Tiffany 0.67-70 pricing

[firebirdgold]

Box doesn't matter if you're buying it for yourself, it might if it's an engagement ring. A blue box will add to the Wow factor. Of course you can always just not present the ring in a box.
Personally I feel that sp.com having the practically perfect match to your search criteria for almost half the price is pretty much fate. As a woman I'm betting she'll be happy you saved that much money. Besides you still have to buy a wedding band.

You can use the money you save for an awesome channel set diamond band.

*evil chuckle*


ETA: A classic tiffany, imho, is rather identifable. Even if she isn't that familiar with the it, the big signature inside of it is pretty much a dead give away. So even if it's not in a blue box, she'll know it's a real tiffany within 60 seconds. Getting a second time-delayed boost of Wow! is rather appealing.

 

[Kay]

I would buy that Signed Pieces ring in a heartbeat (before someone else does). Tiffany 0.70 cts, G, VVS2 for $3800 sounds perfect to me. You will have enough money left over to buy your girl a fantastic diamond wedding band. I''ve seen SP post a variety of Tiffany diamond bands over the past several months, here''s what they have now, but more will be available before your wedding: http://www.signedpieces.com/item.cfm?item_id=1902

Need a box? -- Ebay, baby!

Traditional blue suede box: http://cgi.ebay.com/AUTHENTIC-TIFFANY-CO-BLUE-SUEDE-RING-BOX-BAG-TAG_W0QQitemZ200028977843QQihZ010QQcategoryZ110498QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Antique Tiffany box: http://cgi.ebay.com/TIFFANY-ANTIQUE-RING-BOX_W0QQitemZ260035859644QQihZ016QQcategoryZ67685QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Only you what what your girl will really want, but I would much rather than my future husband be practical and get me a better color diamond for a lower price than if he bought new. I bet Tiffany will size (if necessary) and polish the ring for you for a minimal fee. Signed Pieces has an excellent return policy, so you can always return it if you don''t like the diamond or the condition of the setting.

 

[Bosie]

Agree with Kay 100%, buy the ring at SP and the box on ebay

 

[Beacon]

I shopped diamonds at Tiffany a few months back. They did not have any GIA certs for the stones, only the Tiffany lab reports. They told me this was their policy. I was looking at 2+ ct stones.

I have heard this before and am pretty sure that Tiffany does not GIA their stones. I guess this doesn''t mean that every once in a while they have a stone w/ a GIA cert though. They were pretty firm about their policy though, and I have seen them telling other customers the same thing.

I have seen Tiff stones for sale at auction w/ both GIA and Tiff certs, but I presumed that the consignors sent the stones to GIA themselves, just in case the Tiff cert wasn''t considered as trustworthy in an auction setting.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I wouldn''t worry about a cert for Tiffany diamonds in the event they only have their own. They have a very good reputation!

I chose an H stone because it is near colorless and looked very white to me. So yes, I think you can safely go to H. Some I color diamonds are good...that is a personal preference how low you''d feel comfortable in going. But my opinion is that if Tiffany sells it, it is probably fine!

But like the others, I''d be awfully tempted to buy the ring from SP and take it to Tiffany and have them polish it well for you. It would be very nice to save $2000+ dollars!

 

[Oleander]

Date: 10/2/2006 8:09:36 PM
Author: Beacon
I shopped diamonds at Tiffany a few months back. They did not have any GIA certs for the stones, only the Tiffany lab reports. They told me this was their policy. I was looking at 2+ ct stones.


I have heard this before and am pretty sure that Tiffany does not GIA their stones. I guess this doesn''t mean that every once in a while they have a stone w/ a GIA cert though. They were pretty firm about their policy though, and I have seen them telling other customers the same thing.


I have seen Tiff stones for sale at auction w/ both GIA and Tiff certs, but I presumed that the consignors sent the stones to GIA themselves, just in case the Tiff cert wasn''t considered as trustworthy in an auction setting.

Thank you for replying. My husband received a GIA certificate when he bought a stone at Tiffany, but that was 8 years ago. It just automatically came with the paperwork, along with the Tiffany appraisal, which is more stringent than the GIA, amazingly enough. Tiffany only had GIA for certain carat weight and above.

They must have stopped that.

 

[reader]

I would go for SP, Ebay box, and get a GIA report. But that is just me.

 

[yellowsparkles]

I was in Tiffany''s this summer and the salesman told me they don''t use GIA anymore. Tiffany''s has their own lab and has stopped using GIA because of some "scandal".

The SP ring sounds perfect. May tiffany''s can give you a new appraisal or go to an independant appraiser.

 

[flexicitus]

Your discussion and thoughts have helped my consideration of the ring, especially in relation to the SP offer. Thank you! Meanwhile I am getting a bit more confident about G-H colours and hopefully will save some money while still finding a brilliant diamond at the end. As regard the SP offer I took a look at it again and am a bit concerned with its lack of brilliance from the picture. It looks pretty 'dead' to me. Or is it the way how most diamond rings look in 'normal' situations? I also have some concern about the second-hand issue. (Well she is NOT going to read this forum.) Of course in any case there isn't a need for me to tell her that it's a second-hand and the box on ebay looks perfect for this purpose should I go ahead with it. I do have some personally sentimental concerns with a second-hand ring simply because of the likely circumstances behind it being a secondhand. That said, it's still an attractive alternative to a new ring.

I am a few days away from getting the ring! Can you believe that? I can't. It would be interesting if I could spot an H&A from their selection, wouldn't it? I think I am going to go with a F-H VS2 ex/ex/vg-ex. What about clarity? On the Bluenile site clarity is described as a factor in terms of brilliance and fire. Is that a shared view among most diamond owners and experts? Would an estimation of USD$5500-$6000 be reasonable for a G VS2 of 0.67-70? Would that look much different from a 0.50? I have some UK Tiffany prices here and they are outrageous because of the built-in UK custom and shipping cost. E.g., a 0.50 F/VS2 costs as much as $7000 US before tax. It's impossible for me to go with it, even though I would get the 17% VAT (tax) refund.

My fiancee isn't expecting the ring this soon, and I am responsible for her lack of expectancy. Why? Because I told her that I wouldn't be able to afford a half carat Tiffany at this time! We had a good and emotional conversation surrounding the ring, particularly about whether going for a Tiffany or not in light of financial reasons. I also told her what the pricescope community would tell anybody about Tiffany; greater selections of quality diamonds are available for the same price or less from non-Tiffany vendors. Yes we have discussed that at length and are glad that we have. At first I couldn't understand why she would rather go for Tiffany at the expense of the internal quality of the diamond, and I was a little confused by her sentiment towards the Tiffany setting. For her as for us there is a priceless value to artistic originality, which in this case is what we associate with our choice for a Tiffany. Neither of us is into brand names, to be sure. That's why I know her decision on this particular occasion is a special one. It wasn't easy for me to understand her perspectives at first, especially having been 'informed' by pricescope discussions. But what she also allows me to know is her willingness to 'work with' my resources while being honest with me about her preference. The bottomline is that she doesn't require any ring at all for our engagement which would and could go ahead with or without a Tiffany. I can't wait to see her reaction when she sees the ring after ALL of our talks. I am naughty for setting her up for this surprise, but isn't that part of the engagement proposal afterall?

Many thanks again for your input again!! Does Tiffany usually have a few prices on the same diamond category, same in terms of the 4Cs, or do prices vary each ring individually? If so, how do I get the most of the selection instead of being 'cornered' to get the most expensive one?


Fl

 

[firebirdgold]

The visual size difference is about .5-.6mm. It doesn't sound like it should be noticeable but it is. My diamond is about 5.35mm (.57carat) so of course I think that's a good size.

When you're looking at diamonds pay more attention to the mm size than the actual carat wieght since that's what you're actually seeing.

Same with clarity, as long as you can't actually see the inclusion it doesn't make a big impact. Cut is much more of a factor than a couple of clouds. That said, one of the things that annoys me about the tiffany certificate is that it doesn't show the location of the inclusions. A cloud in the middle of the table probably would have more of an impact than one near the edge even if the clarity grade is the same. But still it's nothing compared to the cut at that grade level. If I had to chose between a G-Vs1 vg/vg/vg and an I-Vs2 ex/ex/ex I'd go for the latter no question.

There's a thread somewhere in show me the ring which is dedicated to diamonds under a carat. Since people usually give their ring sizes it helps with the visual comparison. (A .6 will look bigger on a size 4 finger than a size 7.)

ETA: oh and as I said, if asked your budget range seriously lowball it since they almost always try to sell up. They'll show you something in your range and then show you something a bit more expensive that looks nicer than the first one. For instance say that your budget is $5000. not $5500-$6000. I sold fine jewelry at one point and that's what they told me to do.

 

[flexicitus]

Your ring and the size sound great!! Great advice on diameter! Her size is 6 and I am going for visual perfection than for carat, and if a 0.50 would do as good as a near 0.7, I would surely consider it! I also would appreciate some input on my last question concerning selection.


Many cheers!!


Fl

 

[egs1]

Flexicitus,

To ensure a good selection at Tiffanys you should decide on your preferences based on specs or price and ask to see what they have in their international inventory similar to this. Then they can order some of those pieces in for you to compare. Or if you are lucky, they may just have what you want in store.

Bear in mind that Tiffanys prices are based mainly on color, clarity and carat (based on my experience, and not in that order...but i''m no expert), so maximise your value by cut.

 

[firebirdgold]

Right, call ahead for an appointment and find out how much selection they have in your 4C range. If you do it today they'll have time to get a couple of things sent to them if their selection is weak. Also they should have access to the database of all the diamonds in the system through their computer near the diamond ring area.
Oh, and when you call make sure that they know you'll want to see the certs before deciding. It'll help if you also tell them that you want to buy the ring that weekend. It'll reassure her/him that you're a serious customer not a comparison shopper. I don't know if they work on commission or not but dangling money in front of a salesperson will sharpen their attention and improve the service.

ETA: ooh, almost forgot. Diamonds really don't photograph that well, so the sp ring's pic is not a very good indicator of it's performance. I'd take it more as an indicator of the condition of the ring. But I'd be more a fan of it if it was ex/ex not vg/vg although it does have a very good diameter and will look larger than say a diamond with 62% depth and a 54% table. (table size doesn't make it actually bigger, but under a carat it can help it look bigger to the eye.)

This is just my inexpert opinion. I was a jewelry salesperson for years but even at the top-end place they never bothered to educate us beyond what we needed to talk buyers into buying. Selling in person is often more about emotion than fact.

 

[codex57]

I''d call Tiffany''s to set up an appointment. If you haven''t looked at color in person yet, I''d do so at other stores to get an idea of what you''re comfortable with.

I''d definitely go with the lowest clarity that Tiffany''s has. Tiffany doesn''t sell crap diamonds. I think their lowest clarity is like a VS2. That''s perfectly fine. It''s not visible to the naked eye and won''t affect its performance. As such, that''s the first place to sacrifice out of the 4 c''s.

If you call in ahead of time, they have more time to get rings in your specs so you have more choices.

I''d next sacrifice color. If you get a solitaire, unless you have another diamond to compare to, it''s hard to tell what color it is other than colorless, or some color. So, if you can''t afford colorless, you''ve got some fudge room. If you want colorless, you''ve still got some fudge room (E or F instead of D).

Also, make sure to take the diamond to the window to see the performance in natural light. The halogen lights in a jewelry store could make a piece of charcoal look like a beaut.

 

[Oleander]

Regarding the Signed Pieces ring: While I agree it''s a great value and opportunity, my own opinion is that I would _not_ want a used ring for my engagement. The stone is fine, but I would want it reset. Call me insane, but that''s how I would feel. Make sure the fiance isn''t opposed to a formerly owned ring to avoid future conflict. There''s no keeping secrets from women forever--we always find out everything! It amazes my husband sometimes.

I, personally, only like previously owned jewelry from someone who means something to me.

Tiffany should have a few rings for you to look at in your chosen characteristics, but I agree with the others and would call ahead and make sure since you can only be there one day. They may have to order from different stores to get in what you want to see.

Since this is an international purchase I don''t know the specifics, but don''t forget about things like tax and duty. I don''t know if these will be imposed or not (does Canada even have sales tax? I can''t remember.), but factor it into your final price.

 

[flexicitus]

Many thanks for your invaluable inputs!! You have no idea how greatly helpful you all have been. The Canadian sales taxes (GST/PST) are around 14-16%. Yes, ouch! But imagine, the price after taxes is still cheaper than the UK price before tax. Go figure!! I included the diameter range instead of a carat range in my message to the Tiffany salesperson assigned to me: High 5.7x - low 5.8x; ex/ex/ex-vg; F-G; VS2. I didn't include a budget. Yea somebody would have work to do before Saturday!! That's for sure!!

Fl

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Good luck, FI! Please come back and tell us what you find!

 

[gailrmv]

I may be late to this topic, but I personally would not mind a second hand ring IF it meant i could also get a blingy band or earrings etc! The circumstance could well be that the owner decided to upgrade her ring. Ya never know. Not trying to talk you into it, but it seems perfect timing that it has appeared and is just what you are looking for! I bet it is much more sparkly in person, they usually are!

 

[Kay]

Date: 10/3/2006 11:32:19 PM
Author: gailrmv
I may be late to this topic, but I personally would not mind a second hand ring IF it meant i could also get a blingy band or earrings etc! The circumstance could well be that the owner decided to upgrade her ring. Ya never know. Not trying to talk you into it, but it seems perfect timing that it has appeared and is just what you are looking for! I bet it is much more sparkly in person, they usually are!

Speaking of blingy bands, look what I just found on SP: Tiffany 5-stone (1.0 ct twd), F-G color, VVS-VS clarity for $3,800. http://www.signedpieces.com/item.cfm?item_id=4942

 

[flexicitus]

What a beautiful piece of firework diamonds! I am about to take off for Toronto and will let you all know how things turned out. I am thinking of proposing in January, but if I got the ring on Saturday its 30-day return policy wouldn''t cover it should she want a smaller diamond, wouldn''t it? Any suggestion? Do you think Tiffany could hold the ring for me if it''s been paid in full? There is only one T store in Canada and that''s in Toronto. And I would be on the other side of the country where the action would happen. What would be the best course of action, my friends?


Fl

 

[flexicitus]

Many thanks for all of your supports and sharing. I like to tell you that she has said 'Yes'!!!! Tonight was Thanksgiving in Canada, and truly it was.

As for the ring I chose a 0.47ct instead, and tonight she said it's just perfect (size).

I finally got to 'check' the numbers on the HCA and e-praise.

Its HCA score is 0.5 and e-praise 0.991!!!! It couldn't have been better.

It is also Tiffany 'excellent' in cut, polish and symmetry. I am very pleased with it!!

Fl

SHE SAID 'YES'!!!

 

[gailrmv]

Congrats! That''s great! Glad it all worked out.

 

[Kaleigh]

Congrats!!! I can''t wait to see pics when you get a chance. I''m sure she''s thrilled with it!! Best wishes to you both!!!

 

[Oleander]

Date: 10/9/2006 11:58:17 PM
Author: flexicitus
Many thanks for all of your supports and sharing. I like to tell you that she has said ''Yes''!!!! Tonight was Thanksgiving in Canada, and truly it was.


As for the ring I chose a 0.47ct instead, and tonight she said it''s just perfect (size).


I finally got to ''check'' the numbers on the HCA and e-praise.


Its HCA score is 0.5 and e-praise 0.991!!!! It couldn''t have been better.


It is also Tiffany ''excellent'' in cut, polish and symmetry. I am very pleased with it!!


Fl


SHE SAID ''YES''!!!

Best wishes to you both! Can''t wait to see some pictures of your new gem.

 

[susi]

Congratulations to you, on this great news! I have been away, trying to keep up with this thread and enjoyed so much, reading it to the end.

Your ring sounds beautiful.....please tell your new Fiancee (!) that we are so happy for her!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/1/2006 8:27:22 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Clarity has nothing to do with fire and brilliance, except maybe in a very included stone. Considering there is such an extreme price premium for the Tiffany name, I''d certainly be looking at G and H color stones unless your budget is unlimited. And VS1 and VS2 are perfectly fine. Tiffany does not sell bad diamonds. It all boils down to the size you really want and the price you''re willing to pay. What size stones do her friends and family have? What size is her finger? I''d certainly rather have a .70 over a .50. But there are some areas of the world where anything above .50 would be large. Then there are other places, like Beverly Hills, perhaps, where anything under 2 carats is very small. You do need to have some ideas of size, color, clarity, and price before you go in. But since they do have fixed prices, there is nothing wrong with telling them your budget up front. The prices are right there on the rings.

when I was in there I think they said they only did the first 6 levels... DEFGHI and FL, IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2... At tiffany prices I''d surely be hitting for the I VS2 LOL!!!

 

[flexicitus]

We have posted some photos of the ring. The address is:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/photos-of-the-ring-from-flexicitus.51906/

Many thanks for all your help and advice!!

Fl & A