What can I get for $100,000 at Harry Winston? Cartier? and Tiffany?

[Ping]

Hi all,

Would anyone have any idea for what I can get for a diamond engagement ring at Harry Winston, Cartier, and Tiffany?

Any feedback would be highly appreciated!!

Ping

 

[valeria101]

Cool question !

Well... about half of what you could get for the same elsewhere.

3-4 carat G/VS2 or better comes to mind, but not all those rings are alike and I do not know the cost of each design, of course.

As far as I know either shop holds diamonds down to I/VS2 and I do not know any price for them exactly. In guise of anecdotal evidence, the price for 5 cts H/VS2 emerald cut came at about 60% more relative to "no name" (Cartier solitaire - so not a sophisticated setting).

Intricate settings add to that - twice the no-name price of the main diamond would not come as a surprise.

 

[shasha]

The Lucida!! The Lucida!!

I love the cutting and the setting of the ring. The bigger the better!!!

I wish I was able to afford one.

But why are you narrowing down your choices to those 3?

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 5/16/2005 1:39:30 AM
Author:Ping
Hi all,

Would anyone have any idea for what I can get for a diamond engagement ring at Harry Winston, Cartier, and Tiffany?

Any feedback would be highly appreciated!!

Ping

if i had a 100k to spend,i wouldn''t spend it at those place.i can probably buy the same or better stone from one of the vendors here on PS for 35% less.why would you want to pay big name store price?

 

[Ping]

I am really a diamond "amateur" comparing to all of you who had kindly responded to my question. Having just recently moved to Shanghai, China, my fiance and I are really paranoid of the scams from any of the "no-name" retailers

-- especially when it comes to something that means more than its monetary value to both of us. Here in the Middle Kingdom, buying from a "no name" place means I could be paying for platinum and getting a piece of metal that makes my finger green months down the road

. Therefore, we figured it would be safer to buy from one of the bigger names with store presence in China so that after-sales services and guarantee would be more accessible to us.

 

[Firefly]

Wow .. 100,000.00? As in USD 100,000.00? I''m sure you''ll be able to have the best choices with that kind of money.

Just a thought, if you can''t get what you want in China .. . why not fly to somewhere like Antwerp, Belgium or anywhere else in the world where you can have a great selection and guaranteed quality piece?

 

[Regular Guy]

Ping,

I''m very appreciative of the concern about after sales services, etc. Just remember...once you move just 100 miles away, you''ll want to find a different vendor to seek such services anyway.

Just by way of comparison here, WF could source at least something like this for you, that 3.5 carats, F, and internally flawless. Alternately, they''d have this 3 carat D VS2 in their back pocket meanwhile, but you''d have to leave $40 K on the table with that one.

 

[Ping]

Yes, as in US $100,000 -- I am a spoiled brat!

Living in China, I am more worried about the after-sales services than selection. Myself and some friends I know have had some really bad experience with the jewelers here -- some really REALLY rediculously bad experience. And that''s keeping me away from buying from any independent retailers.

Thanks for the ideas though

~ will keep that in mind when it comes to times to selet our honeymoon destination.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 5/16/2005 5:06:50 AM
Author: Ping
Yes, as in US $100,000 -- I am a spoiled brat!

Living in China, I am more worried about the after-sales services than selection. Myself and some friends I know have had some really bad experience with the jewelers here -- some really REALLY rediculously bad experience. And that's keeping me away from buying from any independent retailers.

Thanks for the ideas though

~ will keep that in mind when it comes to times to selet our honeymoon destination.

yep.....i would be very careful buying anything in china,the scam capital of the world.anything it's possible in china, even buying a 100k CZ.

 

[MissAva]

Why not call them and ask? Believe me they would be more then happy to show you a number of rings in your price range. And often if you are spending that kind of money they will assign you a personal shopper. Tiffanys will even send you presents on your anniversry and christmas.

 

[denverappraiser]

Date: 5/16/2005 5:06:50 AM
Author: Ping
Yes, as in US $100,000 -- I am a spoiled brat!

Living in China, I am more worried about the after-sales services than selection. Myself and some friends I know have had some really bad experience with the jewelers here -- some really REALLY rediculously bad experience. And that''s keeping me away from buying from any independent retailers.

Thanks for the ideas though

~ will keep that in mind when it comes to times to selet our honeymoon destination.

The after-sale service isn''t usually part of the same deal although the salespeople often try to make it so. At least in the US, the high quality jewelers, like the ones you mentioned, will provide you excellent service even if you don''t buy your ring from them. If you are uncomfortable buying in China, perhaps you should consider lowering your budget to $97,000 and include a trip to the USA or Europe. You will probably do better even at the branded stores you''ve mentioned by shopping at their outside of China.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[pearcrazy]

I am sure that with a $100,000 budget, any of those stores would be more than happy to give you a private consultation and show you what they''ve got for you or can get for you. I would just spend some time searching PS databases and asking questions here to find out exactly how much more you are paying for the exclusive name and service.

 

[Kaleigh]

I agree you still need to be informed, so If I were you I would read all the tutorials on cut etc... here on PS. I hope you will show us what you get, for 100,000.00 it will be amazing I''m sure!!!

 

[moremoremore]

YOU CAN GET MY HAND IN MARRIAGE!!!


LOL...Just kidding....I"m "taken"


edited.....just realized you were to be the lucky recipient!

 

[orbaya]

At Whiteflash you could get this for $93,508...4.04 Round, VS1, F.

 

[Mara]

ping...i would venture to say that if you are looking for the after-sale service that it is not guaranteed at a HW, Cartier or Tiffany any more than an independent retailer.

we have heard some horror stories on here with Tiffany and after-sale service, one gal had to return 3 things from Tiff over a few years if i recall correctly and said she would never buy from them again.

it's as easy for an independent retailer to make a mistake as it is a big company...

personally i think most of the time you should focus on buying the DIAMOND and not a warranty or customer service...that may come into play a bit but in reality what is expected after a purchase?

i buy my diamonds online but i have a local jeweler who cleans my rings, fixes prongs, checks the stones etc..all for very little cost OR NO COST. so in reality you can also do something similar, you do not have to buy the diamond from someone just to get good after-sale care.

and again i caution, just by buying ANY brand name does not guarantee great service. i don't think much is guaranteed nowadays.

one note also is that since you are looking at an expensive and probably large stone, BE SURE to educate yourself on CUT of the stone and not just cost and color and clarity. the bigger the diamond the more important it is that it is well-cut, symmetry shows up MUCH MORE in the bigger stones. i have seen some hideous large stones that were probably expensive but were cut wrong...so just be sure you know what you are buying!! you want that thing to sparkle in all situations.

if i had 100k i would buy an amazing well cut diamond online, from whiteflash or a similar trusted PS vendor, and get the biggest darn stone i could for that $$. then find a local jeweler who will care for your ring and stone...probably for free since if you can afford 100k on an e-ring, you may want to spend other big $$ in their local store one day. BUT if you don't want to spend the time worrying about spending that $$...a HW or Cartier or Tiff would most likely love to take yuor $$ and give you a beautiful stone and it would be easy.

good luck!

 

[cinnabar]

We just got back from a week in Las Vegas, and while we were there we went window shopping in the new Wynn hotel on the Strip. We couldn''t even afford to buy a window, let alone anything in the posh shops in there

I was particularly taken with the Graff shop, who had a 30 (yes, three zero, thirty) carat cushion cut solitaire that was D color and IF clarity. There was no price tag, and I didn''t dare go in and ask. It was so huge, it didn''t look real at all.

Graff had some absolutely gorgeous asschers in the same window, in much more "sensible" sizes, although also without visible price tags. They should really provide drool buckets, with window displays like that.

 

[codex57]

Hey, I was at the Wynn on Saturday. And yeah, those diamonds in the Graff window were HUGE!

Did you get a chance to eat at the buffet? Absolutely spectaculor. Ferrari dealership was way overrated though.

But yeah, if you have a $100K budget, that seriously warrants a trip to the US or Europe to deal with a reputable shop. Can you order through the internet, or is the post office not trustworthy? Maybe a private company (like FedEx) would be ok?

 

[Ping]

To be honest, I''ve actually had some not-so-pleasant experience with Chopard and Tiffany

. I admit that mistakes happen for both independent retailers and big brand stores -- However, the chance of that to happen at bigger stores is probably (or, hopefully) slimmer. Besides, I am also worried about whether the store is really telling the truth about what I am getting for the price that we are paying for. In China, they''ll say ANY thing just to get your money.

We are probably going to get the ring outside of China for better selection and for avoiding the 30% import tax. However, we are hoping to get the ring from a company with long history and strong store presence in Shanghai (or Hongkong) .... just to have the security that we''ll have some place to go for good service. I really wouldnt trust any vendor in China to clean or repair my ring

So far, I am personally fond of the Legacy setting from Tiffany.

If I want good clarity and good cut, what kind of karat would I get for that design? (And oh....as a true diamond amateur, I forgot to ask...what would really qualify to be GOOD clarity and GOOD cut?)

 

[cinnabar]

Date: 5/16/2005 9:31:53 PM
Author: codex57
Hey, I was at the Wynn on Saturday. And yeah, those diamonds in the Graff window were HUGE!


Did you get a chance to eat at the buffet? Absolutely spectaculor. Ferrari dealership was way overrated though.


But yeah, if you have a $100K budget, that seriously warrants a trip to the US or Europe to deal with a reputable shop. Can you order through the internet, or is the post office not trustworthy? Maybe a private company (like FedEx) would be ok?

We were at the Wynn on Friday, we missed the buffet but we did have dinner at Red8 there. Agree totally about the Ferraris.

China''s probably changed a lot since I was there in 1980, but back then the post office were totally untrustworthy, in my experience. They opened everything that looked interesting, and stuck a "sorry, your parcel appears to be damaged and some of the contents got lost" sticker on anything they almost certainly stole. The Kit-Kats my mother sent me, for example. She never sent me a $100K diamond though, so I can''t give an authoritative opinion on what would happen to that.

I wouldn''t send anything worth more than a Kit-Kat through the Chinese postal system, that''s my two cents worth.

 

[Kaleigh]

Ping,
Educate yourself on the parameters of a great cut. Buying from Tiffany or any other high end jeweler does not guarantee that you will be buying the best cut. To me that is the most important C there is. My ring came from Tiffany and it's beautiful but not exactly ideal by the standards on PS. HTH

 

[Ping]

I actually just came back from Vegas too. Saw a huge rock in the window at HW. As impressed as I was, I dont think I''ll really want something like that -- I mean, when diamonds get to be gigantic in that kind of size, people tend to refuse to believe that it''s a real deal unless I am some A-line Hollywood actress or heiress.

However, for $10K, my fiance wants something that''s at least 4ct...and I want something with good quality, cut, and design. Any suggestions or ideas?

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 5/16/2005 10:05:07 PM
Author: Ping
To be honest, I''ve actually had some not-so-pleasant experience with Chopard and Tiffany

. I admit that mistakes happen for both independent retailers and big brand stores -- However, the chance of that to happen at bigger stores is probably (or, hopefully) slimmer. Besides, I am also worried about whether the store is really telling the truth about what I am getting for the price that we are paying for. In China, they''ll say ANY thing just to get your money.

We are probably going to get the ring outside of China for better selection and for avoiding the 30% import tax. However, we are hoping to get the ring from a company with long history and strong store presence in Shanghai (or Hongkong) .... just to have the security that we''ll have some place to go for good service. I really wouldnt trust any vendor in China to clean or repair my ring

So far, I am personally fond of the Legacy setting from Tiffany.

If I want good clarity and good cut, what kind of karat would I get for that design? (And oh....as a true diamond amateur, I forgot to ask...what would really qualify to be GOOD clarity and GOOD cut?)

Ping
you might not get back the same diamond or worst,you might get back a CZ.come to the U.S. and buy the diamond. it''s cheaper than H.K.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 5/16/2005 10:12:50 PM
Author: Ping

my fiance wants something that's at least 4ct...and I want something with good quality, cut, and design.

Any suggestions or ideas?

5 carat G/VVS2 cushion and setting from the same shop (see below) ... There are several cushion cuts G VS-VVS around there, that's just one picked rather randomly.

5 cts E/VS2 takes the budget rather literally, making one nearly 6 cts F/VS2 look like a bargain !

Shape: Cushion
Carat weight: 5.66
Size: 10.88 - 10.47 - 6.56
Color: F
Clarity: VS2
Depth %: 62.7
Table %: 59
Symmetry: Good
Polish: Very Good
Girdle: TN
Culet: N
Fluorescence: N

It is not very important which sellers lists what: chances are these stones can be called in from manufacturers (where they reside now, most likely) by the seller of your choice. And that choice is not limited at the Pricescope gang - it happend more than once that diamonds presented by local shops turn out on virtual lists as well and usually at a lesser premium.

Turning to settings again, you might want to look up Leon. Can't believe no one mentioned him yet!

 

[Ping]

Date: 5/16/2005 5:38:22 PM
Author: Mara
ping...i would venture to say that if you are looking for the after-sale service that it is not guaranteed at a HW, Cartier or Tiffany any more than an independent retailer.

we have heard some horror stories on here with Tiffany and after-sale service, one gal had to return 3 things from Tiff over a few years if i recall correctly and said she would never buy from them again.

it''s as easy for an independent retailer to make a mistake as it is a big company...

personally i think most of the time you should focus on buying the DIAMOND and not a warranty or customer service...that may come into play a bit but in reality what is expected after a purchase?

i buy my diamonds online but i have a local jeweler who cleans my rings, fixes prongs, checks the stones etc..all for very little cost OR NO COST. so in reality you can also do something similar, you do not have to buy the diamond from someone just to get good after-sale care.

and again i caution, just by buying ANY brand name does not guarantee great service. i don''t think much is guaranteed nowadays.

one note also is that since you are looking at an expensive and probably large stone, BE SURE to educate yourself on CUT of the stone and not just cost and color and clarity. the bigger the diamond the more important it is that it is well-cut, symmetry shows up MUCH MORE in the bigger stones. i have seen some hideous large stones that were probably expensive but were cut wrong...so just be sure you know what you are buying!! you want that thing to sparkle in all situations.

if i had 100k i would buy an amazing well cut diamond online, from whiteflash or a similar trusted PS vendor, and get the biggest darn stone i could for that $$. then find a local jeweler who will care for your ring and stone...probably for free since if you can afford 100k on an e-ring, you may want to spend other big $$ in their local store one day. BUT if you don''t want to spend the time worrying about spending that $$...a HW or Cartier or Tiff would most likely love to take yuor $$ and give you a beautiful stone and it would be easy.

good luck!

Mara,

Are you the lucky owner of that gorgeous ring in the picture? Love that design!

For $10K, will I be able to get a 4~5 ct stone in the Legacy setting from Tiffany for decent quality (color and cut)?

Ping

 

[belle]

for $10k you can get a really nice 1.0-1.5ct from any of the vendors here

 

[windowshopper]

sorry but this thread is insanely annoying. --if you have 100,000 to spend i would hope that you, the spenders, have a little more sense than this--call one of the vendors and ask what a 4carat stone in the setting of your choice costs--this is silly.

edit: beyond silly..........you know what your budget is, you know what your minimum acceptable ring/stone is and youve stated you will not buy from an internet vendor................what is the point of this...........?

 

[madrock]

I don''t think it''s silly at all. Knowledge is power, and it pays to do your homework BEFORE you call a retailer. This is a significant diamond -- no matter where it is purchased -- and after one phone call, the entire diamond biz will know that someone is looking for a stone of this caliber.

 

[finerthings]

So is it 10,000 dollars...or 100,000 dollars?

 

[Ping]

Date: 5/16/2005 10:12:50 PM
Author: Ping
I actually just came back from Vegas too. Saw a huge rock in the window at HW. As impressed as I was, I dont think I''ll really want something like that -- I mean, when diamonds get to be gigantic in that kind of size, people tend to refuse to believe that it''s a real deal unless I am some A-line Hollywood actress or heiress.

However, for $10K, my fiance wants something that''s at least 4ct...and I want something with good quality, cut, and design. Any suggestions or ideas?

Oops...I meant, for $100k.....