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Tiffany Diamond Specs

astara25

Rough_Rock
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Aug 11, 2018
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42
Hi All,

First of all, great site! Lots of great learning resources.

I ran the specs from a 2.5ct Tiffany round diamond through the HCA which returned what seems to be a mediocre score of 2.7 (very good, worth buying if price is right). Measurements are 8.64 x 8.67 x 5.38mm, which seems to be 0.15mm or so smaller than the standard 2.5ct round...

The gem report indicates 3Ex for cut/symmetry/polish and depth % of 62.2, table size 58%, crown angle 35.5% and pavilion angle of 40.8% with a slightly thick gurdle (no culet). It also ihas two metrics i am not familiar with: lower half percentage of 80% and star length % of 50 .

These specs seem to run just outside of general recommendations for a round...what do you guys think and any way to further validate if i am unable to return to the store to examine in more detail? Am i paying more more weight in the girdle/lower half of the diamond or is this a decent / average face up for a 2.5ct round?

Thanks!
 

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kb1gra

Brilliant_Rock
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Jul 6, 2012
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1,118
Hi All,

First of all, great site! Lots of great learning resources.

I ran the specs from a 2.5ct Tiffany round diamond through the HCA which returned what seems to be a mediocre score of 2.7 (very good, worth buying if price is right). Measurements are 8.64 x 8.67 x 5.38mm, which seems to be 1.5mm or so smaller than the standard 2.5ct round...

The gem report indicates 3Ex for cut/symmetry/polish and depth % of 62.2, table size 58%, crown angle 35.5% and pavilion angle of 40.8% with a slightly thick gurdle (no culet). It also ihas two metrics i am not familiar with: lower half percentage of 80% and star length % of 50 .

These specs seem to run just outside of general recommendations for a round...what do you guys think and any way to further validate if i am unable to return to the store to examine in more detail? Am i paying more more weight in the girdle/lower half of the diamond or is this a decent / average face up for a 2.5ct round?

Thanks!

It's certainly not 1.5mm off of a standard 2.5ct round. A 2.517ct ACA (that I happen to have handy) is 8.74x8.77x 5.42. Assuming that it is not exactly 2.500 carat, hard to tell if the face up size is insufficient.

That said, Tiffany settings, particularly lately, are probably not worth the premium. I have noticed quality seems to have diminished. If the brand is important to you, then by all means tell your salesperson the specs you want to stay within. If not...a Tiffany 6 prong can be had at any of the usual retailers of top quality diamonds.
 

astara25

Rough_Rock
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Aug 11, 2018
Messages
42
sorry for the typo; i fixed it in the original post (meant 0.15 or 8.8mm for avg 2.5ct). Thanks for your benchmark...which i suppose all these measurements are. Perhaps the 8.8mm is a bit overstated.
The diamond is 2.510ct so just trying to get a sense of whether it is reasonably cut (face up vs depth ratio). This will fuel my decision whether to look elsewhere...
 
Last edited:

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Is this diamond new from Tiffany or second hand? I only ask because their prices are so very inflated, and you can get a better cut diamond new for much less. If it is second hand at a good price, then a Tiffany ring might be desired for the brand appeal even though it isn't top cut.
 

astara25

Rough_Rock
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Aug 11, 2018
Messages
42
Hi there, thanks for your post! It would be new, in a Tiffany solitare pave setting. I just plotted the specs on diamond database and it came up as adequate for face up, so i guess it falls within the average measurements for a 2.510ct round.
 

astara25

Rough_Rock
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Aug 11, 2018
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I also confirmed the cut was excellent on the GIA table/pavilion matrix and inspected the girdle (slightly thick, which is slightly less than "perfect" apparently :)
 

Garry H (Cut Nut)

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I have a file with a littany of bad stuff from Tiffany - here are a few: Bad cut on left.JPG
Lousy cut on the left
D-J colour.jpg
I thought the lowest they went was I???
Tiffany dug out pavilion.JPG
Seriously???

Tiffany Extra Facet.JPG
Tiffany bad diamond.JPG This one was sold second hand and maybe the stone had been replaced?

The 2 below show that no one really has any idea at all about light and diamond cut
Tiffany fisheye exp.JPG Tiffany nailhead.JPG
 

astara25

Rough_Rock
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Thanks for the example dud...this is why i am doing my diligence (or trying to)! If i pay a premium i at least want to confirm I am getting good quality! On the color bit, perhaps the I criteria only pertains to engagement rings and not to other jewelry? This is an H i am looking at, which will hopefully be OK since a well cut round should help mask any color (oh, and there is faint florescence).
 

diamondseeker2006

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I take it that the Tiffany brand is the top priority in this situation, right? If I were going to overpay by a lot, I would want them to search their entire inventory in the US and tell you all the options that meet your general specs. I am not sure I'd buy that particular stone. I'd want one with an HCA score of 1-2. I'd want the best cut stone they have if I were paying their prices. (I am not against Tiffany, as I have several jewelry pieces from them. But I personally would not buy larger diamonds from them, because the best cut quality is my priority, and it's even better when top cut is less expensive than a branded diamond. Someone might recognize a Tiffany bracelet design, but a round solitaire diamond ring isn't going to say Tiffany to anyone but the wearer).
 

astara25

Rough_Rock
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Aug 11, 2018
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Diamondseeker, totally get your POV and agree...i asked them to bring in 5 other rings of varying ct from 2.15 to 2.7 to compare the specs....we shall see! Appreciate your input! :)
 

Garry H (Cut Nut)

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ISomeone might recognize a Tiffany bracelet design, but a round solitaire diamond ring isn't going to say Tiffany to anyone but the wearer).
Even a COSTCO Tiffany ring is a Tiffany ring now
 

astara25

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Ah yes, trademark infingement on the "tiffany setting" ...
 

diamondseeker2006

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Even a COSTCO Tiffany ring is a Tiffany ring now

Wow! I had not seen that! Of course, "tiffany settings" are about like "kleenex". It's a term used for a familiar item that is reproduced by many companies rather than a specific brand.
 

diamondseeker2006

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Diamondseeker, totally get your POV and agree...i asked them to bring in 5 other rings of varying ct from 2.15 to 2.7 to compare the specs....we shall see! Appreciate your input! :)

Awesome! Tag me when you get those numbers. I'll be glad to help you find the best one!
 

NicoleNeedsHelp

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I am also new to this site. What I have learned in a few days is that there are beautiful diamonds and then there are BEAUTIFUL diamonds. I am in the process of buying a new center stone for my ring. I posted 4 GIA certificates asking for opinions before I knew anything about proportion/ratio/fire etc. I am very happy that the people here steered me away from those diamonds. Now, I saw those 4 diamonds in person and they were pretty And all were XXX diamonds with good color, clarity, etc. On paper, if you ignore the angles, they looked amazing. However, today I purchased a diamond with the proportions that this website recommended. I don’t get to see the diamond yet, but I have pictures and this thing has fire. I spent the last week looking at articles and there are some great videos on YouTube About why HCA matters. It was very stressful at times because my jeweler even told me that HCA doesn’t matter- but when I did my own research, I disagreed. I never wanted to have second thoughts on a purchase this big, so I insisted that the stone had proportions that are mentioned here. I guess it boils down to- will you have second thoughts? I knew that I would always wonder if my diamond would sparkle more if I bought one without the specs mentioned here. maybe Watch some of those YouTube videos I mentioned- do a search for HCA or hearts and arrows. They compare 2 diamonds, same size, but with the crown and pavilion angles different and show you the difference.
 

astara25

Rough_Rock
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Thanks, Diamond Seeker! Will do when i hear back...

Nicole, thanks to you as well! Any chance you have the links to the videos or the angle ranges i should be looking for?

Appreciate all of your input :)
 

Garry H (Cut Nut)

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I spent the last week looking at articles and there are some great videos on YouTube About why HCA matters. It was very stressful at times because my jeweler even told me that HCA doesn’t matter- but when I did my own research, I disagreed.

Thanks for the review NNH :)
 

NicoleNeedsHelp

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Thanks, Diamond Seeker! Will do when i hear back...

Nicole, thanks to you as well! Any chance you have the links to the videos or the angle ranges i should be looking for?

Appreciate all of your input :)

Someone on this website gave me these measurements. When I went in the Internet, I looked up things like “super ideal cut”, “what is HCA”. I’ll try to find the videos that I watched on YouTube because that was how I was able to see how 2 diamonds, with the same color, clarity etc, were actually different. I don’t know if these videos are the best - but they are a good place to start. In my very, very, very limited experience (5 days), I’ve found that there are different opinion as to whether HCA matters, look at everything and see what you think. That way, you are happy CD186C05-7529-4180-B818-AFAFACBB71C0.png 82F62C26-541A-4178-B2AC-4835EA2E6910.png
 

NicoleNeedsHelp

Brilliant_Rock
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Thanks for the review NNH :)

I’m trying! I’ve come a long way. I’m curious as to what you think about the diamond I selected. I don’t have advanced images. It is on Blue Nile, with video (LD14116429). 1FB2A6C1-867B-433F-8D79-2A4CA498C1FD.jpeg Here is the GIA.
 

astara25

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 11, 2018
Messages
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Someone on this website gave me these measurements. When I went in the Internet, I looked up things like “super ideal cut”, “what is HCA”. I’ll try to find the videos that I watched on YouTube because that was how I was able to see how 2 diamonds, with the same color, clarity etc, were actually different. I don’t know if these videos are the best - but they are a good place to start. In my very, very, very limited experience (5 days), I’ve found that there are different opinion as to whether HCA matters, look at everything and see what you think. That way, you are happy CD186C05-7529-4180-B818-AFAFACBB71C0.png 82F62C26-541A-4178-B2AC-4835EA2E6910.png

Thank you so much. I will poke around and do some research!
 

Snowdrop13

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Snowdrop13

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I’m trying! I’ve come a long way. I’m curious as to what you think about the diamond I selected. I don’t have advanced images. It is on Blue Nile, with video (LD14116429). 1FB2A6C1-867B-433F-8D79-2A4CA498C1FD.jpeg Here is the GIA.

Garry is in the trade so won’t be able to comment on a specific stone from a named vendor. I’ve loved hearing about your journey to find a great stone and look forward to seeing it!
 

NicoleNeedsHelp

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Garry is in the trade so won’t be able to comment on a specific stone from a named vendor. I’ve loved hearing about your journey to find a great stone and look forward to seeing it!

Oh, sorry. I didn’t know that. Thanks for the info. I am so thrilled with the information and help I have received on this site.
 

astara25

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 11, 2018
Messages
42
For comparison (price, sparkle etc) here’s a just under 2.5ct which measures the same size as the one you posted.

This is a superideal, top cut stone,

Definitely a good contender and for comparison purposes. Thanks so much. The specs of this diamond while not bad are not ideal and i am wondering if it is worth paying the premium for the pave setting...will continue to do some research. Do you think buying an ASET scope would be a good investment? I tried finding the matrix but seems some sort of subscription is required (and guessing the scope is much more accurate!
 

NicoleNeedsHelp

Brilliant_Rock
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507
Thank you so much. I will poke around and do some research!

What you decide is the right decision! Maybe Tiffany can bring in a stone that matches the proportions recommended on this site and you can compare and decide.
 

astara25

Rough_Rock
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Aug 11, 2018
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So had another diamond spec sent over, and it looks overall like a much better deal (6k less than the one above) and scores much better on HCA as well. However, clarity is VS2., also an H. Would be interesting to see if there is a disernable difference between the two diamonds appearance/size wise (3% roughly). Guessing this would "look" more catching based on the 1.1 HCA score:

Carat:2.57
Depth:61.8
Table:54
Crown:34.7
Pavillion:40.7
Symmetry:Excellent
Measurements:8.79x8.83x5.45
 

Yimmers

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What is your priority? Cut, color, size, or clarity? It is highly unlikely that clarity in the VS2 will affect the appearance - that being said, without the cert, we don't know what or where the inclusions are.

If the premium is worth the $$, probably worth bringing in for a look in person.

If the H is fine and you are looking at 2.5 carat, I'd certainly explore all my options, including those online. The other plus to going online is that you can ask for a video of the actual diamond if you want an ACA from WF or a CBI.
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
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So had another diamond spec sent over, and it looks overall like a much better deal (6k less than the one above) and scores much better on HCA as well. However, clarity is VS2., also an H. Would be interesting to see if there is a disernable difference between the two diamonds appearance/size wise (3% roughly). Guessing this would "look" more catching based on the 1.1 HCA score:

Carat:2.57
Depth:61.8
Table:54
Crown:34.7
Pavillion:40.7
Symmetry:Excellent
Measurements:8.79x8.83x5.45

Yes, I prefer this one's numbers over the other one, definitely. I'd want to make sure it is 100% eyeclean. Diameter and the angles are better.

As far as non-Tiffany diamond rings go, there are settings that are equal or better in quality. Ringmakers like Victor Canera, for example, do outstanding custom made rings and they'd make it in the exact size you need rather than Tiffany sizing a ring they have in the case (assuming the stone above is already set).

Again, not trying to sway you if Tiffany is what you really want. Just to show that you can get a ring equal or better quality.

 

MissGotRocks

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L

lydial

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There is a CBI h/vs super ideal (on hold) for 35k with HPD... will you share what T& Co sells such a stone for? Educate us. Thanks.
 
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