Tiffany & Co Premiums?

[MrsWhitney]

So this isn't a post about hating Tiffany & Co. My engagement ring was Tiffany & Co, my jewelry is mostly Tiffany & Co (though I have unbranded items, and a Cartier tank). Until I lost my engagement ring last April as most of you know, I actually was of the mind that I was happily and fine paying a premium BUT having purchased items at Harry Winston and now with my engagement ring being from Graff, I am wondering if anyone knows what the actual mark-up percent is (for engagement rings)????

I ask because my engagement ring is inflated (it is Graff- and I am aware, given I have been on PS for a decade) but it seems to PALE in comparison to Tiffany & Co's Valuations these days.

Case in point:

My 1.82 Emerald Cut, E, VS2 (I believe- given it was a while ago) with .30cttw baguettes by Tiffany & Co was valued at $49,935 in 2013 when my 2.10 F, VS1 Emerald Cut with .42cttw baguettes by Graff was $56,000 in 2015.

Then, I started to peruse second hand markets lately and noticed stark (and I mean, like INSANELY high) inflations. To me, and I could be wrong, the same diamond appears cheaper at Graff and Harry Winston (and sometimes even Cartier), versus Tiffany. I never realized they were so high, or could it be a change? Do any of our super experienced PS'rs have the actual numbers????

I know we pay for brand names. I am aware, so I prefer this thread not to be about bashing brands but customer service at Tiffany's is superb in my opinion, but so is my experience at GRAFF and HW.

 

[WillyDiamond]

I would think the markup is different at Tiff vs. HW vs. Graaff, just no way of telling.
That is why many people buy from PS vendors who buy better or equivalent stones for a fraction of the cost.

 

[flyingpig]

Are you asking why Tiffany's resale value is so high in comparison with other luxury brands such as Graff and HW and even Cartier?

My guess is that there is no place for many luxury brand anymore. Only the best (or popular) is recognied. For example, only the holy trinity (hermes, chanel, LV) hold decent resale value. For watches, everything is #### except Rolex Sports Watch (eg submariner). Rolex is actually not considered as a luxury watch by some collectors. But it is the most recognized among the general public. I think Tiffany is similar to Rolex in this regard and its position in resale market.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Diamond prices really spiked in 2011-12, so I have a feeling your Tiffany 2013 valuation was higher at that specific time. There is no way they were actually selling many 1.8 ct ECs at $49k at that time, but the valuation might say that. I seriously doubt Tiffany's markup on diamond rings is higher than Graff and HW. The closest EC comp to your 2.10 is a 2.14 at $25k, so it looks like the markup at Graff is around double non-branded. I do not think Tiffany has a higher markup than double. It has been a good while since I looked at rings there, but I felt they were more like 40% more than what I could find in ideal cuts.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/2.14-carat-f-color-vs1-clarity-sku-41551

 

[rocks]

Feeling better, I hope.

 

[denverappraiser]

You've got several incompatible questions here and it may be a little hard to deconstruct it.

The heart of your question seems to be looking at the secondary marketplace. How much is a 'used' Tiffany worth compared to a generic, compared to a new Tiffany, compared to a new and used Graf and so onf? That's not trivial, but it's not a gemological question either. Then there's the question of how much are people getting as compared to how much they're asking. Tiffany customers tend to think fairly highly of their stuff, and they ask a lot when they try and sell it, but that's not the same as getting it, as I'm sure you know. It costs almost nothing to ASK for a lot.

Lastly, it's not the same across the range of products. A silver Tiffany charm will sell for dozens of dollars, and a generic equivalent won't sell at all. That's a giant 'markup' for the brand. A 5 carat awesome solitaire from them is going to trade on the secondary market for about the same as anyone else. It's going to be about the gemological properties of the stone and he brand premium is going to be zero (in most markets).

All of this applies to Graff and HW too. Graff sells some super high end things, and they sell them for competitive prices within the range of what they are. If you're planning on dropping $500,000 on a rock, that's a good place to look. It has nothing to do with the secondary market. You're not going to find that on eBay anyway, and the secondary market for that sort of thing is the auction houses and consignment through jewelers (including Graff). I presume that's not what you're talking about.