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Shopping at Tiffany''s

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Date: 2/3/2006 6:23:06 PM
Author: Scintillating
Read this thread about a 'Surprise' ring.
Scintillating...
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Well .. he did say that

a) they've already talked about it
b) she wants a suprise
c) she's specified "marquise" cut

I don't think the previous poster's situation is really applicable to this one. IMHO.

If were this poster's soon to be fiance ... I'd probably like a G or H color VS1 or VS2 marquise in the largest carat size $5000-6000 would buy at a place OTHER than Tiffany. Like Mara said, I'm status/label-conscious but don't value it above size when it comes to E-rings. (Except maybe for that gorgeous Cartier ring in the "I bought an odd Cartier" thread. Supreme!)

What about this one from Whiteflash? 5000-6000 will get you over 1ct there

http://www.whiteflash.com/marquise/Marquise-cut-diamond-2155256.htm
 
I go to Tiffany's all the time to by silver key rings for my clients (I'm a Realtor) but I'm with SDL on this one -- even flashing around my 3 ct e-ring I have a hard time getting someone to talk to me at the jewelry counter!

If you go, definitely tell us about your experience.
 
Date: 2/3/2006 6:35:51 PM
Author: jazmine
Even if she is a trendy kind of girl, are you sure she wouldn''t like a bigger diamond? I mean big sparkly diamonds are what catch people''s eyes. More so than a smaller diamond that just happens to be a Tiffany. Not saying there is anything wrong with getting a smaller diamond, but the way you describe her, it seems she would rather have some bling to show off. I have a marquise myself and just love it. Marquises look big for their size which is a really nice feature of the cut. You could really get a ring that looked quite sizeable elsewhere.
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I think Jazmine''s advice is right on. If she''s trendy, i''m sure she would like a larger ring. To put it in perspective, Tiffany 1.0ct rings (RB) can go for upwards of $20k. I once was in there with my wife and she tried on a 2.0ct rb. I asked about the price and they told me it was an F, VVS1, $52k. I had to keep my poker face so as to not embarass the wifey. They do have absolutely beautiful pieces and there really is no replacing that blue box it comes in, but in the end, I think size wins over brand name.

Good luck!
 
Date: 2/3/2006 7:52:40 PM
Author: cascadejim

I think Jazmine''s advice is right on. If she''s trendy, i''m sure she would like a larger ring.
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Second that. Marquise solitaire, well made, large and priced reasonably. Prices for diamonds vary by shape, and marquises are well less per carat than the more usual rounds and princess cuts. On a simple ring, the stone will show allot more than the brand, believe me.

For the same of comparison, I would think of 1-1.3 cts marquise for the money, G-H/VS or so... Perhaps considering half carat with an interesting brand-name setting as an equally nice option - definitely not a Tiffany solitaire that looks like every other out there unless I tell folk where it is from
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My 2c.
 
The other thing that I thought of is that if your GF wants a marquis...then it''s not like if you got her a Tiffany ring with a marquis in it, people would go ''oh is that a Tiffany ring''...because their marquis settings look just like everyone else''s!! Now at least with people who want the classic ''known'' Tiffany round diamond setting that EVERYONE and their sister replicates...I could see people who want to be impressed OR impress with a Tiffany ring and setting. But with a marquis? No one will have a clue that it''s a Tiffany ring and that might factor into your decision....personally I don''t care if I impress others with my ring but some people do and I just figured I''d throw that in there in case that''s a factor aka you want her to be able to show others her Tiff ring...no one but you two will know this is a Tiffany ring and no one will ask you about it. So of course, being me, I''d go for the bigger non-Tiffany!!
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Date: 2/3/2006 8:54:24 PM
Author: Mara
The other thing that I thought of is that if your GF wants a marquis...then it''s not like if you got her a Tiffany ring with a marquis in it, people would go ''oh is that a Tiffany ring''...because their marquis settings look just like everyone else''s!! Now at least with people who want the classic ''known'' Tiffany round diamond setting that EVERYONE and their sister replicates...I could see people who want to be impressed OR impress with a Tiffany ring and setting. But with a marquis? No one will have a clue that it''s a Tiffany ring and that might factor into your decision....personally I don''t care if I impress others with my ring but some people do and I just figured I''d throw that in there in case that''s a factor aka you want her to be able to show others her Tiff ring...no one but you two will know this is a Tiffany ring and no one will ask you about it. So of course, being me, I''d go for the bigger non-Tiffany!!
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I was just going to post that exact same thought. Marquis is not my personal favorite, and actually I am surprised it is what your GF wants considering what you mentioned about her style, but if you do get one and you get it at Tiffs, nobody will recognize that it is from there! If I were going to get my ring at Tiffs, and I do really like the place/the brand, I would get something that was recognizable/unique to there - specifically the Lucida or the Tiffany round. In fact, if I were shopping for a ring now, and wanted a name brand, without a doubt I would get http://www.signedpieces.com/item.cfm?item_id=3850 or another of the resale Tiffany rings from Signed Pieces. Some people might feel weird about a consigned engagement ring, but the truth is that "new" diamonds are often pre-owned!!
 
There is no doubt in my mind that most girls would rather have a 1 ct. diamond in equal quality to a Tiffany brand ring half the size. It makes no sense at all unless you have unlimited money and can buy whatever you want. And if I had unlimited money, then yes, by all means, I''d choose about a 2 ct. from Tiffany''s (or to be exact, I''d just order Kaleigh''s!
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I went there about a week ago, as a matter of fact. I priced a teeny, tiny pendant that had 5 tiny diamonds for a TOTAL of .13 cts. Price: $1200. So I don''t expect you to get much of an engagement ring there for $5-6000. I''d bet the average price of the rings in their case was probably above $20,000 if I had to take a wild guess.
 
Date: 2/3/2006 9:13:59 PM
Author: gailrmv

In fact, if I were shopping for a ring now, and wanted a name brand, without a doubt I would get http://www.signedpieces.com/item.cfm?item_id=3850 or another of the resale Tiffany rings from Signed Pieces.
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(marquise) Case in point. These prices are usually half retail, so....

In the previous post... about trading diamond weight for a special setting, I was mostly thinking of that Cartier ring posted recently
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rather than a simple (and easily copied) ''classic''.
 
How about this stone from Whiteflash?

Marquise 1 carat Expert Selection Diamond

Before the pricescope discount it sells for $3,511.00 and comes with a GIA certificate. Perhaps you can spend the rest of your budget getting a killer setting with some ACA melee.
 
Date: 2/3/2006 9:31:52 PM
Author: Jelly

How about this stone from Whiteflash?
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I''ve been wondering what cause that particular diamond to get into the ''Expert Selection'' ranks... it must have been that it looks clean despite the clarity gardes, and marquises are not all that forgiving. I wish there were more marquises shown with comparable info about cut quality
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Online, there are a few in a different database - at least with pictures.
Better than ''good'' symmetry is quite unusual for marqs, and this one has it, along with a more appealing shape.

63394.jpg
 
What about setting it like this, with 2 baguettes. Still very simple, but makes it a little more sophisticated and stylish, I think

marqbag.jpg
 
IMO, Tiffany''s think they exist for the super rich. We were totally ignored when we went into the NY (Manhattan) store 3 years ago. Not that I was going to buy anything, we were just browsing, but I am used to being jumped in jewelry stores. The only "blue box" I have came from my home builder when we moved into our new home. They gave everyone crystal candlesticks and if you look closely enough (turn it upside down) you can see Tiffany''s inscribed on them. Kind of like their rings, unless someone looks very closely, like inside, they''d never know that it was Tiffany''s anyway, unless they were extremely knowledgeable or worked for them. I personally think with your budget, you can get so much more elsewhere and no one would have any clue where it was from. I guess it depends if you want size or name. I agree that if you have unlimited money or a really large budget, why spend for the name when you can get so much more bling elsewhere.
 
Hi everyone-I''m new here. I''ve been lurking for sometime and have really enjoyed reading everyone''s posts.
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It''s nice to know I''m not the only one obsessed with diamonds! I feel the need to come out of hiding to add my 2c since this Tiffany''s question seems to comes up often, so here goes...

I think that if someone presented me with a Tiffany ring, I would be ecstactic, but I don''t know that I could shake the feeling of "what could have been" somewhere else. A girl in my grad program has a D IF 1 carat Lucida, and while beautiful, I really didn''t think it was anything out of the ordinary until after she told me what it was. And I''m into jewelry. I mean I said, "Your ring is really pretty." And she said, "Thanks, it''s the Lucida ring from Tiffany''s." I would hate to (and wouldn''t BTW
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walk around and announce where my ring was from. Come to think of it, although the quality was obvious, she had to tell me it was a D IF, too. hahaha She recently admitted she thought it was small and for $20000 she wished he''d gone somewhere else. I hope I haven''t offended anyone in my 1st post!

That said, I love marquises! Especially E-W.

Lisa
 
Welcome, Lisa! I think you gave a great example! No one would know it was from Tiffany''s unless they go around and tell it.

I really feel like Tiffany''s has the attitude that if you have to ask for the price, you probably don''t really belong there! And that would include me!
 
Date: 2/3/2006 5:33:06 PM
Author: Mara
There is no acceptable or normal range IMO. I have seen reports that say the average US e-ring is .50c and have seen .75c and also I read an article that said the average is 1.49c. So really I don''t think that there is any applicable AVERAGE...get what you want to get and that''s it!
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Mara
that is teh PS avg.
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I agree with what everyone here has said and my ring came from Tiff''s. I do adore it yes. But you can get a lot more for your money online. My ring was purchased way before I came on PS. So my advice is yes go to Tiff''s and have a look. But educate yourself and buy online. Why pay a 40% mark up?? To me that is just crazy. As someone said no one will know it''s a Tiffany ring, and you aren''t wearing the blue box on your hand. I see what your budget is and you will be able to buy a much bigger stone online. If she wants Tiffany, then get her Tiffany, but that''s not what I got from your post. HTH, good luck!!
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My boyfriend and I were at Tiffany''s just a few hours ago. The salesperson was very nice, and very low-key (and we were in our "Friday casual" jeans and tshirts). We went specifically to look at the Tiffany solitaire setting with channel-set diamond band. The rings were absolutely gorgeous. One had a 1.55 ct (F) center stone, the other a 1.41 ct (D) center stone; both had channel sets of .39ctw. Just to give you some perspective, the Tiffany site says this ring "Priced from approximately $2700"; the ones we saw were $27,000 and $28,000, respectively. I''m not sure what you''d get for $2700.
 
Date: 2/3/2006 10:08:51 PM
Author: jazmine
What about setting it like this, with 2 baguettes. Still very simple, but makes it a little more sophisticated and stylish, I think
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Jazmine, that setting is exactly like a friend of mine''s....She was probably married 40 years ago. It has a timeless and beautiful look to it! Very classy choice for a MQ
 
Date: 2/3/2006 5:37:06 PM
Author: Rod
someone who doesn''t want to spend their life learning about the 4C''s and who wants to walk right in and buy a diamond with fantastic characteristics and know they have a ring to be proud of and money is not really much of an issue, Tiffany is indeed a good place to shop.
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Not to malign my bf, but that''s why I put tiffany on my list. I love tiffany''s styles, but really the only reason to go with them is because it''s so hard to go wrong. Sure you could get something bigger elsewhere, but I feel that with tiffany I don''t have to worry that the stone will be poorly cut or the prongs crooked. Mby bf knows nothing about diamonds other than the fact that they''re a form of carbon!
If your gf mentioned tiffany it could be that she didn''t want you to stress yourself out worrying about picking the ''perfect'' ring.

Otoh, I must say that I personally have never seen a plain semi-bezel set e-ring quite as graceful as the etoile. But since you''re looking at their marquis, that''s not really an issue!
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if you do go to tiffany''s try to get out of theose &^%$lights. go into the parts of the store with regular light so you can see what you are buying.
 
JMO but it seems to me that Marquise are becoming a classic if well cut and there are many great options for setting them and making a beautiful ring. If it was ME then I would far rather have a larger diamond for the money than have it spent on a brand such as Tiffany, it is a case of deciding what would mean the most to your GF. If you want to find a great diamond easily and pay for the research and quality which has already been done for you at Tiffany then fine, otherwise it may mean some homework and education to find the right one yourself, but the pricetag will be lower and you will have much more diamond for your money
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I love surprises, but not for my e-ring. My boyfriend knew early early on that his instructions were, "IF you are thinking about shopping for a ring, don''t even think about buying anything without me!!" We ended up getting engaged before we went ring shopping. I know it takes away from some of the romance, but he did a very romantic proposal on his own once the ring arrived. In addition to that, my shopping/research/drooling on pricescope was a lot of fun and I know I ended up with the perfect ring for me.
 
I would be worried about holdng a ring and stepping away from the counter at Tiffany's. A silent alarm would probably sound and bars would come down over the door and windows! Lol!

And "starting at $2700"? My best bet is that is a setting with NO center diamond!

I agree with the poster who said that Tiffany's is a safe bet! Yes, by all means memorize their gorgeous settings (which you can see on their website) and buy a reproduction at a fraction of the price. I love the Marquise in the setting with side baguettes! Very classic, stylish, and timeless!

ETA: Can someone find him a better picture of a marquise set with side baguettes? (I don't know how to post pictures). I know when I have seen that setting, they say it is a Harry Winston reproduction.
 
I am becomming more and more convinced that I may not end up at Tiffany''s. My girlfriend never mentioned Tiffany''s. She has never mentioned ANY brand in fact. I guess I was just thinking of them because, like anyone, I want to try and get the best (or perceived best) I can for this once in a lifetime decision. Two follow-up questions:

1. There''s an independent jeweler in town that told me that, to the naked eye, nobody can really tell the difference between an SI and a VS. Is that true? He also said that while most people worry a lot about the clarity, it''s actually last on his list when determining the beauty of a diamond. He said Cut was the most important, followed by color.

He suggested me getting something with a cut of 3 or better in a G or better color and said an SI or better would be fine. Is that right, or is he smoking crack?
 
Do a search. We push cut here above everything. I have an SI1 and formerly had a VS1. I cannot tell the difference with the naked eye. You just have to make sure the SI is eyeclean. (mine is almost loupe clean!) We have been know to preach on this board that if you can''t see it, why pay for it. (clarity) Cut then carat then color then clarity. It sounds like your jeweler has been hanging out here.
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He''s not smoking crack, he''s actually helping you prioritize your budget. I think he''s given some pretty good advice. A diamond''s sole function is to sparkle. That is a result of cut. I would go with the best cut I could afford. I have a 0. I would not buy a 3. It''s not high enough for my standards. That''s a personal choice. Keep asking questions. We will help all we can.

shay
 
Navymike, what Shay37 said. I went with an eye-clean SI-1 for my wife, and as a result was probably able to do somewhat better on color (G) and size (1.66) than I otherwise would have. And it''s a beautiful diamond, I think (as does she). Also as you will hear from other PSers, cut uber alles!

Good luck with your search!
 
Michael,

That was good advice from your jeweler. But I''d like to add my personal opinion which differs from some here. I value ALL of the 4 C''s! The key is to balance them to a reasonable degree. I would accept an ideal cut or premium cut (0 or 1 if AGS) if the numbers were close to ideal. I simply can''t tell the difference between those visually, and my "almost ideal" sparkles like crazy! Next, I''d stay in the upper near colorless range and I would not go below H on a GIA or AGS certified diamond. Clarity is important to me, and yes, I do want to look through a 10X loupe and not see inclusions that bother me. So I prefer VS1 or VS2. I''d only consider a SI1 if the inclusion could be hidden by a prong or something. There are those here with pretty diamonds with lower color or lower clarity. But I''d personally try to get above average in all the C''s and have a diamond that is excellent overall!

After looking at 3 very nice regular jewelery stores, I realized I could get a far better diamond for my money if I shopped online. All these vendors have return policies in the event you view the diamond and want to return it (note: you do pay shipping both ways if you do this).

There are other good vendors here, but I focused my search between these:

http://www.jamesallen.com/

http://www.whiteflash.com/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/

http://www.winkjones.com/

Some have a better selection than others, but it all depends on which one has exactly what you are looking for! Do a search on those sites and start to get an idea who has stones that meet your parameters and then call and talk with them. I am sure you will end up with a beautiful ring!
 
NavyMIKE!!!
I agree with the "guy" who told you about prioritizing your list...
1. COST
2. CUT
3. CARAT
4. COLOR
5. CLARITY.

I think with your budget range, which BTW is a LOT of money, you can find yourself any Marquise and hold your head high...
As far as Clarity goes, it is determined under 10x magnification (I used to teach at GIA and quite familiar with the requirements)
Although, as the stone''s width or diameter becomes larger, the grading also corresponds... for some people with really good eyes, it can be eye visible when the clarity goes to SI2...this I have seen in brilliant cut diamonds starting in the 1.50ct range...Depends on the type of inclusion, and how close you are to the stone.... My suggestion to you is shopping around and looking at stones of various qualities.... for instance, go to tiffany''s and see what they have in MQ cuts, 0.60ct-1.50ct go elsewhere to see the visual difference between D-I Color and then to see the visual difference in clarity.
Good luck to you.
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