefits like trade up programs etc)

I'd also ask do you love this setting? I took my gf in to look at T&Co and found it to sit too high for day to day wear, but others love it. Similar settings can be had for $500-3k so you have options if the T&Co name isn't important to you.

The real cost at T&Co is the brand and perhaps the ease of shopping (you can go into any major city and hey a great stone).

 

[AprilBaby]

Not always a great stone.

 

[LLJsmom]

Thanks for the responses so far.

@ctsamg - appreciate the response. The brand is somewhat important to the intended. From looking around, I don't think this ring is the best deal I can get, but given the brand and the specs, this is one of the better T&Co diamonds I've been able to find. I also don't the price is totally out of wack, as even sites like Whiteflash appear to be charging between 17 and 23K for similar stone.

@bmfang. Thanks very much for the insight on size -- good to know. I didn't intend to suggest that I was looking for a H&A stone per se, but am helpful that the stone will from a straight down look have a symmetrical 8 pointed star (i.e. visually symmetrical).

@LLJsmom. Thanks for forcing me to put it in perspective. Again brand is somewhat important to me and to her - not sure where exactly this would fall on the ordering below but if I can get the brand at a fraction of the retail cost than that would of course be nice. Otherwise, I think your order set out above aligns with my own, being the following in order of priority

1. cut (noting again that this diamond seems to be much better cut than many other T&Co diamonds I've seen based solely on the specs);
2. carat size (noting that I was originally thinking of something closer to 2 cts);
3. colour; and
4. clarity (noting that I would ideally pay the premium for better than H colour over VVS2 in clarity ...

Again, appreciate all the input so far!

It seems like I left out a very important criteria and that is Brand. Since you seem to be focused on getting a used Tiffany it seems Brand (specifically Tiffany) would be the top priority on the list. If that is the case, can you please let us know? That will save us the effort of checking any non-Tiffany rings.

 

[Murphys]

Pretty sure it’s the same poster ... posts are nearly identical, right down to forgetting to mention the pavillion angle ...

So ... I’m thinking Murphys’ number one priority is reallly Tiffany’s, then cut, etc.?

The HCA is better than the 2.33 carat, but it’s hard to tell what is better without the pavilion angle, and also I’m sure you’re looking for expert opinions, not mine.

Good luck finding the perfect ring!

I found a video ... which diamond would you rather give to your fiancée?

Thanks bmfamg.

I’m not the same kmoro poster, who said they bought the 2.33 ct T&Co ring — I’m just a new user that came across this site and that post and thought it was detailed and helpful so used that post as a template for my own. In any case, the pavillion angle of the ring I’m looking at is 41 degrees.

Interesting video - thank you. I note that the diamond on the left in the video also has a 1.1 HCA score. Would love if if the T&Co ring I’m looking at sparkled like that!

 

[Murphys]

Not always a great stone.

Didn’t say they were hence why I provided as much detail as I could to try and be as objective as possible about evaluating this particular stone of interest, thanks.

 

[Murphys]

It seems like I left out a very important criteria and that is Brand. Since you seem to be focused on getting a used Tiffany it seems Brand (specifically Tiffany) would be the top priority on the list. If that is the case, can you please let us know? That will save us the effort of checking any non-Tiffany rings.

Hi.

The brand is important - I thought I communicated that though. Bottom line is I wouldn’t buy a branded diamond just because of the brand - I also want it to be a good stone. Having been looking for awhile now (at branded and non branded rings) this is one of the first T&Co diamonds that objectively seemed to be a good stone, which was a big draw for me given that I’m able to buy it at exactly 60% of MSRP and thought this was an overall good deal for a good diamond. Eliminates much of the markup.

Didn’t really intend for anyone to shop around for other rings for me - was more interested in knowing if based on the specs there’s anything I might be missing as I’m certainly no expert - just an amateur shopper trying to do some due diligence. Again, I haven’t yet seen the ring in person and would be ordering it online and just don’t want to risk being disappointed if there was something I should have thought more about based on the info I have. Luckily I would have 2 weeks to return the ring, but would really love to not have to go through any returns.

Thanks again for all the helpful input

 

[AprilBaby]

Didn’t say they were hence why I provided as much detail as I could to try and be as objective as possible about evaluating this particular stone of interest, thanks.

Was responding to ctsmag

 

[Murphys]

Was responding to ctsmag

Ahhh. Understood. Apologies for the misunderstanding.

I think my lingering questions are (1) if there's anything in the specs provided that appear to anyone as being a possible deal breaker or less than ideal, and (2) if it's just poor quality photos or if the diamond isn't optically symmetrical (noting that in my initial email I mistakenly used the hearts and arrows qualifiers)?

I'm hopeful that in person the diamond would look something like the below, which I got off the web, with the eight point diamond, but that really doesn't come through in the sale photos that were uploaded (and I'm not sure if it's just because the photos were taken from directly above at a straight angle)?!?



Again, appreciate all of the helpful input!

 

[LLJsmom]

Hi.

The brand is important - I thought I communicated that though. Bottom line is I wouldn’t buy a branded diamond just because of the brand - I also want it to be a good stone. Having been looking for awhile now (at branded and non branded rings) this is one of the first T&Co diamonds that objectively seemed to be a good stone, which was a big draw for me given that I’m able to buy it at exactly 60% of MSRP and thought this was an overall good deal for a good diamond. Eliminates much of the markup.

Didn’t really intend for anyone to shop around for other rings for me - was more interested in knowing if based on the specs there’s anything I might be missing as I’m certainly no expert - just an amateur shopper trying to do some due diligence. Again, I haven’t yet seen the ring in person and would be ordering it online and just don’t want to risk being disappointed if there was something I should have thought more about based on the info I have. Luckily I would have 2 weeks to return the ring, but would really love to not have to go through any returns.

Thanks again for all the helpful input

I see. No, I wasn't clear for you that Brand was important. But since you are asking only about this Tiffany diamond, Brand seems to be the first priority. On this site, because you have so many people that are knowledgeable about diamonds, it's rare for PSers to respond without a few people telling you that there are diamonds that are more well cut or without presenting you with lower priced, better cut options. Many would feel like they are doing a disservice NOT telling you about the other potentially better options. In your case, I understand that you are asking only about this Tiffany diamond. Please don't give me any alternatives. Don't look for any for me. Keep your comments strictly to this stone. I understand now.

I will respond from the perspective of a person who is NOT a cut expert, although I am very picky about my diamonds.

1. Although the HCA and AGA rating seems ideal, I'm a little concerned that the diamond doesn't appear from the photos to have a symmetrical Hearts and Arrows Patterning -- though I'm not sure if this is a real concern or just somewhat poor quality photos (noting that I have a 2 week return window from the date of receipt)?
Most people selling diamonds on Ebay will not have the capability to take photos of diamonds as well as the vendor from whom this photo has been used. So if the diamond looked this good, the seller's photos probably won't be able to capture it. When you receive the diamond, you will have a hard time to see this pattern with the naked eye. You would need a loupe to see something close. The diamond is mounted so it will be a little hard to see the image as unobstructed as this picture. So no one can tell you that you will or will not see this image when you look at it under a loupe. Now, if you had an ASET image, the PSers would better be able to predict if the diamond will look close to the image you posted. However, this image does not show how much leakage there will be. The diamond can have nice looking hearts and arrows, but that does not mean there won't be leakage. You absolutely need an idealscope image to tell that, and better yet an ASET image. Leakage is sections of the diamond that does not light up. That is how I examine my diamonds. I have an idealscope and an ASET to examine my diamonds. Leakage can be hard to detect with the naked eye. However, when you do see it, it is hard to unsee.

2. Is this a good price given the overall specs? This is a hard question for PSers to answer because some PSers answer this from a perspective of someone who knows that there are better cut diamonds out there that can be bought at a better price. However, you are asking this question from the perspective of it being a Tiffany diamond. I think compared to full retail new Tiffany ring, yes it is cheaper. However, if you comparing it to any other used Tiffany ring, it's comparable, but not necessarily a "deal" for a used Tiffany diamond ring.

To answer this question "given the overall specs", people would need to see an ASET or idealscope of this diamond. You would need to spend time with it, observe it under various lighting situations, give yourself some time away from it, come back to it, see if you see anything you missed the first time around. This is how I evaluate without an ASET. That's the thing. If you are looking for used Tiffany, the pool is small. And if you cannot compare it to another stone since you have only one stone at a time, and a mounted one at that, it is hard to determine whether it is the most beautiful Tiffany stone you can find.

3. Is 1.75 ct a good size diamond for a five foot tall women with a ring size of 4? Before coming accross this ring in particular I was planning on purchasing something closer to the 2 ct mark.
What does your fiance think? Has she tried on any rings IRL? What do people in her social circle wear? Do you care? Does she care? I can't answer your question because it is completely a personal preference. From my perspective, 1.75 is fine for a 5 foot tall person. 1 carat could be fine. Some people wouldn't be comfortable with anything bigger than half a carat. Plenty PSers are perfectly fine with much bigger. I wear a 3 carat. Will the high set Tiffany setting work for her daily life? I had a high set stone that I kept knocking on stuff. Maybe she's very careful and graceful so that may not be a problem for her?

Lastly, is she ok with an engagement ring that was probably used by another person? I assume so but just throwing it out there. And also the benefits that come along with a Tiffany engagement ring does not pass on to the second owner. I assume that is ok with you and your fiance?

 

[bmfang]

Ahhh. Understood. Apologies for the misunderstanding.

I think my lingering questions are (1) if there's anything in the specs provided that appear to anyone as being a possible deal breaker or less than ideal, and (2) if it's just poor quality photos or if the diamond isn't optically symmetrical (noting that in my initial email I mistakenly used the hearts and arrows qualifiers)?

I'm hopeful that in person the diamond would look something like the below, which I got off the web, with the eight point diamond, but that really doesn't come through in the sale photos that were uploaded (and I'm not sure if it's just because the photos were taken from directly above at a straight angle)?!?



Again, appreciate all of the helpful input!

In the sale pics there is one picture where an arrow is very clearly visible. So that is a good start and one can hope that the others show up at the right angle in a photo. Optical symmetry can be difficult to judge with sale photos.

What GIA and Tiffany’s in houses graders look at for symmetry is not optically based. The symmetry grade they give is based on a meet point basis. That is, do we have a facet that does not join up with another facet appropriately. Optical symmetry goes one step further than that and allow one to determine if all the facets are placed symmetrically relative to each other.

That’s a whole different kettle of fish than meet-point symmetry and for that Hearts and Arrows images allow us to really gauge the level of symmetry. What the IS and ASET are for light performance gauging, the H&A images are for optical symmetry gauging.

You’ll be hard pressed to find H&A images on a listing for a mounted stone unless they were taken before mounting.

 

[kmoro]

Hi Murphys , was thinking about this because I really have too much time on my hands ...
If Tiffany name is important, would you consider getting new? Perhaps that way you would have some input in regard to stone selection and could see it loose, and you would benefit from the Tiffany policies. I know that saving 40% is huge, especially 40% of a lot, and you’re doing your best to get a good deal, but sometimes I think it’s worth the extra cost. The ring would be new. If it was me, I would consider it.

We’re all just trying to help you out

 

[Johnbt]

I found the for sale ad for the ring and the letter from Tiffany says the current estimated retail replacement value is $38,100... "FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES ONLY"
I have no idea what the ring would actually cost today if you bought a new one because I haven't been in a Tiffany store for 40 years or more.

It's interesting that the ad doesn't list the name of the individual seller or the company. I suppose that's how the site is run.

Meanwhile, I was paying so much attention to the details in the pic of the Tiffany Diamond Certificate that I almost missed the listed price. You've done really well to get them down to $23k from $28,500.

Good luck with your engagement !!! I bought a WF ring in April and was married on the 16th of this month.

 

[rockysalamander]

To verify authenticity, since that is important as brand, you need clear pictures of the hallmarks. Ask them to send you clear pictures of all the internal markings. There is something bothering me about the font and kerneling on the numbers shown in the image. There looks to be too much space between the letter/numbers and the 5 looks wrong. I can't verify that the correct font or hallmark by these images. The prong tips also look off. They are too blunt.

Can you guys weigh in? Something is off to me. Maybe I'm overly cynical.
@Niel @tyty333 @Miki Moto

The price as "For Insurance Only" are usually highly inflated. 40-50% is not uncommon. They are feel-good appraisals.

 

[holeydonut]

My two cents (ok, it ended up as much more than $0.02) for @Murphys on this... my fiance was pushing for at the Tiffany, Cartier, Betteridge, Harry Winston luxury jewelers, and it took quite a bit of effort to move to one of the super ideal vendors that the Price Scope leans toward. Hopefully you can take something useful away from my experience. Naturally, every situation is different, so what I'm saying here may not be 100 % applicable to your specific case or the specific experiences of other Price Scopers.

In my personal experience, I quickly learned that my money wasn't actually going very far at the luxury shops; to the extent I was looking at used Tiffany / Cartier rings to try and still hit the hallmarks of the ring and still stay within budget. As PriceScoper's will attest, the best bang for your buck will come from the super ideal vendors here. But your challenge is not to buy a ring that PriceScope will appreciate. It's to buy a ring that your future finance will appreciate.

Luxury jewelry brands set high expectations for themselves so they deliver products that wearers will be proud of, and onlookers (who aren't Price Scope users) would find hard to criticize. The lower-end offerings from luxury brand tend to skew better than the higher-end offerings of the jeweler marts, mall diamonds, and warehouse gem shows. Granted, a buyer could end up get a bad example of a Tiffany or Cartier ring, just as I'm sure someone's found a proverbial super-ideal diamond in the rough when shopping at a mall or with a drop shipper.

But as a generalization, the Signet jewelers (Kay, Jared) and "I got a good deal from so-and-so" jewelers are the brands your finance likely wants to avoid. I've been in group settings where folks are literally criticizing the ring that someone received (naturally when that person isn't around). They aren't criticizing the engagement so much as criticizing how the buyer was cheap on the ring purchase and the buyer's concept of "good enough" wasn't quite good enough.

Personally, I've been surprised at how often I've heard complaints about cloudiness of the stone, visible inclusions, yellowness of the diamond, poorly executed (knock off) settings, melee crookedness, etc.

Luxury brands charge a stiff premium to do the difficult work of ensuring that the ring meets high expectations and the wearer will avoid this type of criticism. But, assuming your future-finance isn't on PriceScope, that means she isn't aware of the super ideal vendors and their ability to deliver high-end results without the widely known name brand recognition.

If you'd like to consider the super ideal vendors and get her on board, I think it'll be important to address 5 major topics to align expectations:


1) Understand whether the desire to "get a Tiffany" is simply a the desire is to boast about wearing a Tiffany ring, or get a top quality diamond/setting.

If it's the former and your future finance has placed a luxury brand on a pedestal, then I suggest you stop browsing PriceScope and stop reading my post The audience here leans toward super-ideal vendors. The vast majority of users here will likely steer you away from Tiffany, which is also steering you away from the ring that your finance wants.

Buying a second-hand Tiffany ring in this instance would not be in your favor either due to the myriad challenges in finding legitimate Tiffany rings for sale and the possible stigma of a "pre loved" ring for an engagement.

If the she simply wants the best possible ring, the Price Scope will steer you toward some of the best jewelry that will cost much less than a ring from the luxury jewelry brands.


2) Do not try to convince her that Tiffany or Cartier is sub-par, but rather work to explain that the super ideal vendors are just as good.

It's not an effective use of your time to try and move existing notions of a luxury brand downward. You'll have a tough time trying to convince a non-PS-er about why Tiffany is overpriced and not actually top-quality. Rather, focus on why the super ideal vendors are great and why a ring from them will not fall into the same trap that may be seen at Kay or Jared.

PriceScope will provide you with myriad explanations about symmetry, light return, HCA scores, etc. But numbers probably won't work to convince someone that is not an avid PriceScope user about these vendors.

Instead, turn your attention to how the super ideal vendors provide an exceptional level of service and carry their own high-end branded lines with exceptional clarity, color, and fluorescence requirements on top of their super-ideal cuts. I went with the Black by Brian Gavin line knowing that the only diamonds he chooses to this pinnacle level are the best of his best (which is already really good). For a slight premium, this process took away the stress of wondering if the diamond was up to a good standard. My fiance and I have returned to Tiffany / Cartier / Harry to ask about other jewelry, and her Black by Brian Gavin and setting was on par with what those luxury houses had in their on-premises inventory.

And, the super ideal vendors have very good upgrade programs to allow for the evolution to better diamonds over time.


3) Work with a super ideal vendor that will let you view target diamonds in person.

Seeing is believing. Once you both see a round brilliant super-ideal cut stone next to an average mall/warehouse "triple X" cut, you'll understand why PriceScope users love their super ideal vendors. The fire and scintillation from a super ideal is very apparent, and the light return / brightness is something that's worth a viewing in person.

Since the super ideals rely on online sales, I think they all have their own processes to allow buyers the "try before they buy" aspect. Take advantage of this to make sure you're comfortable with the purchase.


4) Keep an open mind that the diamond cutter may be different than the jeweler for the setting.

While the the vendors on PriceScope are very good, they do excel at various aspects of jewelry. For example, Brian Gavin is an amazingly meticulous diamond cutter. But his experience in ring-crafting is still reliant on a separate bench to do his fine work. So he will notice a micron-sized problem with how one of the diamond girdle facets is cut resulting in the teeniest bit of lost light return. But, when it comes to the ring... his standards aren't as high. Even though he uses the latest CADs and casting techniques, he's not a ring maker.

On the other side, you have Victor Canera who hand forges his rings and makes everything to an heirloom level of quality to last generations. But he's not an expert diamond cutter (eg HPD, CBI, Whiteflash, Brian Gavin).

While Brian Gavin's rings are great, and Victor Canera has some great diamonds; you may be better served to blend the best of two vendors.


5) Be transparent with the super ideal vendor and ring maker about how you're selecting them for their exacting standards and high quality.

I think it's fair to be up front with vendors around your expectations and why you're considering them as an alternative to the more recognizable luxury brands. Maybe the vendor won't want to deal with your malarkey and requests, and they can steer you to someone who can. But I think the vendors on PriceScope can deliver exceptional quality that beats what you and your future finance were expecting from Tiffany or similar brands.

The way to have the desired end-result is is to be transparent and up-front about your expectations. While the vendors here have the major bases covered to rival the luxury brands, you'll have to do some legwork make sure everything is 100% in alignment.

It's not just about the diamond's 4-C's... it's about the myriad aspects that separates fine jewelry from average jewelry. For example, what alloy do you want in your platinum setting? What type of prong shape do you want? Are your melee's color matched? Are you happy with the box? Can you see the diamond's AGS inscription in the setting? Can you get a wedding band that compliments the unique shape of the ring? etc.


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

In closing, if you want to avoid stress, go with Tiffany or another similar luxury jeweler; and I would recommend against a pre-loved ring due to the large hassle involved with making sure everything is copacetic. But, you'll also end up with less bang for your buck.

If you pursue the super-ideal vendors, make sure you're ready for the challenge of aligning your future finance's expectations with what your selected diamond cutter and jeweler can deliver.

Good luck, we're looking forward to seeing what comes out of your efforts - both in terms of the ring and in terms of a successful engagement

 

[holeydonut]

If the she simply wants the best possible ring, the Price Scope will steer you toward some of the best jewelry that will cost much less than a ring from the luxury jewelry brands.

Sorry for quoting myself... I need to clarify this item... and I'm past the editing window.

I didn't mean to say that going with the super ideal vendor would result in less money spent. I meant that a buyer could spend the same amount with a super ideal vendor and get more for their money than if the amount was spent with a luxury jewelry store (eg. Tiffany or Harry Winston).

 

[bmfang]

Sorry for quoting myself... I need to clarify this item... and I'm past the editing window.

I didn't mean to say that going with the super ideal vendor would result in less money spent. I meant that a buyer could spend the same amount with a super ideal vendor and get more for their money than if the amount was spent with a luxury jewelry store (eg. Tiffany or Harry Winston).

The corollary of that is true as well: for any given colour, clarity and carat combination for diamonds and setting style and material combination, at a luxury jewellery store it will generally speaking cost you far more than what one of the superideal vendors and independent benches would charge you.

The fit and finish from the superideal vendors and indie benches will also likely be on par (if not better) than what the luxury brands provide.

 

[denverappraiser]

It looks to me like the order of priorities here are:

Brand
Size
HCA/AGA
Price

Used Tiffany pieces in this budget are a bit scarce. That makes yours sort of an odd search given that HCA is the sorting criteria. You will not find thousands or even dozens of superficially identical ones to choose from. Is this the ‘best’? Maybe. I would be surprised if you can find more than a couple for sale that meets your other requirements so a brute force approach of doing an HCA on every one you can find seems in order.

40% off of Tiffany retail prices is higher than average for a used piece but if it’s what you want, it’s not crazy. You may not find another one you like as much any time soon even if you could, theoretically, do better. As pointed out above, buying new comes with some benefits that you don’t get with a used piece. That boils down to what it is that you value about the brand. The Tiffany experience is a thing you can only get by shopping at Tiffany&Co.