T&CO .45 for 5.200$. What do you think?

[Dreamer_D]

As I said before, call them both in and look at them and decide for yourself which you would like to buy. Value is important to you, and to determine the best value *for you* in this scenerio, you need to see in person what you are deciding between. I am willing to bet if you hold the diamonds side by side and did not know which is which, you could not tell the difference. So ultimately you will need to decide if *knowing* you have an F color diamond is worth $600. I actually suspect that knowing that is worth the money to you, since you are already spending about double per carat to know you have a Tiffany Nothing wrong with that. But you should really stop asking us and just go weigh the options for yourself in person.

 

[kittybean]

At least with .5 carat, his fiance won't have to carry around a magnifying glass with her in order for her friends to see the diamond. With that first one he was considering, I just think that was ridiculously small.

Isabelle, I know you are trying to help the OP here, but I think it's important to remember that there are a number of PSers who have diamonds smaller than a .5 ct, and their stones are neither "ridiculously small" nor do they necessitate a magnifying glass to see them. I have two .25 ct stones my husband lovingly gave me, and I can enjoy their beauty without a magnifying glass. To imply otherwise is to be less than considerate.

To the OP: I think you have heard what PSers have to say. If you have made up your mind regarding the Tiffany brand and what size, color, and clarity you would like to purchase for your intended, I think you should go ahead and purchase what makes you feel most comfortable. You know your future fiance best, and if the rings you are looking at would please her the most, then that is absolutely what you should buy. Best wishes to you for a magical proposal and a long and happy life together.

 

[Amys Bling]

In my opinion- go for the F color since obviously getting a diamond in the D-F range is very important to you.

1. Cut- Yes, the cut for all the Tiffany stones should be excellent, so that is the same

2. Clarity- I think you go on board with the idea that it needs to be eyeclean- Vs2- SI1 (I think you realized throughout discussion that this is the area you can drop in and still have a superior stone)

3. Color vs. Carat- The point of contention is color vs. carat since the other points are already agreed upon. Color is obviously more important to you, and knowing it's "purely colorless" is of interest to you on paper. So go with the F....

***I personally would go lower in color G or H if my FI's budget didn't allow a stone at least 1 carat, but since his budget allowed a 1.55 RB with excellent cut, then I was excited to go for the D pure colorless stone..... again it's preference, it's a give and take and I think that the carat size your budget allows kind of determines the color you can get.... IF your budget was 10,000, I would say go for a D or E and get a 1carat or larger stone, but since it's 5K and you want Tiffanys... I would go for a .75....1.0 carat stone in a lower color..i.e. GHI..

To each his own! I wish you luck in your endeavor and would love to hear what you end up purchasing and to see this lovely ring on your future FI's hand!!!

 

[Isabelle]

As I said before, call them both in and look at them and decide for yourself which you would like to buy. Value is important to you, and to determine the best value *for you* in this scenerio, you need to see in person what you are deciding between. I am willing to bet if you hold the diamonds side by side and did not know which is which, you could not tell the difference. So ultimately you will need to decide if *knowing* you have an F color diamond is worth $600. I actually suspect that knowing that is worth the money to you, since you are already spending about double per carat to know you have a Tiffany Nothing wrong with that. But you should really stop asking us and just go weigh the options for yourself in person.

This is very good advice. He's getting Tiffany and that's final and he wants the best color for the money and that's final too I suspect. I would even guess that if the .4 stone was a D IF, and under $5K, he'd have bought that one. A lot of people feel that way about Tiffany, (it's all they want and they will happily go down in size to get the quality) which is probably why in a sluggish economy, just when you would expect their stock to tank, they are rated a strong "Buy" by the Wall Street Journal.

 

[Isabelle]

In my opinion- go for the F color since obviously getting a diamond in the D-F range is very important to you.

1. Cut- Yes, the cut for all the Tiffany stones should be excellent, so that is the same

2. Clarity- I think you go on board with the idea that it needs to be eyeclean- Vs2- SI1 (I think you realized throughout discussion that this is the area you can drop in and still have a superior stone)

3. Color vs. Carat- The point of contention is color vs. carat since the other points are already agreed upon. Color is obviously more important to you, and knowing it's "purely colorless" is of interest to you on paper. So go with the F....

***I personally would go lower in color G or H if my FI's budget didn't allow a stone at least 1 carat, but since his budget allowed a 1.55 RB with excellent cut, then I was excited to go for the D pure colorless stone..... again it's preference, it's a give and take and I think that the carat size your budget allows kind of determines the color you can get.... IF your budget was 10,000, I would say go for a D or E and get a 1carat or larger stone, but since it's 5K and you want Tiffanys... I would go for a .75....1.0 carat stone in a lower color..i.e. GHI..

To each his own! I wish you luck in your endeavor and would love to hear what you end up purchasing and to see this lovely ring on your future FI's hand!!!

I agree so much with this. But I doubt he would buy a D or E of 1 carat in the $10K range at Tiffany & Co. Not likely.

 

[Isabelle]

Get the F. An F and a G are worlds apart in the category of diamonds even though they are only one color grade apart. F is COLORLESS. G is NOT.

Let's start with the color thing. Is he buying the paper or the stone? Two stones, one F and one G, may in fact be infinitesimally close in color. Heck, they could even be the same color, say both on the line between F and G, and one managed to get graded higher than the other because the grading is not a perfect science. While the F stone is worth more because it comes with this nice piece of paper stamped 'F', the OP has to PAY MORE to get this F stone with its more desirable paper. A stone that may or may not be that different in color than the G. The OP is certainly free to decide that he wants that piece of paper that says F on it, and to pay for it, but to say (without seeing the stones in question) that they are 'worlds apart' is a real exaggeration. At least if you are talking about the stones themselves. They may actually be extremely close in color.

Even if the stones are in fact a full color grade different, the idea that the stones themselves are 'worlds apart' is kind of misleading. Again, if you are talking about how the stones would appear in a ring rather than in some paper-comparing contest or on the resale market. The average person would be hard pressed to distinguish an F from a G when set and worn on a woman's hand. Especially in a half carat size, and without other stones around for comparison.

As to Tiffany cut standards, other vendors do have branded lines with stricter cut standards, as in they have a more consistent product. To my knowledge, there is more variation among Tiffany round diamonds than, say, newline ACAs, which have a very consistent look. Note I did not say 'more beautiful' as that is subjective. Nor did I say that the idealscope is the be-all-end-all of cut grading. But if the OP is interested in teasing out cut differences between Tiffany stones, the idealscope is one tool that could help him, if that is what he is interested in. Right now he seems to be choosing on basic grading specs rather than anything else. If he wants to evaluate cut quality, he will have to use his eyes and the idealscope might help.

it's interesting. When TGL grades a color, they are very harsh with their grading. A TGL G could be someone else's F. And a TGL F could be someone else's E. But a G diamond is not classified as colorless by any diamond grading system and the industry values a well cut F much higher than a well cut G for exactly that reason. And since TGL is known in the industry to grade very harshly, appraisers will happily rely on their grade, knowing that the grade is at least what TGL says it is and arguably higher. That piece of paper is real value. It certifies the stone as colorless. What he sees with his own eyes is beside the point. He wants to know that he has bought the best he can afford. And with an F, VS1 he can't get much better. --Again assuming an excellent cut grade.

 

[Isabelle]

At least with .5 carat, his fiance won't have to carry around a magnifying glass with her in order for her friends to see the diamond. With that first one he was considering, I just think that was ridiculously small.

Isabelle, I know you are trying to help the OP here, but I think it's important to remember that there are a number of PSers who have diamonds smaller than a .5 ct, and their stones are neither "ridiculously small" nor do they necessitate a magnifying glass to see them. I have two .25 ct stones my husband lovingly gave me, and I can enjoy their beauty without a magnifying glass. To imply otherwise is to be less than considerate.

To the OP: I think you have heard what PSers have to say. If you have made up your mind regarding the Tiffany brand and what size, color, and clarity you would like to purchase for your intended, I think you should go ahead and purchase what makes you feel most comfortable. You know your future fiance best, and if the rings you are looking at would please her the most, then that is absolutely what you should buy. Best wishes to you for a magical proposal and a long and happy life together.

Please. First off it was meant as a joke. He has $5K to spend but I suspect that he could have bought a .18 D, IF for that amount had he wanted to. Secondly, I'm pretty sure you are the one with the 2 carat plus engagement ring so I don't know really why you are pretending to be personally offended by the joke. That's kind of funny too.

 

[Amys Bling]

Isabell- when I said 10,000 for a D/E in 1 ct I meant "tiffany quality" but not tiffany- then I said, BUT you have a 5,000 and want Tiffany so....

you get what I mean though

 

[Isabelle]

Isabell- when I said 10,000 for a D/E in 1 ct I meant "tiffany quality" but not tiffany- then I said, BUT you have a 5,000 and want Tiffany so....

you get what I mean though

Oh I'm sorry. I misread your post. I totally get what you mean. Hey look, if I were advising him, I'd suggest BGD or Infinity for a 1 carat AGS 0 Princess set in platinum. With a budget of less than $10K, to me it would be more important to get at least 1 carat in weight. More important than the Tiffany name. But he feels differently and a lot of folks just like him do too. When I was in their NY store on Fifth Avenue three weeks ago, I can't tell you how many couples I saw drop ~ 4 or 5 K for .5 stones. They want the name and the quality it represents. They know they could go down to the Diamond District in NY and pay a lot less, but they don't want to. They want to know they are buying quality when they buy their diamond and with Tiffany you don't have to be a diamond expert. You have the assurance of knowing you are getting quality and that gives many people peace of mind.

 

[Amys Bling]

I have a friend who wanted Tiffany and felt that less than a carat (not sure exact size) was perfect for her. He was willing to spend it on her, she was very happy with the ring, and it looks lovely on her!

To each his own...

BUT I do want to quote a friend who worked at Tiffany for 6 years (through late HS years and college)....She said to my FI "You buy a Tiffany quality stone...not Tiffany". She said the markup on EVERYTHING at Tiffany's is INSANE...she would -through the employee store plus her discount get silver jewelry at 1/10 of the price, and they still made money off her purchase....

with that being said, you get your FI what she wants and make her happy.

 

[yssie]

The words 'higher quality' are not always synonymous with 'more posh', 'rarer', 'pricier', 'designer'.

If quality means those things to you first and foremost then no, you are certainly not getting ripped off.
If for you quality has a different definition, then yes, you are certainly getting ripped off.

 

[kittybean]

Please. First off it was meant as a joke. He has $5K to spend but I suspect that he could have bought a .18 D, IF for that amount had he wanted to. Secondly, I'm pretty sure you are the one with the 2 carat plus engagement ring so I don't know really why you are pretending to be personally offended by the joke. That's kind of funny too.

Clearly, I misinterpreted your joke. I thought you were making a generalization about smaller-carat-weight diamonds, and as the owner of a couple that are very special to me sentimentally, I didn't appreciate the generalization. Although my engagement ring is as you describe it, I enjoy and own other, smaller stones as well. At any rate, sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

[Isabelle]

Please. First off it was meant as a joke. He has $5K to spend but I suspect that he could have bought a .18 D, IF for that amount had he wanted to. Secondly, I'm pretty sure you are the one with the 2 carat plus engagement ring so I don't know really why you are pretending to be personally offended by the joke. That's kind of funny too.

Clearly, I misinterpreted your joke. I thought you were making a generalization about smaller-carat-weight diamonds, and as the owner of a couple that are very special to me sentimentally, I didn't appreciate the generalization. Although my engagement ring is as you describe it, I enjoy and own other, smaller stones as well. At any rate, sorry for the misunderstanding.

No problem! I just think it's hard to understand someone with a $5k budget settling for such a small stone in order to get that quality. I'd have gone down in color and clarity in order to get the size. But that's us. Not everyone feels that way. And you're right about there being women with .25 stones, (my grandmother), but I bet most of them didn't have $5k to spend. So that was why I made the quip.

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Please. First off it was meant as a joke. He has $5K to spend but I suspect that he could have bought a .18 D, IF for that amount had he wanted to. Secondly, I'm pretty sure you are the one with the 2 carat plus engagement ring so I don't know really why you are pretending to be personally offended by the joke. That's kind of funny too.

Clearly, I misinterpreted your joke. I thought you were making a generalization about smaller-carat-weight diamonds, and as the owner of a couple that are very special to me sentimentally, I didn't appreciate the generalization. Although my engagement ring is as you describe it, I enjoy and own other, smaller stones as well. At any rate, sorry for the misunderstanding.

No problem! I just think it's hard to understand someone with a $5k budget settling for such a small stone in order to get that quality. I'd have gone down in color and clarity in order to get the size. But that's us. Not everyone feels that way. And you're right about there being women with .25 stones, (my grandmother), but I bet most of them didn't have $5k to spend. So that was why I made the quip.

You sure you are getting the highest cut quality?

Tiffany's has some variation in their round diamonds in terms of cut quality, this is in spite of this shape being optimized and well controlled using today's cutting methods and standards.

A princess cut is even more difficult to control its cut precision and optics. In today's market you will seldom see two princess cuts with the exact same cut from any brand even those with higher prices than Tiffany's.

I highly doubt all tiffany's princess cuts are the same cut quality, some will be better than others. This is something you should ask your sales assistant, and unless you have a good one you will not get a proper answer. Most likely the answer you would get from junior associates would be along the lines of "All Tiffany's diamonds are Ideal" which is both misleading and demonstrates a lack of attention to the fine details in cut of fancy shapes.

Also since you are paying the Tiffany's prices I would expect you to get the royal treatment. Make sure you and your future fiance get the champagne experience and you are treated well the next time you go into the store.

If I were you I'd setup an appointment in a private viewing area, ask them to show you 5-10 stones within your budget and go and look at them outside of the strong jewlery store lights in normal lighting, daylight, under a table etc. You just may find one or two speak to you more than the others and it may not be the highest color or clarity stones. You might just be surprised at the results.

Good-Luck,
CCL

 

[slg47]

If I were you I'd setup an appointment in a private viewing area, ask them to show you 5-10 stones within your budget and go and look at them outside of the strong jewlery store lights in normal lighting, daylight, under a table etc. You just may find one or two speak to you more than the others and it may not be the highest color or clarity stones. You might just be surprised at the results.


this is sound advice. choose with your eyes, not the paper.

 

[hearts-arrows_girl]

Have you considered a previously owned T&C ring? You could get a larger size for your $5,000. I bought my 1 carat eternity Tiffany & Co ring on ebay. It sells for $4,200 + tax, in Tiffany's and I only paid $1,375 total, on ebay. Paypal held my funds from the seller until I got it authenticated from T&C in New York (they hold funds until buyer gives positive feedback on some branded items as a security measure). You must be careful, and for sure have it authenticated, but you can save a bundle.

My ring was being sold by the original owner, so I saw all the original paperwork & got the little blue box too. I found buying from an original owner was cheaper, you don't have a middle man hiking up the price, and you find out the original place of purchase.

Just a suggestion!

 

[Imdanny]

So when are we going to get to see pictures of this Tiffany ring?

 

[Isabelle]

Have you considered a previously owned T&C ring? You could get a larger size for your $5,000. I bought my 1 carat eternity Tiffany & Co ring on ebay. It sells for $4,200 + tax, in Tiffany's and I only paid $1,375 total, on ebay. Paypal held my funds from the seller until I got it authenticated from T&C in New York (they hold funds until buyer gives positive feedback on some branded items as a security measure). You must be careful, and for sure have it authenticated, but you can save a bundle.

My ring was being sold by the original owner, so I saw all the original paperwork & got the little blue box too. I found buying from an original owner was cheaper, you don't have a middle man hiking up the price, and you find out the original place of purchase.

Just a suggestion!

That's a great suggestion and I didn't know pay pal does that!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Isabelle, you're so knowledgeable about the T&Co corp and their product, do you work for them?

 

[oranges]

Isabelle, you're so knowledgeable about the T&Co corp and their product, do you work for them?

I was just going to ask the same thing. I've never seen someone who so vehemently backs Tiffany at every opportunity they get. I love Tiffany and have a few nice pieces (Jazz, metro) but I've never seen such... *dedication* towards a particular company before.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Or contact info at hand...

 

[vbnet]

ok, so, when do we see the ring? Or are you reviewing more stones from NY?

 

[Isabelle]

Or contact info at hand...

No I don't work there but I love the company for the quality and the history it represents.

 

[hearts-arrows_girl]

Or contact info at hand...

No I don't work there but I love the company for the quality and the history it represents.

Me too!

 

[asdasd]

Hello everybody!

Sorry for the lack of updates but I've been in a really long vacations and away from the computer.

So... this friday is the day, I will be buying the ring, a T&CO princess cut 0.51 - F - VS1 with a 4300$ price tag. That's the best one I've managed to find in my price and quality range.

This diamond buying process wouldn't have been possible without your kindful help, thank you all.

I hope I can post pics of the ring soon but I wouldn't like to mess the packaging before proposing (which by the way won't happen until a few months...).


Thank you all.

 

[Blackpaw]

asdasd, im late to this discussion but best of luck with the purchase/proposal

cant wait to see the ring in a few months! BTW, totally understand you not wanting to mess the packaging, tieing those bows is impossible

 

[slg47]

yes best of luck and please come back with pictures after you propose!

 

[asdasd]

Hello everyone,

I know It's been a long time since my last post, but I promised I would update you and post pics after I proposed and that moment finally came.

After keeping the ring in a safe and hidden place of the house for more than 6 months I went on vacation with my girlfriend and in that "observation deck" (english isn't my first language, don't know If that's the proper word for that place...) inside the resort I proposed and she said Yes.



And this is the diamond, a T&CO princess cut 0.51CT. F color, VS1 which my girlfriend loved from the very first moment she saw It.





Thank you all very much, I couldn't have done It without your help.

Regards,

 

[slg47]

congratulations!!! it's beautiful

 

[shihtzulover]

Congratulations on your engagement!

That is such a gorgeous diamond and ring! Of course, I am a bit biased, because I love princess cuts, and I also love classic solitaire settings.