Tiffanys

[qtiekiki]

Date: 1/21/2005 2:42

2 AM
Author: BLINGQUEEN
FYI about silver. First off, the more a piece is worn the less likely it is to tarnish. Second, while not wearing silver keep it in tarnish resistant lined jewelry box. And third, silver will tarnish but that doesn''t mean it''s ruined. A good silver cleaner, even Tarnex found at walmart etc. should do the trick.

Yeah sterling silver will tarnish and I think it also depends on the person how fast it tarnishs (I guess it have to do with body chemistry). If I wear any sterling silver jewelry over nite while I sleep, it will turn black immediately the next morning when I wake up. For that reason, I don''t wear them while I sleep anymore and I try not to buy silver jewelry. Anyways our point is that the necklace tarnishing might not have to do with the quality of the silver or the product.

 

[BLINGQUEEN]

Date: 1/21/2005 3

3:27 AM
Author: qtiekiki

Date: 1/21/2005 2:42

2 AM
Author: BLINGQUEEN
FYI about silver. First off, the more a piece is worn the less likely it is to tarnish. Second, while not wearing silver keep it in tarnish resistant lined jewelry box. And third, silver will tarnish but that doesn''t mean it''s ruined. A good silver cleaner, even Tarnex found at walmart etc. should do the trick.

Yeah sterling silver will tarnish and I think it also depends on the person how fast it tarnishs (I guess it have to do with body chemistry). If I wear any sterling silver jewelry over nite while I sleep, it will turn black immediately the next morning when I wake up. For that reason, I don''t wear them while I sleep anymore and I try not to buy silver jewelry. Anyways our point is that the necklace tarnishing might not have to do with the quality of the silver or the product.

Yeah, that was going to be my point but I digressed too much.

My best friend owns a jewelry store that sales alot of sterling and she really educated me on the stuff. I wanted a sterling heart dangle necklace from Tiffany''s but got the same from her for a fraction of the cost with the same silver content and all. It was for my daughter and I''m glad I didn''t spend alot of money because she doesn''t even know where it is in her junkie room anoymore

.

 

[codex57]

Date: 1/21/2005 12:11

2 AM
Author: PrincessBride

Date: 1/20/2005 7:22:52 PM

Author: codex57

Date: 1/20/2005 6:52:36 PM

Author: PrincessBride

I love Tiffany''s stuff just becuase it''s a Tiffany''s, but I couldn''t justify buying diamonds there because to get a really good quality diamond is extremely overpriced. Also, IMO, I don''t think their quality is all that good anyway. My bf gave me a silver necklace from there. After 2 years, the clasp broke and the it tarnishes so quickly. I sent it in to have it fixed and it costs me $25. My mom bought a diamond ring from a local jeweler with side diamonds and one of the side diamonds fell out and got lost. They fixed and replaced it with another real side diamond (not cz) for free!

Least yours lasted 2 years. The necklace I bought for my g/f lasted 2 months. Bought end of November, broke like last week so this is recent news. Cheap ass crap is what it is. Looks pretty tho.

Did you get the heart shaped silver necklace? It''s the one where you string the necklace through the heart.

Yup, that''s teh one. The smaller heart version. I mean, it''s not a big deal that it broke. That happens to jewelery sometimes. But I wouldn''t have been upset if it only cost me like $30 like it should have instead of teh $125 Tiffany charged me.

 

[PrincessBride]

Date: 1/21/2005 12

6:21 PM
Author: codex57

Yup, that''s teh one. The smaller heart version. I mean, it''s not a big deal that it broke. That happens to jewelery sometimes. But I wouldn''t have been upset if it only cost me like $30 like it should have instead of teh $125 Tiffany charged me.

I know...you''d figure that at that price, they at least offer you a replacement or free repair. I could get an 18K gold necklace (not plated) just like that far less than Tiffany''s necklace and that Tiffany''s necklace is silver too!

 

[Superidealist]

I disagree that Pricescope is about getting the best deal. At least I hope it''s not.

I also fail to understand why the poster can''t say Tiffany is the best. Understanding such a statement to be an expression of opinion rather than fact, I believe the poster is entitled to his opinion.

 

[Mara]

Pscope is most likely many things to many people, for me it is about getting the best deal for your money, and being educated in a positive way while doing it. For others, it may be about other reasons...or a variety of other reasons.

As you noted, it's all about opinion.

 

[dobie]

Date: 1/21/2005 10:40:32 PM
Author: PrincessBride

Date: 1/21/2005 12

6:21 PM
Author: codex57

Yup, that''s teh one. The smaller heart version. I mean, it''s not a big deal that it broke. That happens to jewelery sometimes. But I wouldn''t have been upset if it only cost me like $30 like it should have instead of teh $125 Tiffany charged me.

I know...you''d figure that at that price, they at least offer you a replacement or free repair. I could get an 18K gold necklace (not plated) just like that far less than Tiffany''s necklace and that Tiffany''s necklace is silver too!

I paid 380.80 (350 + 8.8% sales tax) for the small 18K version. I''d no problems with that. I looked at a lot of similar necklaces but none looked as nice as the Tiffany one. For 350, I could have got one with tonnes of diamonds on the heart elsewhere. Also, other necklaces I looked at were either 10K or 14K, not 18K. At Tiffany, they also had the same necklace with 5 (7?) tiny diamonds. But the price was over 800 which I felt was over the top. I''m sure the diamonds were better than whose found in others'' necklaces, but 100 bucks for each of those tiny diamonds. Get real...

 

[lostdog]

"I disagree that Pricescope is about getting the best deal. At least I hope it''s not."

I''d say Pricescope is about being informed.

If you want to use that information for the "best deal", whatever that means to you, that''s your choice.

 

[dobie]

The Tiffany website shows there is only one Tiffany store in Toronto in Canada. I haven't shopped in downtown Vancouver for at least 10 years. Today, my GF and I were shopping in one of those high-end stores downtown and discovered a Tiffany store within that store. The prices there were higher than taking into account of the exchange rate and the 10% luxury tax on all diamonds and jewelry. Since we also have a 7% provincial sales tax and another 7% federal goods and services tax, it is cheaper to drive to Washington state and shop in Seattle (8.8% sales tax) or Bellevue. For expensive items such as erings, it is much better to drive another 2.5 hours to Portland, OR and pay no sales tax.

ETA: For example, the 18K Open Heart necklace was 350 US + 8.8% sales tax = 380.80 US. At the current exchange rate of 1.2245 CAD per USD, the necklace is 380.80 x 1.2245 = 466.29 CAD.
In the Vancouver store, they wanted 510 CAD + 7% sales tax + 7% national goods and services tax = 581.40 CAD, an increase of about 25%.

 

[solange]

If you want to give a special gift, the blue Tiffany box is very impressive and they do have some fairly modestly priced silver things that are nice. They are overpriced and you can do better for less. But I have found that people are thrilled when they get a gift from Tiffany and I often buy gifts there.

However the Tiffany of today is not what it was. Their jewelry used to be made in France by the finest craftsmen and their old jewelry and silver pieces bring astronomical prices. They had the finest designers and craftsmen and did a lot of custom work in the late 19th and early 20th century. Only the very wealthy could afford to buy there and many items were one of a kind and are in museums or the Tiffany vaults in New Jersey. They can no longer make things of that quality and the cost would be prohibitive.

Now most of their pieces are mass produced in a factory and are easily copied.There is no great skill involved.As to diamonds, they are overpriced and you can do better for much less on Pricescope. But is Pricescope for everyone? I really don't think so.

I have been in Tiffany and seen young couples looking at engagement rings. There is a certain joy in going into Tiffany and selecting a ring together and just buying it.Or surprising your fiance. Many people would not be inclined to do the research necessary to get the best value for their money or how to go about buying an expensive item on the internet. It takes some of the romance out of it unless you enjoy studying and checking things out for yourself. Not everyone does. You will not get the most for your money at Tiffany but you will not get stuck with a really inferior stone as you might with some of the jewelers who will take advantage of your lack of knowledge and then send you to an appraiser who will give you a high retail appraisal.

Several of my friends have "special" jewelers from whom they buy expensive diamonds. They do not have the slightest idea of anything but size and they are thrilled with their purchases. I went to some of these fabulous jewelers and found that they did not have enough information for me and ridiculed the internet vendors. I was also shown several stones I knew to be inferior after studying the valuable information on Pricescope.

My husband wanted to surprise me with a new diamond ring for our anniversary. I know he would have preferred to just go into a jeweler, possibly Tiffany or harry Winston, buy it and surprise me. But he knew I would be upset if he overpaid. I deprived him of the ability to do this because when I became suspicious of what he planned, I said I would prefer to pick out the ring myself. He had little to do with the selection except that he said he wanted me to have a round solitaire. I found the ring I wanted and bought it from Whiteflash.

I think my husband would have preferred to surprise me and I deprived him of that opportunity. The people who turn to Pricescope are usually looking to get the most for their money and they will. But some people would prefer to walk into Tiffany or one of the other Fifth Avenue jewelers and just make a purchase without studying, asking advice and undergoing the stress of making a selection without ever seeing the person they are buying from. It may be a more joyful experience and I can uderstand that feeling although I do not share it because I like to get the most for my money.

 

[Lord Summerisle]

The more i read about T&Co. the more I''m glad i dont have that to contend with over here in Great Britain.

Its just another name brand... and charges a premium for it.

And with a small amount of effort you can get arguably better for less... and be better informed about it.

If you HAVE to have that blue ''T'' box... I''m sure a quick search of Ebay would yeald results.. and you could buy that with the money your saving NOT getting from T&Co

I guess we have similar over here... with many chains of ''higher end'' jewellers... Earnest Jones springing first to mind with its ''you''ll get it so right with a diamond from the diamond and watch specialist'' marketing spiel. but when you visit you find the same old lackluster diamonds you find in anyother store here... that fail to catch the eye in the window lighting (the metal its in seems to glisten more) - none seem to have certs on show.

The only place I found was a small independant store in a town called Warrington in Cheshire where they had about 4 or 5 rings on display with the ring zip tied to a BGS cert. and these twinkled alot more than anything else in the window. And anyone caught looking at these where jumped on by the sales ppl... and you kinda got impression that they saw such ppl as the ''decerning'' customer and wanted to draw them in away from the ''pile it high sell it cheap to the plebs'' stuff they have in the main displays.

but the BGS cert was very similare to that of a GIA cert, with just simple 4C grades.

I do think it will be great when we start to get the type of information that is available to chaps that you take for granted here on PS starts to filter into this country... but there is such a lack on knowledge or indeed a need for such information.

And i disagree that those shopping on the net are somehow having a less romantic experiance than going into a B&M store - it''s a different experiance i agree... but good or bad.. i can not say... but for me... she loves the effort i am putting into chooseing the right stone, and the design of the ring, and making sure everything is perfect.

i still get to suprise her, as i have a way of making sure she doesnt know that i actually HAVE the ring

the colour of hte box, and the name on the box matters not one iota - its the symble that ring represents

on that one, i was in talking to my jeweller about the ring finalising details and a lady comes in asking about an engagement ring... and her criteria is that it looks like her friends ring but is different...

ok my ride home just got her...

will finish another time.

 

[PrincessBride]

Date: 1/21/2005 2:42

2 AM
Author: BLINGQUEEN
FYI about silver. First off, the more a piece is worn the less likely it is to tarnish. Second, while not wearing silver keep it in tarnish resistant lined jewelry box. And third, silver will tarnish but that doesn''t mean it''s ruined. A good silver cleaner, even Tarnex found at walmart etc. should do the trick.

I wear it everyday as a token of my bf''s love. I don''t ever take it off, only for x-rays and 2 wedding where all the bridesmaid had to wear matching necklaces.

I cleaned it with Tarnex and that''s how the clasp broke. I soaked it for 3 seconds. Took it out, washed it. Wore and and was running one day and the necklace just fell to the ground. My heart sunk as I thought this was a sign. I have my jewlery professionally steam cleaned every few months when I visit the jeweler. It just tarnishes so darn quickly.

 

[i_like_tiffany_please_dont_hate_me]

Lord Summerisle... we do have Tiffany in the UK, there are four stores in London. Harrods, Old Bond Street, Royal Exchange and Sloane Street.

I guess we have similar over here... with many chains of ''higher end'' jewellers... Earnest Jones springing first to mind with its ''you''ll get it so right with a diamond from the diamond and watch specialist'' marketing spiel. but when you visit you find the same old lackluster diamonds you find in anyother store here... that fail to catch the eye in the window lighting (the metal its in seems to glisten more) - none seem to have certs on show.

please... Ernest Jones is a high-street jeweller, a notch above H Samuel... to compare EJ to Tiffany''s is like comparing Leon Osman to Stevie G! lol

don''t get me wrong, Ernest Jones/Leslie Davis (same company same stuff) sell some nice rings, and I am probably going to get a nice oval pink sapph 14k white gold channel set ring from them. but I would never say they were ''higher end'', I''d probably say Goldsmiths are a step above EJ.

this is just my own personal experience with my local stores, the EJ in Liverpool really is horrible! but if you are looking for higher-end jewellers in the North West, I''d check out David M. Robinson (there is one in Chester, two in Liverpool, one in Manchester, one in Altrincham and one in Southport)



DG

 

[Lord Summerisle]

I guess your right

I'm more going off the places I see in the Trafford Centre. all seem to be selling the same generic stuff... just at different prices depending on the store...

 

[diagem]

PLEASE GIVE SOME RESPECT TO THE TIFFANY METAL QUALITY

i DONT KNOW A LOT OF JEWELERS THAT HAVE THEIR QUALITY RESTRICTION!!!!!

bUT YOU ARE RIGHT, YOU HAVE TO PAY QUITE A LOT FOR THIS KIND OF QUALITY

 

[solange]

Wiith regard to metal quality, I am not sure what you are referring to. There are specific standards and I doubt that reputable jewelers will misrepresent. Sterling silver is .925 purity and 18k gold is .750. I took several courses on jewelry and silver making and know how to do casting and other work in gold and silver. As to platinum, I have never worked with it but I know that there are differences in quality and density and there are explanations here on Pricescope. Some vendors have the same style ring at three different price levels, depending on the quality of workmanship and the way the platinum is formed.

I have received a few pieces from Tiffany as gifts, including a silver necklace with a large perfume flask, a small diamond on a chain and some serving pieces for my flatwear set. The chains on the necklaces were so thin that they broke several times. I lost the diamond because the chain broke and I finally just bought a new chain for the urn elsewhere because it was much to thin for the weight of the urn. I was amazed to see how much thinner the serving pieces were by comparison to my original set bought many years ago.

We are collectors and were invited to the Tiffany factory and vaults by someone who knew we had a lot of old Tiffany pieces.They are interested in buying back some of our old pieces which we bought many years ago at estate sales and auctions for a fraction of what they are worth now. Tiffany does not have workmen or jewelers who can do this kind of work anymore and most of their items are mass produced by machine rather than hand made, hand raised and hand finished. They are very interested in buying back their old, exceptional pieces because they can no longer produce this level of workmanship. I guess they want to keep this part of their history alive. They have an archive of old pieces on the factory premises and when we compared them with what they are producing in their factory now, it was a very sad commentary on "new" vs "old."

In fact we were told that if they get a special order they call back a few of their old workers who are retired because they can no longer find the craftsmen to do this kind of work nor do they have a demand for it at the prices they would have to charge.

 

[Daniela]

Solange,

There is another poster on this board who is of the same opinion regarding Tiffany (I''m speaking of fire & ice). That is, Tiffany pieces were worth the hype in their heyday, but now they are ordinary.

Thanks for your perspective on the whole question. You have offered some very valid and interesting things to think about, and I enjoyed hearing your story about visiting the factory.

Daniela

 

[blingy]

Mercedes cost a lot more than honda. Here''s the difference. With the car you keep the brand symbol on the whole time. If you buy a tiffany''s ring, get the blue box mounted and put on the next finger over so people know.

And yes, people say that they buy Tiffs for more than bragging rights, but I''m still not convinced.

 

[Lord Summerisle]

Date: 1/31/2005 5:18:41 PM
Author: blingy
Mercedes cost a lot more than honda. Here''s the difference. With the car you keep the brand symbol on the whole time. If you buy a tiffany''s ring, get the blue box mounted and put on the next finger over so people know.

And yes, people say that they buy Tiffs for more than bragging rights, but I''m still not convinced.

And I would still have the Honda, better Engine, better price, less depreciation, more reliable, better built and built in England. (and the badge wont get nicked for someones medalion

- Unless they want to be Rimmer)

Taking back to T&Co i think you can get a better performing diamond for less, if you had to traded, your only going to get x amount based on current trade for its colour, cut and clarity... therefore loss a bigger percentage it being from T&Co as you paid more in the first place. reliable - mute point - better built... sujective on where you go - a jeweller who knows his stuff (better) dodgy bloke... same as buying a car from a crack addict...

Ye pays your money, yous takes ye choice.