Tiffany 2012 Pricing

[lamenramen]

Hello,

Just got back from Tiffany & Co to look at 6 prong solitaire engagement rings:

I thought that I would share the prices that I received:

0.95 I VS2 Triple X (Exc cut, symmetry, polish) 9950
0.94 I VS2 Triple X 9,850

Going up a letter to the H color, keeping everything else constant, moved things up to about $11,000

Going down to the 0.8 carat range, with the I VS2 moved the price down to about $8500.

Please note who you are talking to here. The salesman took out one ring. I said it's wonderful. Then took out another identical ring and asked me which one I liked more. I said, with confidence, obviously the second one. He flipped the tags over and the first one was an I color, the second one was an E. So clearly I am colorblind. Then for good measure, I looked away after we had moved the rings around (there were 3 out at this point). I was about to say "now it's obvious which one the E ring is". And I flipped over the tags and of course, I messed up again. I had chosen the I stone. So at that point I decided that there was no point in buying something super high up the color chart. I don't think that I"m an idiot with color. Regarding clarity, the salesman said that Tiffany rarely carries SI1, so he didn't show me any.

I'm fully aware that I can get high(er) quality diamonds from say, Whiteflash's A Cut Above, BGD's Signature line, etc...
but what surprises me is that Tiffany is not 2x the price of online vendors as is the general assumption.

No doubt, Tiffany is more expensive than online, but the markup is along the lines of 25% -33% rather than 100% more.
I am not counting in the tax since it's not within Tiffany's control and is an advantage that all online stores share and all retail jewelry stores do not share, not just Tiffany.

In my calculations, I am assuming a full $1875 for a Vatche U113 platinum setting, which to me is the closest reproduction of the Tiffany setting today. My goal was to recreate the Tiffany setting exactly, so I assumed that I had to have the Vatche.

For what it's worth, Tiffany told me that they will not negotiate, but they do offer 1 year of interest free financing. So in plain terms, that means that if you can pay off the ring in 1 year, then your price will be as good as cash. I'm sure finance majors will tell you that's a good thing b/c of inflation and stuff, but it's probably a small amount.

I am still not fully decided on going with Tiffany, b/c a 25% markup seems to be about right for the 'prestige' and the 'brand' and all the emotional baggage that comes with Tiffany. I still may end up going with A Cut Above stones, plus a Vatche setting, because I know full well that the final product may be even better than a Tiffany. But I must admit that as my initial goal (as well as many others' on Pricescope) was to duplicate the Tiffany e-ring exactly, getting the real thing seems within reason, esp with the financing offer (online stores do have the financing as well, to be fair).

My lady does love Tiffany, and at a 25%-33% markup, I am willing to pay. As proof of how totally irrational the e-ring buying process can be, right now the fact that Tiffany will clean your ring, always, for free, is being used to justify the markup. Even though pretty much any store will do that for you. And I'm even using the lack of bargaining as a positive, because everyone will be getting ripped off the same amount. There's some comfort in knowing that if you're getting borderline scammed, at least so is everyone else.

p.s. There was a local jeweler that was even more expensive than TIffany. I have no idea how they stay in business.

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

Hey there!

I don't have much to add except i have had similar experiences in T&Co. My SO took me ring shopping there and we decided on the Novo. As SA was asking our budget, she explained the color and how everyone wants a "D" but if they put 3 rings together of varying color, most people are not light sensitive enough to notice a huge difference...this will obviously save you money. Since they only had 2 Novos in store, she did this "experiment" with Tiffany setting rings. Everytime he got it wrong. I was !

Also, the prices on their website are elevated to in store pricing. For the Novo it says 1ct starts at 13,700. In store, she said they certainly have 1ct Novo's slightly under that price. We are looking more in the .95-.99 as this will certainly appear to be 1ct, without the price jump!

My SO knows i love Tiffany. It is all i wear. He doesn't really want to take the time to find diamonds. I've actually suggested this to cut down the price of the e-ring. In my case the Novo is actually a cut only done by Tiffanys, so although you can find a close cut...it will not be exactly the same. He likes the piece of mind that he knows he will get a decent ring without the legwork...LOL. I like the fact i have a store i can go into and get my ring cleaned anytime. I have always had stellar customer service with T&Co, and this also appeals to me.

Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be beautiful. Good luck in the hunt!

 

[lamenramen]

Well, I was able to get a pic of the certificates.

The 0.94 carat ring that in the original post rates as a 1.8 on the Holloway Cut Advisor.
The 0.95 carat ring rates as a 2.7.
And they are both VS1 clarity, not VS2 as originally stated.

From what I understand, anything less than 2 is the best. That is, 0.5 vs 1.8 is really a matter of personal preference.
The 2.7, though, is not what I'd expect from Tiffany.

Further, the 0.94 carat ring is larger at 6.31x6.33x3.86mm. The 0.95 carat is 6.24*6.28*3.94mm.
So it appears that the 0.94 will appear larger, be more beautiful, and is the one to pick.

However, the 0.94 carat has faint fluorescence, whereas the 0.95 carat has no fluorescence.

So it's kind of hard for me to decide.

I also just remembered that the salesman claimed that Tiffany does not accept any diamonds that have black inclusions. Not sure how true that is, but that sounds good to me.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I can't speak for all Tiffany stores, but in ours, you can't tell the difference in color due to their lighting. It is nice lighting that makes all the diamonds sparkle, but it totally takes away the ability to see color differences. You certainly can see the difference between E and I color in natural light. I have never heard anyone say they thought Tiffany markup was double for engagement rings. I think around 25-30% is about what I have observed. I do think the interest free financing for a year is wonderful, and certainly you can get a great diamond if you are selective and ask for the grading reports. If having a ring from Tiffany means a lot to the girl, then I think it is worth buying there. But if she just wants a fine quality diamond, the largest possible within budget, then going for an ideal cut diamond and the Vatche setting is the best option.

The .94 sounds great! Fluorescence is a plus in I or lower color stones as it can make the stone appear whiter. But faint is neutral and won't have any effect, more than likely. I do not consider that a negative in my wildest imagination. Of course, I purposely searched for a stone with it!

Oh, and you don't have to worry about inclusions in a VS1. You won't be able to see a thing!

 

[lamenramen]

If E and I color differences are noticeable, then I wonder why Tiffany doesn't set up their lighting such that color differences become apparent. I would think that Tiffany would love to upsell whenever possible.

As for faint fluorescence, is this visible at all to the average observer? I mean, I personally would not want the ring to glow at all if she went into a club or a tanning salon.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Why would you not want it to glow? It might be the coolest ring there! I would not worry about faint fluorescence. If she goes to a tanning bed, she will be in that room alone. And do you go to clubs that have black lights? My original diamond has medium blue and I never even knew it until I was looking to set it in a new setting after around 25 years and the jeweler happened to mention it! So I don't think you need to worry about faint fluor.

Oh, and let's face it, they are going to sell a lot more H and I color diamonds than they are D color, so it is absolutely to their advantage to make the lower colors look as white as possible! Almost all jewelers do it.

 

[cavluv]

And I'm even using the lack of bargaining as a positive, because everyone will be getting ripped off the same amount. There's some comfort in knowing that if you're getting borderline scammed, at least so is everyone else

Haha!! Yes...truer words have never been spoken! Now that is looking at the silver lining...

 

[alderhebel]

 

[maiell1]

Just remember it is about the engagement ring not about where you but it from. As at then end of the day the only one that knows is you and her. Invest in a nice stone and nice ring for a good price at a reputable jeweler online, take the extra 30% and go on a nice vacation to propose

i was blown away by the nice things I found online and the prices were amazing as were the stones.

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

I am just the opposite.
For whatever it's worth, the lovely lady wants a Tiffany.
That's what is dearest to her heart, and that is what you should buy for her !!!!!

please

Later, she may want an eternity ring, that will be a good time to pick.....other.

 

[greenteabiscuit]

If she really wants the ring from T&Co, it is probably best to get the ring from there.
However, if she just likes the style of it, or would rather get a bigger diamond for the same amount of money,
then you should probably look into getting the Vatche ring.

One thing I like about the online diamonds, besides the price, is that I can see various images of the stone, not just HCA,
that proves the stone has excellent cut & light performance. I don'r know if T&Co's diamond with HCA score of <2 perform just as well as the "super ideal" diamonds you can buy online.
I personally put more emphasis on the cut quality of the stone than the setting or brand name or whatever
emotional stuff that's behind T&Co. products.

 

[kenny]

The salesman took out one ring.
I said it's wonderful.
Then took out another identical ring and asked me which one I liked more.
I said, with confidence, obviously the second one.
He flipped the tags over and the first one was an I color, the second one was an E.
So clearly I am colorblind.

Then for good measure, I looked away after we had moved the rings around (there were 3 out at this point).
I was about to say "now it's obvious which one the E ring is".
And I flipped over the tags and of course, I messed up again.
I had chosen the I stone.
So at that point I decided that there was no point in buying something super high up the color chart.
I don't think that I'm an idiot with color.

No you are not colorblind, and you are not an idiot, but you were bamboozled by a less-than-honest sales technique.
The result is you were mis-educated about diamond color.

Diamond body color is much more apparent when looking into the side of the diamond and when the lighting is a large source that is diffuse and directionless, such as a bright but very evenly cloudy white sky or certain office lighting.

Jewelry store lighting is just the opposite.
It is pointed light sources intended to maximize dramatic scintillation (the high-contrast on and off effect) and dispersion, the breaking up light into the bright colors of the rainbow.
The blinding colors and high contrast and scintillation you see under such lighting overpower the relatively subtle body color of the diamond.

It's like trying to hear a whisper at a rock concert.
In a quiet place that same whisper will be very audible.

This deceptive demo may result in you "learning" you can afford a larger diamond (that doesn't look yellow ) which may push some otherwise undecided customers into an immediate sale.
This will lead customers into buying an I-colored stone, to get a larger diamond.
They'll think, "An I looks just like an E, or I must be colorblind or not very sensitive to diamond color".
But they can be very disappointed with their large I-colored diamond when they get it away from those lights and get a side view.

Shame on Tiffany!

 

[lamenramen]

No you are not colorblind, and you are not an idiot, but you were bamboozled by a less-than-honest sales technique.
The result is you were mis-educated about diamond color.

Wow, I did not know that I had been swindled. I suppose that the rationale is that by showing me that an I color is equiv to an E color, I would react by saying "great, I can get a 1 carat ring now". Had he said, "I is not equivalent to an E", then I would have said, "oh I must have an E color." Then I would be at a 0.9 carat or 0.85 carat but at an E color. I would probably might have paid a bit more for an E, and he would have made more money. But not as much money as had I upgraded to a 1 or 1.1 carat. In other wrods, carat size is a bigger cost driver than color.

In fairness to Tiffany, several other jewelery stores did the same thing to me.
So now I am sort of not on the Tiffany bandwagon now.

--while I can run the specs through HCA, it's still a proxy for an idealscope and ASET image, right? So there's no guarantee that the stone will be as brilliant as inherently possible
--salesman said that Tiffany grades its own stones b/c 'they've had too much trouble with GIA. We want the message to be clear and what our certificate says you can rely on. Always." I immediately pointed out to him the conflict of interest there.
--Their cert as far as I saw did not show me the location of inclusions
--getting as much info as I can get on an online diamond without any hassle--idealscope, aset, certificate, inclusion location, is going to be difficult at Tiffany? I mean I had to ask the salesman to search for an XXX stone with little or no fluorescence, etc. Could be tedious.

Regarding color--what is your advice on the right color to get so that I don't notice coloration in 'normal' or 'natural' lighting conditions? H? G? D? Some posts on this board state that when the stone is mounted on a platinum setting, telling the color becomes even harder, which argues for just getting an I color? Or am I mistaken?

 

[slg47]

No you are not colorblind, and you are not an idiot, but you were bamboozled by a less-than-honest sales technique.
The result is you were mis-educated about diamond color.

Wow, I did not know that I had been swindled. I suppose that the rationale is that by showing me that an I color is equiv to an E color, I would react by saying "great, I can get a 1 carat ring now". Had he said, "I is not equivalent to an E", then I would have said, "oh I must have an E color." Then I would be at a 0.9 carat or 0.85 carat but at an E color. I would probably might have paid a bit more for an E, and he would have made more money. But not as much money as had I upgraded to a 1 or 1.1 carat. In other wrods, carat size is a bigger cost driver than color.

In fairness to Tiffany, several other jewelery stores did the same thing to me.
So now I am sort of not on the Tiffany bandwagon now.

--while I can run the specs through HCA, it's still a proxy for an idealscope and ASET image, right? So there's no guarantee that the stone will be as brilliant as inherently possible
--salesman said that Tiffany grades its own stones b/c 'they've had too much trouble with GIA. We want the message to be clear and what our certificate says you can rely on. Always." I immediately pointed out to him the conflict of interest there.
--Their cert as far as I saw did not show me the location of inclusions
--getting as much info as I can get on an online diamond without any hassle--idealscope, aset, certificate, inclusion location, is going to be difficult at Tiffany? I mean I had to ask the salesman to search for an XXX stone with little or no fluorescence, etc. Could be tedious.

Regarding color--what is your advice on the right color to get so that I don't notice coloration in 'normal' or 'natural' lighting conditions? H? G? D?

ask to see different colors (look from top and side view) in different lighting (see if a sales associate will take you outside, or by a window, or somewhere away from the spotlighting). everyone has different color tolerances. generally, G/H is a good compromise BUT people vary with regards to how well they see color. it just depends on your priorities...would you rather have a larger J? if you can see the color, does it bother you? etc

I am not sure about getting the info at Tiffany but I know they do not provide idealscope and aset. You can purchase your own and take it to Tiffany's. There is a story of someone doing just that somewhere on PS...perhaps someone can find it.

GOG had a video up of a Tiffany diamond vs a H&A...it might interest you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC4-hIhRoo4

 

[webdiva]

No you are not colorblind, and you are not an idiot, but you were bamboozled by a less-than-honest sales technique.
The result is you were mis-educated about diamond color.

--while I can run the specs through HCA, it's still a proxy for an idealscope and ASET image, right? So there's no guarantee that the stone will be as brilliant as inherently possible
--salesman said that Tiffany grades its own stones b/c 'they've had too much trouble with GIA. We want the message to be clear and what our certificate says you can rely on. Always." I immediately pointed out to him the conflict of interest there.
--Their cert as far as I saw did not show me the location of inclusions
--getting as much info as I can get on an online diamond without any hassle--idealscope, aset, certificate, inclusion location, is going to be difficult at Tiffany? I mean I had to ask the salesman to search for an XXX stone with little or no fluorescence, etc. Could be tedious.

Regarding color--what is your advice on the right color to get so that I don't notice coloration in 'normal' or 'natural' lighting conditions? H? G? D? Some posts on this board state that when the stone is mounted on a platinum setting, telling the color becomes even harder, which argues for just getting an I color? Or am I mistaken?

No - the HCA is a guide, not a proxy for an idealscope or ASET. There's no guarantee. If you want to shop Brick & Mortar, you'll need to become a "prosumer" and arm yourself with an idealscope, more education, a return policy and a darn good appraiser who does a full examination of the diamond.

A lot of people are fine with I colors, but you need to see them in natural lighting not the crazy awesome jewelry store lighting. Unless you can take them to the window or outside, take a pass on those diamonds. Check out good old gold's educational videos about color. Rounds take on less color and many people love the great value an I color presents and allows them to go up in size and cut. In which case, you can get a MUCH better deal on a much better cut diamond than a Tiffany. I don't need to spend 30% in order to have someone clean my diamond! Spend $100 and get an ultrasonic cleaner, save the rest for the wedding!

 

[kenny]

No you are not colorblind, and you are not an idiot, but you were bamboozled by a less-than-honest sales technique.
The result is you were mis-educated about diamond color.

Wow, I did not know that I had been swindled. I suppose that the rationale is that by showing me that an I color is equiv to an E color, I would react by saying "great, I can get a 1 carat ring now". Had he said, "I is not equivalent to an E", then I would have said, "oh I must have an E color." Then I would be at a 0.9 carat or 0.85 carat but at an E color. I would probably might have paid a bit more for an E, and he would have made more money. But not as much money as had I upgraded to a 1 or 1.1 carat. In other wrods, carat size is a bigger cost driver than color.

In fairness to Tiffany, several other jewelery stores did the same thing to me.
So now I am sort of not on the Tiffany bandwagon now.

IMHO, swindled is too harsh a term; I'd say bamboozled.
Swindled would be if you bought an E but they slipped in an I.

Yes other stores also have those darn lights, but the specific Tiffany "color lesson demo" you described was very naughty.
It's very naughty at any jewelry store and I'm sure it's happening right now all over the world, but I'd expect more from Tiffany.

This is exactly why Pricescope is so groovy, and we regular posters get a kick out of helping people .

 

[Dancing Fire]

I am just the opposite.
For whatever it's worth, the lovely lady wants a Tiffany.
That's what is dearest to her heart, and that is what you should buy for her !!!!!

or you can lie to her...

buy the stone and a Tiff style setting online then tell her that you purchased from Tiff & Co...

 

[MissStepcut]

Can I suggest: http://oakgem.com/Products/Tiffany_(and)_Co_Platinum_0.96_F_VS2_Diamond_Engagement_Ring_7684.aspx

HCA 1.9 (I think). You can take it to Tiffany and get it polished. And Oakgem, unlike Tiffany, may be open to negotiating