Tiffany - the never-ending debate
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aljdewey
Ideal_Rock
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On 8/29/2003 75:16 PM fire&ice wrote:
RR, you will do just fine. Where is Rich when you need him... .Ahhh the mysteries of the female double talk!
Yeah, sending flowers to work - big deal....sending flowers to home - "they are just going to die in a few days".
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Oh my god......sooooooooo true. BF sent me a dozen roses to work for our anniversary..........HUGE deal. Actually, if he's bringing them home, huge deal too, but they don't have to be roses. He could go pick posies in the field and I'd be just as thrilled.
Mara
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Ha ha well you know where I stand.
Personally...I have seen a Lucida...I was never that impressed. They don't seem to be that sparkly? Maybe it was just the Tiffany lighting I viewed it under? Who knows. But it seemed kind of like a white crystal. Pretty I guess but I also didn't love the shape for whatever reason.
The Dream on the other hand really wowed us. It was the first diamond we saw on our search and if it wasn't for the markup, we probably would have one now...they were beautiful. It was like a rounded square, delicate and feminine without the really hard edged princess look I am not a fan of. They also *looked* larger than the ctw was..because of the way they are cut. So we really liked that. The .80c we tried on almost looked like a 1c from just a novice visual perspective at the time. So it kind of nixed some of the markup to get a slightly bigger looking stone?
But from a looks perspective, I would go with a Dream hands down. I would see both in order to compare them. You can find a HOF dealer near you (www.heartsonfire.com) and also go into a Tiffany and see for yourself. Try to take the stones out of the jeweler lights or at least over near a natural light window to get a better feel for what they will really look like in real life with real lighting.
Oh and just for fun...have the HOF jeweler pull two or three Dreams that are slightly near each other in size and put them into a loose 3 stone setting...then see how blind you are after that. If we just hadn't started looking and were farther into the process (read 'ready to buy') I think that would have sold us right there. We were both dazzled.
Good luck.
Personally...I have seen a Lucida...I was never that impressed. They don't seem to be that sparkly? Maybe it was just the Tiffany lighting I viewed it under? Who knows. But it seemed kind of like a white crystal. Pretty I guess but I also didn't love the shape for whatever reason.
The Dream on the other hand really wowed us. It was the first diamond we saw on our search and if it wasn't for the markup, we probably would have one now...they were beautiful. It was like a rounded square, delicate and feminine without the really hard edged princess look I am not a fan of. They also *looked* larger than the ctw was..because of the way they are cut. So we really liked that. The .80c we tried on almost looked like a 1c from just a novice visual perspective at the time. So it kind of nixed some of the markup to get a slightly bigger looking stone?
But from a looks perspective, I would go with a Dream hands down. I would see both in order to compare them. You can find a HOF dealer near you (www.heartsonfire.com) and also go into a Tiffany and see for yourself. Try to take the stones out of the jeweler lights or at least over near a natural light window to get a better feel for what they will really look like in real life with real lighting.
Oh and just for fun...have the HOF jeweler pull two or three Dreams that are slightly near each other in size and put them into a loose 3 stone setting...then see how blind you are after that. If we just hadn't started looking and were farther into the process (read 'ready to buy') I think that would have sold us right there. We were both dazzled.
Good luck.
RoughRider
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I agree with Mara regarding the Lucida. The salesgirl described it to us as having "contained fire" - definitely not as sparkly as a RB!
I haven't seen a HOF in person, but Max's one looks super! We saw the Gabrielle Carre, which is similar in looks to the HOF Dream (I'm sure there are a ton of differences), and we liked that better than the Lucere.
As far as quality and prestige - I would say the Lucere is an early 90s Ferrari and the HOF Dream is an Acura NSX when it first came out (I think around 89-90). Most of the car mags just raved about the NSX - technological marvel, Honda/Acura build quality, reliability, etc. But only the Ferrari was a Ferrari.
btw, I'm not a gearhead and not trying to spark debate about cars (I just remember TC was always fixing Magnum's Ferrari).
I think this being Friday also has something to do with this thread's rapid growth ...
I haven't seen a HOF in person, but Max's one looks super! We saw the Gabrielle Carre, which is similar in looks to the HOF Dream (I'm sure there are a ton of differences), and we liked that better than the Lucere.
As far as quality and prestige - I would say the Lucere is an early 90s Ferrari and the HOF Dream is an Acura NSX when it first came out (I think around 89-90). Most of the car mags just raved about the NSX - technological marvel, Honda/Acura build quality, reliability, etc. But only the Ferrari was a Ferrari.
btw, I'm not a gearhead and not trying to spark debate about cars (I just remember TC was always fixing Magnum's Ferrari).
I think this being Friday also has something to do with this thread's rapid growth ...
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On 8/29/2003 82:29 PM RoughRider wrote:
I think this being Friday also has something to do with this thread's rapid growth ...
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Ahh....the deadly combination. Friday & Tiffany & Co.
One more comment - and I hope I don't get flamed. There is a certain cache to a 1c stone. No matter what your jewelry loving status is. No matter what size your finger is. Personally, a 1c stone carries more "clout" than the Tiffany & Co. name.
Mara
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Hmm I think a 3c stone carries more clout than the Tiffany & Co. name.----------------
On 8/30/2003 93:33 AM fire&ice wrote:
No matter what size your finger is. Personally, a 1c stone carries more "clout" than the Tiffany & Co. name.
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Hee Hee.
1 ct is always a good idea, and after she gets used to a ring on her finger, it really WON'T seem that large. Personally, I'd rather have a 1 ct ideal cut in a good color/quality, rather than a ring from Tiffany's, but living close to NYC, I know what the name can mean to a lot of people. Does she have a sister or close friend you can get an opinion from?
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WOW, this IS a popular subject.
Here goes my humble contribution:
1) Once you take the Tiffany ring out of the respective box, it can be easily confused for any of the 1000-s of knock-offs which can be told apart with magnification only (joke: one should still know all the little detail of the real deal not to be fooled). So, to be able to impress with a Tiffany you have to take your family into the store when you buy the thing and then, perhaps, wear the ring with the tag attached!
2) if the diamond HAS to be small, get a colored one. Below a carat, even a pink or blue will not be all that expensive and an orange or yellow (even intense or vivid) will be bargains. And with these, you need no brand or Tiffany tag: anyone from Mars to Pluto will know what you are talking about when you wave them! See them all at fancydiamonds.com, diamondsbylauren.com and israel-diamonds. For ring examples with fancies: jewelryexpert.com and some of the already cited will work fine.
Good luck!
Here goes my humble contribution:
1) Once you take the Tiffany ring out of the respective box, it can be easily confused for any of the 1000-s of knock-offs which can be told apart with magnification only (joke: one should still know all the little detail of the real deal not to be fooled). So, to be able to impress with a Tiffany you have to take your family into the store when you buy the thing and then, perhaps, wear the ring with the tag attached!
2) if the diamond HAS to be small, get a colored one. Below a carat, even a pink or blue will not be all that expensive and an orange or yellow (even intense or vivid) will be bargains. And with these, you need no brand or Tiffany tag: anyone from Mars to Pluto will know what you are talking about when you wave them! See them all at fancydiamonds.com, diamondsbylauren.com and israel-diamonds. For ring examples with fancies: jewelryexpert.com and some of the already cited will work fine.
Good luck!
Doesn't it just come down to getting whatever will make her happy? If she loves Tiffany than get it for her! My own opinion is that Tiffany seems to be everywhere these days, it's like the Louis Vuitton of jewelry. Yes it is nice and yes it is good quality and yes it is expensive and yes you can find something of similar quality for less money. I notice that my more affluent female friends have Tiffany jewels but really seem to prefer Bvlgari or Cartier for their "everyday" jewelry and Harry Winston or Graff for their "important" pieces.
I'm officially torn between the HoF Dream Diamond and Tiffany Lucida Diamond. It appears to be the general sentiment on this board that HoF Dream is a better diamond, and I went to see one in person and it was impressive. However, I saw nothing wrong with the Lucida. I'm also concerned about the prestige of the HoF. It worries me that I'd never heard of it before reading this board, and I can guarantee that none of our jewelry novice friends have heard of it either.
Help me...
Help me...
elmo
Brilliant_Rock
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I think we've arrived at what is most important about this decision. Definitely go with something from T&Co. And I agree with what a number of folks mentioned - seriously consider something at 1 carat. I'm fairly confident that your gf will be happiest with this over the long run.
p.s. Valeria101 - don't take this wrong, I definitely like seeing your input on color. But why in the world do you keep promoting fancydiamonds.com and israel-diamonds.com? With all the IGI reports, I have a hard time taking those folks seriously.
Richard Sherwood
Ideal_Rock
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RR, you will do just fine. Where is Rich when you
need him... .Ahhh the mysteries of the female double
talk!
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I thought it best just to duck and keep my head down in the trenches on this one...
RR, you will do just fine. Where is Rich when you
need him... .Ahhh the mysteries of the female double
talk!
-----------
I thought it best just to duck and keep my head down in the trenches on this one...
I'm going to throw out the Cartier name one more time. I'm a self-described jewelry novice just like Sly's intended audience (although much less so since I've been reading this board daily). I know I would have been more impressed with a Cartier ring than a Tiffany ring.
But you'd have to tell me that's where it was from! I hope your intended doesn't mind bragging.
A lot of people have mentioned Cartier any other big brands. I would support that, but unfortunately, the 8K i am planning on spending is already more than I could have ever imagined spending on jewelry. It's not that I'm cheap, it's just that I keep imagining the plasma tv I could buy instead (which, sadly enough, I'd bet my GF would prefer). Tiffany is probably about as expensive as I can get.
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HI Sly,
This is the first time that I am replying to a T&Co. thread,but considering that I recently purchased two diamond rings, one H&A solitaire from Whiteflash and a diamond wedding band from Tiffany's, I feel I should.
When I first got married, I didn't get an engagement ring and I always wanted one. I also thought that nothing else but Tiffany's would do. I knew exactly what I wanted too. I wanted a 1.5 F color minimum VS1 clarity diamond and it had to be from Tiffany's.
Well, my 10 year anniversary was coming up and I decided to start researching diamonds. I found pricescope, like you,and found the wonderful world fo H&A diamonds. I also found out that Tiffany's diamonds were not so great, and you could get a much better price from one of our online vendors.
I wound up with a H&A ACA from Whiteflash and could not be happier with my decision. I took it to a HOF dealer and they were impressed and thought it was one of theirs, I took it into Tiffany's and they were impressed with it as well.
Just last week, I took my diamond to Signed Pieces, a online/B&M store that sells second hand name brand jewelry (think Cartier, Tiffany's, etc.) and the man who looked at my diamond exclaimed,"Now, this is a diamond, I have never seen a diamond shine like this!" and he happened to have a 2.28 E VVS Tiffany diamond in his display.
I could not be more happier with my decision.
I did wind up purchasing my diamond wedding band from Tiffany's and I have to say, I think the diamonds sparkle beautifully too. I am just as happy with it as well, although I know that I could have gotten the almost the same ring for a lot less money.
I think that you should get whatever will make your girlfriend happy. Why not tell her about H&A diamonds and HOF diamonds and see if she would be interested in them.
If she still says she wants Tiffany's, then get her what she wants.
How about a second hand Tiffany's ring.
Signed Pieces, and no, I don't work for them, gets in a few things every once in a while.
I had my eye on a Elsa Peretti diamonds by the yard bracelet for a while and just last week, they got the exact one I wanted in.
I paid half of the price I would have paid at Tiffany's.
I think they actually have a Lucida e-ring in. Maybe you should check it out.
Again, if only Tiffany's will do, then get her what she wants. It seems to me you are having doubts about purchasing from Tiffany's, otherwise you wouldn't be posting here.
This is the first time that I am replying to a T&Co. thread,but considering that I recently purchased two diamond rings, one H&A solitaire from Whiteflash and a diamond wedding band from Tiffany's, I feel I should.
When I first got married, I didn't get an engagement ring and I always wanted one. I also thought that nothing else but Tiffany's would do. I knew exactly what I wanted too. I wanted a 1.5 F color minimum VS1 clarity diamond and it had to be from Tiffany's.
Well, my 10 year anniversary was coming up and I decided to start researching diamonds. I found pricescope, like you,and found the wonderful world fo H&A diamonds. I also found out that Tiffany's diamonds were not so great, and you could get a much better price from one of our online vendors.
I wound up with a H&A ACA from Whiteflash and could not be happier with my decision. I took it to a HOF dealer and they were impressed and thought it was one of theirs, I took it into Tiffany's and they were impressed with it as well.
Just last week, I took my diamond to Signed Pieces, a online/B&M store that sells second hand name brand jewelry (think Cartier, Tiffany's, etc.) and the man who looked at my diamond exclaimed,"Now, this is a diamond, I have never seen a diamond shine like this!" and he happened to have a 2.28 E VVS Tiffany diamond in his display.
I could not be more happier with my decision.
I did wind up purchasing my diamond wedding band from Tiffany's and I have to say, I think the diamonds sparkle beautifully too. I am just as happy with it as well, although I know that I could have gotten the almost the same ring for a lot less money.
I think that you should get whatever will make your girlfriend happy. Why not tell her about H&A diamonds and HOF diamonds and see if she would be interested in them.
If she still says she wants Tiffany's, then get her what she wants.
How about a second hand Tiffany's ring.
Signed Pieces, and no, I don't work for them, gets in a few things every once in a while.
I had my eye on a Elsa Peretti diamonds by the yard bracelet for a while and just last week, they got the exact one I wanted in.
I paid half of the price I would have paid at Tiffany's.
I think they actually have a Lucida e-ring in. Maybe you should check it out.
Again, if only Tiffany's will do, then get her what she wants. It seems to me you are having doubts about purchasing from Tiffany's, otherwise you wouldn't be posting here.
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Here is the diamond I found:
It is .52 Lucida in platinum, E VVS2, for a little less than $4000. It comes with the Tiffany's leather bound certificate, letter of valuation (which is the price that it really cost, by the way, it originally cost $6000, I think), and suede boxes, etc.
http://www.signedpieces.com/item.php?type=brand&cat=11&ItemID=3194
It is .52 Lucida in platinum, E VVS2, for a little less than $4000. It comes with the Tiffany's leather bound certificate, letter of valuation (which is the price that it really cost, by the way, it originally cost $6000, I think), and suede boxes, etc.
http://www.signedpieces.com/item.php?type=brand&cat=11&ItemID=3194
Hest88
Ideal_Rock
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I'm away for a few days and yet ANOTHER Tiffany thread?
Okay:
1. You're not going to get as fine a diamond for the price
2. Especially with a Lucida, you're going to get a smaller-looking diamond for the price
3. You'll be paying a huge markup
4. Unless your GF, every time someone says, "Oooo, can I see your ring?" says "It's from Tiffany" few people on street will know.
5. After the wedding is over, no one will care AT ALL that's it's a Tiffany any more than they'll care that she wore a Vera Wang dress.
6. But, if the Tiffany name is *that* important to you, then get the Tiffany
7. If the Tiffany name is that important to *her* then you have to get the Tiffany
8. If you're getting a Tiffany Lucida and you can afford to raise your budget, do it. a .75 Lucida is going to look awfully small and (see #5) so better to err slightly on the larger side so that people will still be oooing and ahhhing over her ring long after the wedding is over
Okay:
1. You're not going to get as fine a diamond for the price
2. Especially with a Lucida, you're going to get a smaller-looking diamond for the price
3. You'll be paying a huge markup
4. Unless your GF, every time someone says, "Oooo, can I see your ring?" says "It's from Tiffany" few people on street will know.
5. After the wedding is over, no one will care AT ALL that's it's a Tiffany any more than they'll care that she wore a Vera Wang dress.
6. But, if the Tiffany name is *that* important to you, then get the Tiffany
7. If the Tiffany name is that important to *her* then you have to get the Tiffany
8. If you're getting a Tiffany Lucida and you can afford to raise your budget, do it. a .75 Lucida is going to look awfully small and (see #5) so better to err slightly on the larger side so that people will still be oooing and ahhhing over her ring long after the wedding is over
I disagree. It may be superficial, but I feel that engagment rings are about impressing people. Getting engaged is not about impressing people, that obviously goes much deeper, but I want the ring itself to be as impressive as possible with respect to quality and name.
Rank Amateur
Brilliant_Rock
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There may be a correlation between superficial engagement rings and superficial marriages.
An interesting thought, but I can assure you that's not the case here. I understand that an engagement ring represents quite a bit, but the fact of the matter is that it is also a diamond ring that I want to look impressive to the girl and the people around her. I'm not getting engaged to impress people. But being that I'm getting engaged, I want to get an impressive ring.
Mara
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Wow gone for a week and this thread still soldiers on....
Anyway I am just piping in because in scrolling through the responses this week..something Sly said caught my attn (and others). If your $8k is really stretching the limits and you'd much rather have the awesome TV and your GF would love it too, figure out a compromise.
I say this because I'd be upset to know that my fiance bought me a ring knowing that his heart really wanted something else. This is not to say that your heart does not want a great ring, of course it does...but we can't have EVERYTHING we want all the time. I would make your money work the hardest for you, and my two cents is that is NOT with a Tiffany ring. I'd be so much happier with a great ring that doesn't scream 'wasteful brand' that looks *the same* as the Tiffany *and* a plasma TV. Why can't you have both? It doesn't mean you love your GF any less and if she isn't a brand-monger then she'd probably be happy too that you really got the most bang for your buck and were a smart shopper.
There are tons of ways to cut this...you have alot of choices and your budget is very good. In the end you do what feels best to you. But when it comes down to it, we all have choices to make. I would be much happier knowing that my fiance didn't just give into the brand pressure and/or get me what would impress others. All that matters is you two...and the new plasma TV you could buy with the money you'd save NOT buying Tiffany.
From your posts, you sound really torn. Tiffany brand name and impressing other people (?!) OR a well-cut stone with great light return in a similar shape/style *and* the cool TV you both would love ....or much closer to the TV than you would have been if you'd blown the whole wad on a Tiffany box.
Glad to be home--though I wish home was Hawaii now....
Anyway I am just piping in because in scrolling through the responses this week..something Sly said caught my attn (and others). If your $8k is really stretching the limits and you'd much rather have the awesome TV and your GF would love it too, figure out a compromise.
I say this because I'd be upset to know that my fiance bought me a ring knowing that his heart really wanted something else. This is not to say that your heart does not want a great ring, of course it does...but we can't have EVERYTHING we want all the time. I would make your money work the hardest for you, and my two cents is that is NOT with a Tiffany ring. I'd be so much happier with a great ring that doesn't scream 'wasteful brand' that looks *the same* as the Tiffany *and* a plasma TV. Why can't you have both? It doesn't mean you love your GF any less and if she isn't a brand-monger then she'd probably be happy too that you really got the most bang for your buck and were a smart shopper.
There are tons of ways to cut this...you have alot of choices and your budget is very good. In the end you do what feels best to you. But when it comes down to it, we all have choices to make. I would be much happier knowing that my fiance didn't just give into the brand pressure and/or get me what would impress others. All that matters is you two...and the new plasma TV you could buy with the money you'd save NOT buying Tiffany.
From your posts, you sound really torn. Tiffany brand name and impressing other people (?!) OR a well-cut stone with great light return in a similar shape/style *and* the cool TV you both would love ....or much closer to the TV than you would have been if you'd blown the whole wad on a Tiffany box.
I wish we were still living in the prehistorical ages...
Men in those times didnt have to propose in any way or offer
an engagement ring.. They only had to bring some food to their girl
to have s*x*al relationships with.
It was so easy thousand of years ago....
Trichrome.
Men in those times didnt have to propose in any way or offer
an engagement ring.. They only had to bring some food to their girl
to have s*x*al relationships with.
It was so easy thousand of years ago....
Trichrome.
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