this is a good Tiffany cut diamond (measurements include)

[mzeta]

Hi everyone,
I need a little help with an engagement ring. I am looking at a 1 ct. D VS1 at Tiffany with these specs
61.7% depth,
55% table,
34.9° crown angle,
42.4% pavilion,
0% culet
Medium Girdle
Ex plsh
Ex Sym
No Fl

Is this cut ideal or better? I am having it transfered from NY and wont see it until next week. Thanks for the help.

mzeta

 

[Giangi]

Hi & Welcome!

The first thing I suggest you do is to run a search on the Tiffany's subject. There are many different perspectives about their stones/quality/settings/pricing over here.




That said, the data on the stone you posted is definitely good.

And yes, it falls within AGS 0 parameters. I'd prefer the pavilion too be slightly deeper (42.8-43.2%), but it's nevertheless beautifully cut and should be extremely sparkly!

 

[get_cut_not_ripped]

What's the price on that one?

 

[glitterata]

I tried it on the HCA and got 0.8 TIC Ex-Ex-Ex-VG, which is an excellent score.

(To learn more about the HCA, click on the "cut advisor" link at the top of the page.)

 

[mzeta]

Hey Guys.

I'm glad it's a good cut. I know many people feel that Tiffany is more expensive than online stores. I have bought Tiffany items before and was never dissapointed. I could not find a nicer setting elsewhere. I have seen some copys and the curves and proportions are way off.
This ring in a classic Tiffany platinum setting is 14.5k. It's a bit more but if the diamond is superb, I think it'll be worth it.

From what I read, many people on PS seem to favor H&A diamonds. Would a Tiffany ring pale in comparison to a H&A? The rings I saw in Tiffany looked pretty good to me.

So does the 0.8 TIC Ex-Ex-Ex-VG score mean the diamond will reflect large amounts of fire and light back?

 

[glitterata]

The HCA score should mean that the diamond will give you excellent white light, fire (colored light), and scintillation (the sort of black-and-white glittery pattern you can see in a nice diamond). The VG score is for "spread," which just means that the diameter is what it should be--your diamond won't look small for its weight.

Many people here object to Tiffany's because their prices are so much higher than online prices for diamonds that are as good or better. But if you like the name or the unique setting and don't mind paying the price difference, you'll probably be happy with that ring. Judging by the numbers, it's a good stone.

Have you actually seen it in person? It might even turn out to have a hearts & arrows pattern.

 

[eyesoftexas]

Lets all not forget that a Heart and arrows pattern simply means that a lot of care was taken in aligning the symmetry. It does not mean that a diamond is more brilliant and we all know that visually you can not see any difference between a very good and excellent due to symmetry. Other factors are so much more important. If this was not the case then the likes of Tiffanys, Winstons, Bvlgaris, Van Cleefs and Cartiers would all insist on having hearts and arrows themselves.

 

[Lynn B]

OK... here's my VERY HUMBLE 2 cents' worth!

I would probably never pay that much for that ring... "D" color just doesn't seem to me to be worth the premium. You could easily drop down a color grade or two and unless you (or your GF) are VERY color sensitive, you would never see that in a mounted stone. Well-cut stones generally face up VERY white. Regarding the clarity grade, VS1 is nice - VERY nice -- but VS2 would probably look just the same to the naked eye and be less money. I HATE to pay inflated prices for a brand name when a non-branded product (whatever it may be) is out there, just as good, and maybe even better... just requiring some work to find it. I persoanlly never turn down a challenge like that!

I didn't do a PS search first, so I'm winging this part -- but I bet you could find a stone at least as nice, (and maybe even "better"), for under 6k from one of PS's vendors. Not counting the setting, of course, that is $8,500 less!!!

Now if she really has her heart set on that Tiffany's setting, and you truly can't find ANYTHING, ANYWHERE that she likes as much... (but that is truly hard to imagine!), then I guess you have to go with it.

It doesn't sound like $$$ is a real big issue with you, but everyone loves to get the most for their dollars. To me, that little blue box is not worth the high price. PLUS... if you were just John Q Public Average Shopper and didn't have a clue (except what the local mall stores) were telling you about diamonds, BUT you had the $$$, going to Tiffany's might be considered your only sure bet of getting a "great stone." But you have found Pricescope with ALL the info you could ever need to learn about diamonds and how to purchase a gorgeous one. Again, just my opinion, but you don't "need" Tiffany's to get a great stone.

Even with a gorgeous setting, purchased elsewhere, and estimating its cost generously, I think you could still come out of this saving 5 or 6k!!!! (You could put the $$$ towards a great honeymoon, a down payment on a house, or... a larger stone

... and believe me, very few girls EVER mind THAT!)

But if your heart's set, then it's set... and I say, congratulations! I'm sure it will be gorgeous. Enjoy the ring and don't forget to post pictures!

Lynn

PS Do you have the pavilion angle?

 

[nicknomo]

That is way too much for a 1 ct diamond. Instead why don't you go for a F Vs2? I think you could get about a 1.5 ct for the same price in the same cut. You won't notice a lick of differece (as long as you get an eye clean vs2, which is highly probable).

I think that would make the most sense. Of course you could have a valid reason for wanting a D. It just seems to me that everyone thinks a D will look better than an F. In reality, you'd be hard pressed to notice the difference... especially on an ideal cut, face up. I am not that color sensitive, and unless I'm comparing side by side, an H will look completely colorless face up. Even side by side it isn't THAT much of a difference.

You can save a lot of money by dropping a few color/clarity grades. The change will equate to more bang for your buck, and you won't notice a difference.

 

[valdo650]

I looked up a similar diamond on Superbcert and the price is $8,395.00. With the Tiffiany setting, it would be slightly over $9200 at Superbcert.

http://www.superbcert.com/Shop_By_Product/Diamond_Details.cfm/P/217789/N/1;1

This 1.02 Round Diamond is only E color though.

This diamond also only scores a 1.3 on the TIC scale on the HCA advisor.

Seems to be worth paying the extra for the Blue Box in this case. Not bad IMO considering that the diamond rates 0.8 on the advisor and it's hard to find diamonds competitively priced that rate under 1.00 on the advisor.

If I had as much money as this person, I'd get the Tiffany ring too

. Kudos to you for getting the Tiffany salesperson to give you all the specs on the diamond. I've found it difficult to get the numbers from the salespeople there.

 

[eyesoftexas]

To get all of the specs from a Tiffany diamond just ask for the Tiffany Gemological report and it will have everything. They just have to print it out.

 

[quaeritur]

I generally agree with most of what Lynn said (well, except I really do love that D color!!!). However, I think it worth noting that sometimes the girl just wants that little blue box. If that's the case, then I commend the guy for getting it for her... even if I'd spend that money differently.

And, the specs on that stone do look great, it should perform very nicely indeed.

 

[Patty]

----------------
On 7/12/2004 11:17:21 PM valdo650 wrote:

This diamond also only scores a 1.3 on the TIC scale on the HCA advisor.
----------------

I think that 1.3 on the HCA advisor is GREAT. I think the consensus is that anything under a 2.0 is good. It's not necessarily a case of "lower is better."

 

[pqcollectibles]

----------------
On 7/13/2004 10:03:13 AM Patty wrote:

----------------
On 7/12/2004 11:17:21 PM valdo650 wrote:

This diamond also only scores a 1.3 on the TIC scale on the HCA advisor.
----------------

I think that 1.3 on the HCA advisor is GREAT. I think the consensus is that anything under a 2.0 is good. It's not necessarily a case of 'lower is better.'
----------------

Patty's right. 0.8 isn't really better than 1.3, but you may see a difference in a side by side comparison. Diamonds are as unique as people are. You could see a performance difference between two diamonds that score 1.3 or two diamonds that score 0.8 on the HCA. It all depends on the Cut of the diamonds involved. Each diamond has it's own personality and it really comes down to what appeals to your eye.

 

[bling]

When purchasing from Tiffanys, it seems to be a personal preference thing to me. I dont see anything wrong with purchasing a ring at Tiffanys, so long as you know what that means. To me, its that youre paying a large amount of money for a quality ring..a very nice diamond and a setting thats hard pressed to beat. However, you also have to know, that you can get just as good a diamond, if not better,most likely, considerably larger, with a very similiar setting for the same money. If you buying from Tiffany strickly for quality, then i think you should rethink what youre doing. Dont get me wrong, they have gorgeous diamonds, but you CAN find the same thing here online! Thats all..oh, and if you super into brand names and really want that Tiffany stamp on the inside..and you can afford it, I would do it! Hey, if I had that much money to kick around..id get both! hahaha. good luck and please come back with pics.

 

[kevinng]

How about this one?

D VVS2

This has a better grade on clarity and still cheaper.

 

[Lynn B]

Just wondering if I'm missing something here. When evaluating a diamond for cut, isn't the the pavilion angle particularly important? Tiffany's has only supplied him with the crown angle and the pavilion depth, but not the pavilion angle.

Lynn

 

[mzeta]

I went to Tiffany to see the diamond and all I can say is "Wow". This diamond is so brilliant and alive. The cut is so beautiful and clean. I looked at it through a loupe and I saw a crisp star pattern with the little flower in the center. The only other diamond I saw this week with this pattern was the eightstar. Maybe it will not be perfect under the firescope but I was sure impressed with the cut through a 10x. The polish on it looks clean compared to the eightstar which suprised me. I compared gemological reports on 3 diamonds and this one is way better than the other 2. I looked for a pavillion measurement in degrees but couldn't find one. I hope the pavillion percentage is accurate enough for the HCA. I am very happy I found this diamond. I could not find any faults in it.

I know some people feel that this ring is too expensive. I looked online at SuperbCert, GOG, BlueNile, and B&Ms. I have done some calculations. For example, kevinng posted a link for a GOG 1.01ct. D-VVS2 diamond for $11,227. I would say the Tiffany setting is worth around 2k. (The knockoffs that I have seen are horrible so the 1k knockoffs do not count) The GOG diamond in a 2k setting would add up to 13,227. The Tiffany ring will be around 15,500 total. For around $2k more, I think the peace of mind buying from Tiffany & Co. is so worth it for such an important investment. I can see and touch the ring before I buy it. If something were to go wrong with a 13k internet purchase, I would not be able to get any sleep just worrying about it. For just a little over two grand, she is going to get the real Tiffany ring.

 

[Lynn B]

It sounds like you have made up your mind and are very happy with your decision. You've seen the diamond and you love it. And it sounds like an amazing stone!

I am sure it is gorgeous. Now please don't feel that you need to justify the expense to us... it's YOUR money, afterall!

And sometimes it is quite nice to know that you have gotten something extra special, and I am sure your GF will be so thrilled and touched by all your efforts and hard work with this purchase. And I know she will LOVE it! Congratulations! I think you made the best decision for YOU!

Lynn

 

[eyesoftexas]

Your decision is all that matters. I was in the same boat Looking at Lucidas and when it came down to it I did pay more but it also did not bother me. In fact I figure Tiffanys has been around for over a 100 years and will probably be around for another hundred. If you get the urge to upgared the size of the stone then they will be there and thy will upgrade it. The original diamond I bought from a reputable Jeweler in NY is now out of business after 25 years in business. So I could not even go to them for the upgrade. $2k is totally worth it and you got the tiffany name and all those nice bennies that go with it (tons of free services and invites - the food I ate at one of the last parties was worth$$$).

 

[quaeritur]

Congratulations on finding your (or her!) perfect stone!!! I especially like seeing someone who has enough knowledge to make sure that the Tiffany's stone they're getting is the best of the best. Kudos to you for doing your homework, and for getting your girl what she wants!

 

[valdo650]

Make sure you post pictures for us when you propose

in the show me the ring section.

 

[kevinng]

I have been to Tiffany's to look at their rings. They are very very beautiful. I'm sure she will like the ring. The diamonds I looked at were all really brilliant.

However, I have one of GOG's diamonds. From my visual assessment, it is a very very beautiful diamond. My local gemologist congratulated me and said that it's a very very high quality diamond. He even asked for GOG's link. Oh... and the D VVS2 above is one grade higher on clarity, so you have to take that into account when comparing the prices as well. I don't have a rapapport report with me, so I don't know how much should I adjust.

Anyway, though I am confident of the quality of GOG's diamonds, I'm not sure if their settings can match that of Tiffany's. On top of that, I absolutely love Tiffany's design... and you cannot get a Tiffany setting without buying their diamond. Actually, I don't think you can price a Tiffany ring like a commodity. It's sold based on it's design, like most branded designer goods. So CONGRATULATIONS! I'm sure your fiance will love the ring.

 

[valeria101]

Congratulations for the purchase

Just look at this thread - so different from the former "Tiffany Friday" ! And the last "Tiffany rings are nit a comodity" just sounds out of this world !

Surely craftmanship and design is worth something - this is why the cutter's touch in those harts & arrows and eight start stones matters, even if the finer points escape to the eye

Am I wrong ?

 

[Daniela]

Wow, congratulations! I'm so happy for you. You bought the stone and setting that spoke to you, and that is definitely what matters. I am more and more becoming convinced of the value of a well-made designer setting. I also have to say that during the purchases I have made at Tiffany's, their service was impeccable. When we ordered my fiance's wedding band and it didn't fit, they sent a FedEx guy to pick it up from our house fully insured on their bill, and then FedExed us back the right size. This is something that not every business is willing to do.

But the real question is... How dare you not post pics?

 

[mzeta]

Two weeks ago, I was clueless about engagement rings. I knew nothing about diamonds besides the fact that they were expensive. After reading posts from everyone here on this thread and other threads on PS, I learned and understand in depth about diamond purchasing. I feel confident instead of nervous about this purchase now. Now I just need to plan the proposal.

I just want to Thank everyone here for your help and support.

I will put up some pics after I pick up the ring.

 

[Rhino]

Just an fyi... there is an $1800 per carat price difference from a D VS1 to a D VVS2.

 

[Rhino]

Playing around here on my lunch break.

The dimensions you list on that stone suggest a 40.3 pavilion angle coupled with the 34.9 crown angles. That produces the following (simulated light scope results). One thing for sure is this diamond should be hella fiery/scintillating. The 40.3 pavilion angle *may* affect the appearance of the diamond or it's brilliance in suffuse light conditions which may make it appear a little on the darker side but I would not know that for 110% sure without inspection. 40.3 pavilion angles when coupled with shallower crown angles (34.5 and lower) IS A KNOWN reduction in contrast brilliance but I am not as familiar with those pavilion/crown combo's as I am with the shallow/shallow combos. The 34.9 crown angles may indeed be a fine compliment to the 40.3 pavilion in suffuse lights. In direct lights no problem at all and especially under the lighting that Tiffany has in their store... I'm sure it looks amazing. Congrats to you!

 

[Rhino]

Here's a gem file on the same.