Tiffany vs. Hearts on Fire vs. Eight Star

[dandoboy]

First off, it''s Friday so let me ask my Tiffany question. Second, please keep this topic on what it was originally intended. No offense to anyone, but I don''t want to hear how Tiffany rings are overpriced and/or how you can get a bigger ring that''s equally as nice from an online vendor...these comments seem to overtake these threads all to often. Thank-you in advance.

Alright, can anyone lend a quality comparison between Tiffany, Hearts on Fire, and Eight Star diamonds? From what I understand, all HoF diamonds are AGO000, Tiffany diamonds are Tiffany-graded, and Eight Star diamonds aren''t cut to achieve ideal proportion grading, only light return.

I have read some brief descriptions of what the different diamonds look like (in other threads), but more detailed discussions would be really valuable. Thanks.

 

[belle]

awwwww.....we have to stay on topic?

hof is a branded h&a patterned stone
8* is a branded h&a patterned stone
tiffany''s is a brand whose diamonds may or may not exhibit h&a patterning

what more do you want to know?

 

[Regular Guy]

c, b, a?

 

[dandoboy]

I'm asking for comparisons on quality and look. I just want to know people's opinions on whether these stones are quality stones, how they rank with one another, what each one is most notable for, each stone's best feature or worst feature, etc. All I know from reading about them is Tiffany stones are at the very minimum, very nice, but there are nicer, HoF are marketed very well but I don't know much about their performance. 8* are not well known in the general population, but are amazing stones according to those who are familiar with them.

And sorry to have to keep the thread on topic Belle...everyone loves to vent about Tiffany, but to put your mind at ease, this question isn't being asked because I'm narrowing my choice down to one of these three stones. It's more for advancing my knowledge on these brands

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I haven't seen a Hearts On Fire stone yet that outdid a Tiffany stone, and I do lots of comparing. I haven't seen any Eight Stars in person. Regarding clarity and color, Tiffany doesn't sell anything below I / VS.

 

[Sundial]

I can''t comment on Eightstar or Tiffany''s as I have not had the pleasure of viewing their diamonds. I will say that I recently received a Hearts on Fire three stone ring and that the diamonds are all AGS000, cut to hearts and arrows standards, scored well on the HCA, and visually blow away every other diamond that I have compared them to. Yes they are overpriced, but they are beautiful diamonds. I have particularly noticed the showers of colored light that emanates from them in various lighting conditions.

 

[ame]

I didn''t find the Tiffany stones to be as sparkly and "heartstopping" as the HOF, I have never seen an 8* in person.

 

[strmrdr]

Iv seen one origianl tiffany diamond they arent big in my area.
It was decent better than average but noting compared to the higher end diamonds.
HOF Iv found to be a mixed lot some are awesome some are just good.
8* I dont like the looks of at all they are too dark under the table.

 

[WinkHPD]

From the few Hearts on Fire stones that I have seen this is my take.

They are a nice Hearts and arrows quality stone, but not the finest that I have seen. WhiteFlash, GOG, Infinity and others sell stones that are at least equal in appearance, and to my way of thinking often superior. Yes the HOF stones are all AGS0, but they are not necessarily the top AGS0''s that I have ever seen.

That being said, I would ABSOLUTELY HATE to have to separate them one from another with only my eyes as a tool. Very very difficult!

EightStars however are different to the eye. They have a broader pavilion main that makes for broader flashes of fire, and their more perfect optical symmetry in which all 58 facets are in optical balance with each other creates a more cohesive pattern of larger on/off flashes than the smaller and often more "jumbled" flashes of the H&A cut stones.

You may notice that I said "different" not better. Some will prefer the H&A cuts, some will prefere the EightStar. Both are incredibly beautiful, and you can readily tell the difference between the two stones with the eye once you have learned to "see" the diamond. I would warrent that the average person could never tell you why they like one or the other, but that most will be able to tell you that they like "this" one or no, they like "that" one.

Which "one" you prefer will be a mystery to you until you arrange to see both of the stones, preferably together. If you are from a major metropolitan area it should not be a problem for you to call EightStar and find out who their local dealer is. Then you can find out which one floats your boat best and spend your money accordingly.

Wink

 

[valeria101]

Second Wink''s precise tale... EighStar is a beast apart among H&A and I am one of those whou would vote for it from the three choices. Leaving any consideration of cost and ''value'' (whatever that is) aside, IMO, the technology and craftmanship that go nto these diamonds are better defined than what still constitutes quality and craftmanship in the usual Tiffany designs. Of course Tiffany turns up some one off wonders, but their common models can be matched without allot of difficulty. Having an Eight Star diamond cut bootleg is another story altogether - perhaps conceivable, but allot more difficult to achieve and probably as costly as having the real thing anyway. Besides, the Eight Star company also offers re-cuting services - so the added value of their mastery has a clear price tag, for what that matters.

Beautiful and expensive as they are, H&A have a feel of ''industrial precission'' that doesn''t appeal to me all that much. Eight Star managed to wash off that tinge from their immage.

Tiffany, well, I have no feel for it.

My thing is to know who made a jewel and to know that mine is as close as ''one of a kind'' jewelry gets. As long as a brand can pull that off, it gets my vote. Surely that can''t matter much. Just my usual two cents

The question is difficult: it is hard to rank brands and forget it is all about the object they should deliver to you.

 

[perry]

Tiffiny diamonds are generally on the upper end of the jewelry store diamonds; but are not specifically selected for light return.

HOF, 8*, Whiteflash A Cut Above, Infinity, the diamonds sorted and selected by NiceIce, GOG, Superbcert are all diamonds that exhibit maximum light return. These may have different looks - but all dazzle in comparison to most normal jewelry store diamonds - including most tiffiny diamonds.

I have personally seen a new tiffiny diamond e-ring on a freind at work (just after the engagement). The diamond was pretty dead in normal light.

This does not mean that there might not be a few high light return diamonds at tiffiny, just that they are not looking for them and selecting for them.

I hope that answers your question.

If you still want a tiffiny ring - then I suggest that you purchase an IdealScope with light table - and go shopping with it. Only select a ring or diamond that has really good light return. Best of luck with this.

Perry

 

[valeria101]

Date: 7/29/2005 4:15:53 PM
Author:dandoboy

From what I understand, all HoF diamonds are AGO000, Tiffany diamonds are Tiffany-graded, and Eight Star diamonds aren''t cut to achieve ideal proportion grading, only light return.

Btw. AGS just changed their cut grades - the proportions of the ''0'' range havechanged and the lab included a direct measure of light return in their grading. So the statement cited above has to be revised too.

Chances are the standard has ''improved'', but now the AGS-ideal is not defined by proportions alone, so saying that some diamond is cut for ideal proportions but not light return or the other way around cannot be related to the AGS grades anymore. And that''s good, I would think.

 

[dandoboy]

Date: 7/29/2005 8:07:49 PM
Author: perry

If you still want a tiffiny ring - then I suggest that you purchase an IdealScope with light table - and go shopping with it. Only select a ring or diamond that has really good light return. Best of luck with this.

Perry

Just to re-clarify things, I never once said that I wanted a Tiffany ring. All I said was that I didn''t want to listen to everyone re-hash the dialogue that has been repeated over and over in every other thread that has ever mentioned Tiffany. What I am interested in is people''s opinions between these different brands w.r.t performance and visual appeal.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 7/29/2005 8:05:29 PM
Author: valeria101
Second Wink''s precise tale... EighStar is a beast apart among H&A and I am one of those whou would vote for it from the three choices. Leaving any consideration of cost and ''value'' (whatever that is) aside, IMO, the technology and craftmanship that go nto these diamonds are better defined than what still constitutes quality and craftmanship in the usual Tiffany designs. Of course Tiffany turns up some one off wonders, but their common models can be matched without allot of difficulty. Having an Eight Star diamond cut bootleg is another story altogether - perhaps conceivable, but allot more difficult to achieve and probably as costly as having the real thing anyway. Besides, the Eight Star company also offers re-cuting services - so the added value of their mastery has a clear price tag, for what that matters.


Beautiful and expensive as they are, H&A have a feel of ''industrial precission'' that doesn''t appeal to me all that much. Eight Star managed to wash off that tinge from their immage.


Tiffany, well, I have no feel for it.


My thing is to know who made a jewel and to know that mine is as close as ''one of a kind'' jewelry gets. As long as a brand can pull that off, it gets my vote. Surely that can''t matter much. Just my usual two cents

The question is difficult: it is hard to rank brands and forget it is all about the object they should deliver to you.

hey val have you seen an 8*? I used to think that way untill I actualy saw one.

 

[jewelryjunkie]

I have only seen one H&A diamond but not a HOF or and 8*. I do own a Tiffany diamond. I bought it second hand from Signed Pieces. I LOVE it!

It sparkles way more than my other diamonds, and even though it''s only .50 I''ve gotten compliments on how sparkly it is.

I don''t doubt that HOF and 8* are both beautiful. Some people think symmetry is beautiful and I wouldn''t want to change their minds.

But for myself I enjoy seeing a chaos of light being reflected back at me. I know that I wouldn''t want to see a dark pattern in my diamond.

I truely think it''s all just a matter of beauty being in the eye of the beholder and what an individual values most. There is no objective viewpoint to be had.

 

[belle]

Date: 7/29/2005 9:46:45 PM
Author: jewelryjunkie
But for myself I enjoy seeing a chaos of light being reflected back at me. I know that I wouldn''t want to see a dark pattern in my diamond.

there *is* a ''chaos'' of light being reflected back with h&a stones...that is what they are designed to do. i can see how one would think that there is a dark pattern present all the time in the h&a''s...but there is not! the ''arrows'' look just like any other mirrored facet in a diamond..they are silvery white. and just like any other facet, they can look dark in certain lighting conditions but because of the precise symmetry, you are going to see a pattern instead of random dark facets.

 

[DonaBella]

Hi Madam!

Just wondering...are Tiffany stones always RBs? I am new to all of this and this would be helpful...thanks...

 

[DonaBella]

Thanks Wink for your insight! As I have been reading this topic and the replies over, I became more and more confused, but what you said makes sense...if you have 2 or 3 cuts of stones that you are seriously considering, arrange to see them to help make the choice more real and perhaps narrow your choice.

I am intrigued with the Regent stone and the Jubilee stone, but I am not sure how to locate the dealers of these...any ideas to help me out? I live in Riverside, CA, but am willing to drive as far as LA or Irvine or in between.

Thanks in advance--if you can suggest anything...

 

[JulieN]

I think Tiffany cuts include RB, oval, heart, emerald, marquise, pear, and Lucida, as well as baguettes for sidestones and square emeralds for bands.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 7/29/2005 8:39:28 PM
Author: strmrdr


hey val have you seen an 8*? I used to think that way untill I actualy saw one.

Yes.

Look, that was more cold judement about brands not their fare.

What was dissapointing to you about Eight Stars ? I can''t say I have a survey of their production at hand like a jeweler would after handling many such stones (wasn''t ''Golden Oak'' the more focused Eight Star seller around here?).

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 7/30/2005 8:11:15 AM
Author: valeria101

Date: 7/29/2005 8:39:28 PM

Author: strmrdr



hey val have you seen an 8*? I used to think that way untill I actualy saw one.

Yes.


Look, that was more cold judement about brands not their fare.


What was dissapointing to you about Eight Stars ? I can't say I have a survey of their production at hand like a jeweler would after handling many such stones (wasn't 'Golden Oak' the more focused Eight Star seller around here?).

val looking back at the way I said that it doesnt sound good.
Thanks for not taking offence at it because I didnt mean it that way.

They look dark under the table to me.
Yes they produce a nice light show on things around them but to me when looking at the diamond itself they look dark.
The arrow pattern is kewl but on the 8* Iv seen there was too much of a good thing and they looked dark.
I know someone who has one and they like it.
They just dont live up to the hype sure they are nice diamonds if you like the look but they arent the best thing since diamonds were faceted like the hype says either.

 

[Daniela]

Dandoboy,

I have never seen an 8*. I own a H&A. I''ve been to Tiffany''s (bought our wedding bands there). My diamond outshone most of Tiff''s diamonds. There were, however, some really nice ones in the pack.

What Tiffany''s has that is special is their well-crafted, copyrighted settings. For example, their Lucida bezel setting is stunning. It cannot be had elsewhere, and I wouldn''t bother trying.

I am going to propose something that may seem crazy to the cut nuts around here, but I think you should make the decision based on whether or not one of the Tiffany settings really captures your heart and won''t let go. If a particular diamond in Tiffany''s just speaks to you, and it''s in the setting that you love, then I would go that route. I love a well-cut diamond, but I am equally enamoured with the perfect setting (I learned this the hard way). The engagement ring is, after all, a package deal.

Whatever route you go for, get a top of the line mounting for your new rock!

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 7/30/2005 3:18:15 AM
Author: DeannaBana
Thanks Wink for your insight! As I have been reading this topic and the replies over, I became more and more confused, but what you said makes sense...if you have 2 or 3 cuts of stones that you are seriously considering, arrange to see them to help make the choice more real and perhaps narrow your choice.


I am intrigued with the Regent stone and the Jubilee stone, but I am not sure how to locate the dealers of these...any ideas to help me out? I live in Riverside, CA, but am willing to drive as far as LA or Irvine or in between.


Thanks in advance--if you can suggest anything...

I can not help you with the Regent cut, but if you call either Jonathon at GOG or me on Monday we can call the cutter of the Jubilee and see who is a dealer in your area. There are more EightStar dealers in California than in any other State I think, so finding one should not be a problem. You can email EightStar directly from their site www.eightstar.com and they will send you the name, address and phone number of the nearest dealer.

Wink

 

[perry]

Daniela hit the nail squarely on the head. Tiffiny's sells settings, into which they put diamonds.

They are well known as one of the classiest settings out there.

Now if only they focused on their diamonds they way they focus on the settings... They would clearly always have an awsome package. Instead, they often have what I call dead stones set into wonderfull settings.

I should have mentioned it earlier. But I have probably seen about 1/2 dozen Tiffiny settings total (most of them years old - but one of them brand new). Can't say the diamonds jumped out at me, in fact - quite the oposite. Now was some of the old settings just plain dirty. Perhaps. But then why does the non-Tiffany ring that Sara at work wear sparkle so much after all of these years (you can see it half way across the room). She does not spend much time cleaning it (I know - I asked and have looked at the ring up close). Quality of cut - for light return maximizes brilliance. I don't care so much about H&A. Just light return. From what I have seen, and read here in the forums. Tiffiny in gereral does not have it.Perry

Perry

 

[MissAva]

Perry how many stones have you seen that were from Tiffanys? I have seen several one friends (more then 20) and I have yet to see one that I would classify as dead. I think they are lovely and while they may not be all about the number at Tiffany & Co if they were selling dead stone people would not buy there. Also as you may have noticed there are ladies here on PS who have some stunning rings from Tiffany & Co you might think about that before saying such harsh things.

 

[perry]

I rarely mention the older Tiffiny rings I have seen; figuring that Tiiffiny has upgraded their stone selection over the years.

However, I saw one - up close and personal - 2 days out of the box about 6 months ago (Round Brilliant, 1+ carat) that did not overely impress me (quite the oposite in fact).

I am not saying that Tiffiny does not have some good diamonds; just that they are not focused on putting great diamonds into rings (which has been well discussed on this forum). I liken them to the better jewelry stores in my area that all have a few good looking diamonds; amoung a host of lesser quality cut diamonds.

Read my first post on this thread on how to shop at Tiffiny (and anywhere else for that matter).

Perry

 

[dandoboy]

Date: 7/30/2005 10:37:03 AM
Author: perry

Daniela hit the nail squarely on the head. Tiffiny''s sells settings, into which they put diamonds. They are well known as one of the classiest settings out there.

I really like the way you guys (Daniela and Perry) put that...Tiffany really does market and sell their settings, which they happen to put a diamond into. Perhaps Tiffany is given so much praise on their diamonds because they do restrict the colour and clarity of the stones they will use, and claim to cut for ''presence''. This is a huge step from Mall stores which carry the whole gamit of stones, most of which are of lower quality to appeal to those with lower budgets, but imagine if Tiffany put as much emphasis on their stones as they do on trademarking their settings.....