Tiffany - The Classic or the Con

[tobism]

Hello all,

I just bought a classic Tiffany engagement ring from Tiffany & Co. I spent a lot more than I wanted to, but I really don't buy my future wife any jewelry, and when I do, I'd like it to be the best. This is my first major jewelry purchase.

The diamond is .75, H, VS1, ideal/brilliant round cut in classic platinum setting; the whole ring cost $6600.

Apparently, Tiffany doesn't GIA certify diamonds under 1 carat, so I got some Tiffany cert, but that's okay with me, it's Tiffany!

What do other people think about buying <1 carat diamond rings from Tiffany? Do they actually have their own certifiers grading these? Did I make a good choice? I love the ring... it looks fabulous and it's Tiffany!

Thanks for the input... this is a great site!

 

[golfer]

No offense, but I vote con. For what you spent, you could have a ring with the same specs (cut, color, clarity) that was about twice as big. But if the Tiffany name was important to you, then that's fine. I just don't understand how people can value brand name in a diamond, of all things, except as to cut, which can be judged by learning all the angles, gradings, etc.

 

[golfer]

Sorry to harp on this, but just for fun I ran a pricescope search (you may have already done this):

For at least $100 less, you could have had a 1.23 H VS1 with an AGS (i.e., top notch) cert that is AGS0 rated cut, and ID/ID symmetry/polish and medium blue fluor (which is generally desireable, especially in an H color). Or a 1.26 H VS1 AGS0, AGS Cert, ID/ID, ft flour.

Just something to think about.

I'm all for buying brand in tvs, computers, cars, etc. But a diamond loses any added value of branding the second it leaves the store, with the exception of cut. But I haven't seen or heard anything to suggest that Tiffany cut is any better than AGS0 -- that they do anything special to the cut. Indeed, I am guessing they use AGS0 as their guide. Does anyone know how Tiffany cuts? Do they even cut unique, or are they just buying the same already-cut diamonds other vendors buy, slapping on a Tiffany box, and putting in a markup that is vastly higher than any other B&M or internet merchant?

 

[tobism]

Hey golfer, thanks for the input.

Yeah, I wasn't sure about the price from Tiffany's either, but I had a better "feel" about that store than any other store I've been in. I didn't want to go online shopping, cuz I need to have that gut instinct about it. Looking online, I knew I was getting hammered on price, but it just felt right when I saw the ring.

I'd like to know more about the cut, too. Tiffany didn't give me any detailed specs about it (girdle, table, crown), but I trusted that what they sold me was top-notch. That's it. And I love that fact that I can go into any Tiffany store and have it polished, etc, or if I have any problems at all. They even have an upgrade program!

 

[golfer]

Well those seem like decent reasons (except for the upgrade... almost all online vendors have that). Polishing is a nice thing if you live near a Tiffany's, I guess. And I wouldn't worry about not having the exact cut specs if you personally viewed it and compared it to other Tiffany rings -- I'm sure as a general rule most or all of Tiffany cuts are excellent, and if yours stood out, it surely is excellent too.

One thing you might consider is (if you can still return Tiffany stone), buy a stone online (bigger or better color -- or both) for about the same price. If you still prefer the Tiffany stone after comparing them visually, send the online stone back. It probably will only cost you about $40 (return shipping) to do that. Just find the online broker with the best return policy (i.e., least cost).

The markup for Tiffany stones is just mind-boggling. As a general rule, I'll bet you can get TWO stones of near-identical specs to any Tiffany stone for the price of a Tiffany stone. The difference in price between an AGS0 stone on pricescope and a Tiffany stone is also much larger than the difference between two stones identical except for cut if one is ideal/AGS0 and one is fair. And surely the difference in cut between Tiffany and AGS0 is not that dramatic, if any difference exists at all.