Quality vs Size... Tiffany and Co Ering

[Mrs.W 514]

If you want your girlfriend's ring to stand out get the biggest rock you can afford honestly people are going to see the size and not care at all about cut, clarity or color. If you want you girlfriends ring to be unique and special you need to forget about what other people are going to think and get the beautiful high color, clarity and excellent cut diamond you want. As for the sisters ring, I hope her family isn't as shallow as to compare the two daughters rings. Has your girlfriend given you any direction about the ring?

There are also other ways to be unique how about an antique diamond? There are many stunning options that are rare, beautiful, high quality and will make your gf's ring really stand out. Single Stone is very well respected and has some really beautiful pieces
http://www.singlestone.com/index.php?page=collections&catID=14&startRow=13

To get back to your question about seeing a visual difference with a .10 size increase. You probably wont see any difference between the two. However as many of us PSer's know something times it all in your head

 

[Imdanny]

I truly appreciate the positive input. Thanks to you, I'm considering a larger stone but still staying in the colorless range. But do you think 0.10 difference in size (costing the same amount) would do any good?? I don't think that would make the ring anymore impressive... so that's why I'd choose rare (d color) over ordinary (f color). Anyone agree?

As for the negative input...
Yes, I can see a difference in color between an E and G/H. Maybe my eyes are just better than yours??? It's obviously an objective human finding/grading. PS: experts have told me that D colors ARE different than F.
Please don't say I have not done my research... I have. I have been shopping for a good 6 months with many visits to local jewlery stores as well as the Tiffany store in downtown Chicago and Old Orchard mall. Local stores suck to be honest with you, they don't even carry high end stones... and this is where MOST people buy their rings.
Yes, I know I can buy a diamond with the same stats for a few thousand dollars less, but to be honest, I'd rather go with Tiffany and Co. I like quality prodcuts and well known brands. I'd rather drive my BMW than a high end Honda. That's just how I am. I don't want an ordinary car OR diamond. She means more to me than that, she's not ordinary. You can disagree, but I bet that 99/100 times if you offered a Tiff diamond vs one bought ONLINE, I think a gal would choose the T&C one. Yes, I know she won't carry the box... and that people won't ask about the qualities of the stone... But I doubt anyone would question the true value of it. Blue nile prices are not far off, in fact, some are similarly priced...! LOOK THEM UP!
You might think I'm superficial for wanting TIFFANYS, but how do you sound wanting a larger stone? I general, I think people push for size more than quality... I know some really wealthy people who rock 1 carat flawless stones and don't brag about them. They just don't want the attention. All they know is that their 1 carat $40,000+ rock is worth more than the car the girls with the 2 carat yellow stones are driving... But that is just me. ALL I'M LOOKING FOR IS A GOOD BALANCE AND GOOD ADVICE.

I'd like to note the bold, and then I'll make a second post.

 

[yssie]

Realistically - hopefully you've already discussed engagement, and she's probably been "expecting" something since then. So it's hopefully not a *total* surprise!

And I promise, if she's anything like the vast majority of women, since that discussion she's chatted with the important women in her life about her dream ring. Most women have opinions on jewellery, and *most* women have opinions on what they want their engagement ring to look like! So you don't need to ask her directly if it's very important to you, but please at least find a trustworthy friend (she must have at least one!) and have a conversation... no matter how much you love her and how well you know her you're not and never will be a mind-reader, and her tastes and desires might run in a different direction from yours.

I'm not saying they will, and I'm not saying what you want isn't important. I'm saying it seems to me to be in every way more thoughtful to at least find out what her priorities and preferences are, rather than ignoring the fact that she may have her own opinions in favour of makingeverything a surprise and finding out what her preferences are might just answer all your questions and stop you from losing any more sleep!


ETA: And I would say exactly the same thing if your posts were about popular PS vendors, say, instead of Tiffany.

 

[Imdanny]

No, it will not impress people that you have D color because you don't go around telling people the diamond color! And well cut stones will be bright and sparkly well into the near colorless range. If her sister has a 1.7 F color stone, then I think it would be a bad mistake to go with a 1 ct. of any color when your budget would allow you to go higher. I certainly would recommend going to G color to get a larger stone. A G is NOT yellow! And just being one color from F, it is extremely unlikely that it could be told apart from her sister's F color stone. But certainly don't go with D or E. The size is going to be FAR more noticeable than the color when dealing with H or up, as far as I am concerned!

I absolutely would go for one of these:

1.35 g vs2 $18,400
1.40 h vvs1 $20,000

I completely agree - those are the two I would be choosing between, and I'd probably choose the 1.4H that's nearly flawless. I am currently in the market for a ring as well, and I went to two T&Co stores here in Chicago (Michigan ave and Old Orchard). I am very color sensitive, and I can tell you that I spent a lot of time comparing colors from D all the way to I at T&Co. looking at how the stones face up, I couldn't tell a difference between an H and a D when I had them side by side. I had to look at them through the pavilion with a white sheet of paper behind them, and even then, it took me about a minute of hard looking to rank the color of three stones (D, G and an I). Therefore, I'd say you're fooling yourself if you think you can see the upgrade in color of a D without a stone to compare it to right next to it, and even then, you have to be looking hard for it.

go spend some time looking at the stones in the store, come up with a minimum color and clarity grade that suits you, and then find the biggest stone you can within your budget.

Are you dead set on getting the ring at Tiffany?

That's interesting. This poster is "currently in the market for a ring as well" as the OP, and they just happen to be shopping at the same two stores in Chicago.

Please note the last sentence: "Are you dead set on getting ring at Tiffany?"

Just so we're clear- this is "not" the OP.

And again: "...I went to two T&Co stores here in Chicago (Michigan ave and Old Orchard)."

But this poster: "couldn't tell a difference between an H and a D when [he] had them side by side."

Someone posts and gets answered on the same page by someone who also has a very low post count who happens to be shopping for Tiffany rings in Chicago at the same two stores as the OP and happens to have his writing style.

This person (the OP) has posted other threads where he asks about Tiffanys, starts telling us about Tiffanys (see second post), and gets belligerent when he doesn't seem to get the answers he wants.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions. But my money is on: same poster, different day, same routine.

 

[mogster]

It sounds like you want to impress your girlfriend, but it's hard to know what will impress her if you don't know what she'll be impressed by. Maybe she won't care about the color or the T&Co name at all, but rather about the size, and will be disappointed that her diamond is smaller than her sister's. It's hard to say. It seems like you're looking for reassurance that getting a D 1.2 ct over an F 1.3 ct isn't a "stupid decision" and that somehow it will be better than her sister's ring. No one CAN or is going to tell you that. Diamond shopping is personal and based on your own preferences. Most people have a limited budget and balance out the 4Cs based on their priorities. To some people, buying any ring from T&Co's is stupid. If it's important to you that she have a D-colored diamond because it is mind clean for you, then go ahead and buy it. No one can tell you which is empirically, objectively better because we all have different priorities.

 

[MissStepcut]

Don't forget that if you buy in the city you pay a HEFTY city tax. I live a couple blocks down from Michigan but I only ever really buy anything when I'm out of state. You could take a vacation to Oregon or Delaware, buy it there, and still come out ahead.

 

[ame]

Regardless, I'll never beat the 1.7 carat rock on her sisters finger.

You can if you get past this Tiffany's obsession.

 

[AnneinGA]

WhiI disagree with your idea that the "brand" of Tiffany is going to be more noticeable than another online vendor. It's not like "Oh, she drives a BMW" where it's obvious what brand it is. To 99.9% of the population, what she wears will be a beautiful ring. They can't tell unless she takes it off and they see the engraving in the inside.

Look, I am not on here for people to hate on T&C or my logic... I know you are all probably trying to help, but it doesn't seem like it.

I quite love Tiffany's and have some of their Jewelry. I don't hate your logic. You don't like the help because you don't want advice or opinions you want validation.

If you want a D IF Tiffany round for your GF and it will make you terribly happy to know that she has "the best", then go for it.

To my point, outside of the photo coloring, would you know which one is a tiffany? Because that's about what you're looking at vs. the other obvious brands.

edited for photo addition.

 

[pmbspyder]

No offense, but you sound like you're 16 years old. Diamonds are diamonds. Totally different than comparing a BMW to a Honda. Give me 5 minutes online and I can find a better comparable diamond than most you could bring me from tiffany's. Not knocking the brand, more your logic that is unsound.

You wanted opinions and advice, but really, you should have said, "hey everyone, can you tell me how cool I am for wanting to buy a tiffany's ring?"

The people on this forum are incredibly nice and patient, but you seemingly are neither. You want the truth? I'd bet $10k that your girlfriend (who you refuse to get input from) would much rather have a larger, lower color ring than a 1ct d color. Will it look inferior to her sister's? YES. Your average person first recognizes size in a diamond, and your gf's compared to her sis's will look SMALL. If you want to hang out with her everywhere she goes and read off a page of stats as to why your diamond is the best, then by all means. Aside from that, no one will notice, ask, or care about the materialistic things you seem to be obsessed with. And please, stop referring to diamonds above F as "yellow diamonds" like you're some big time mogul with money to burn. You wanting a "D" colored stone makes you better than absolutely NO ONE. A lot of people on here work hard for their ERing purchases, and there are better ways to express yourself without denouncing and degrading other people's decisions and preferences. If you plan on soliciting any more advice, maybe you could grow up a bit, collect yourself, and realize these people are trying to help you; they have no stock investested in whether or not you get a 1ct or 1.5ct Ering.

Advice: get her input. she will be the one wearing it not you. i promise there will be time for you to coach her up on the diamond's stats so that when she holds it up to her sister's 1.7 she can rattle of the list and justify it with YOUR logic.

Man this thread rubbed me the wrong way. Rant over.

 

[AnneinGA]

No offense, but you sound like you're 16 years old. Diamonds are diamonds. Totally different than comparing a BMW to a Honda. Give me 5 minutes online and I can find a better comparable diamond than most you could bring me from tiffany's. Not knocking the brand, more your logic that is unsound.

You wanted opinions and advice, but really, you should have said, "hey everyone, can you tell me how cool I am for wanting to buy a tiffany's ring?"

The people on this forum are incredibly nice and patient, but you seemingly are neither. You want the truth? I'd bet $10k that your girlfriend (who you refuse to get input from) would much rather have a larger, lower color ring than a 1ct d color. Will it look inferior to her sister's? YES. Your average person first recognizes size in a diamond, and your gf's compared to her sis's will look SMALL. If you want to hang out with her everywhere she goes and read off a page of stats as to why your diamond is the best, then by all means. Aside from that, no one will notice, ask, or care about the materialistic things you seem to be obsessed with. And please, stop referring to diamonds above F as "yellow diamonds" like you're some big time mogul with money to burn. You wanting a "D" colored stone makes you better than absolutely NO ONE. A lot of people on here work hard for their ERing purchases, and there are better ways to express yourself without denouncing and degrading other people's decisions and preferences. If you plan on soliciting any more advice, maybe you could grow up a bit, collect yourself, and realize these people are trying to help you; they have no stock investested in whether or not you get a 1ct or 1.5ct Ering.

Advice: get her input. she will be the one wearing it not you. i promise there will be time for you to coach her up on the diamond's stats so that when she holds it up to her sister's 1.7 she can rattle of the list and justify it with YOUR logic.

Man this thread rubbed me the wrong way. Rant over.

+1

 

[ame]

No offense, but you sound like you're 16 years old. Diamonds are diamonds. Totally different than comparing a BMW to a Honda. Give me 5 minutes online and I can find a better comparable diamond than most you could bring me from tiffany's. Not knocking the brand, more your logic that is unsound.

You wanted opinions and advice, but really, you should have said, "hey everyone, can you tell me how cool I am for wanting to buy a tiffany's ring?"

The people on this forum are incredibly nice and patient, but you seemingly are neither. You want the truth? I'd bet $10k that your girlfriend (who you refuse to get input from) would much rather have a larger, lower color ring than a 1ct d color. Will it look inferior to her sister's? YES. Your average person first recognizes size in a diamond, and your gf's compared to her sis's will look SMALL. If you want to hang out with her everywhere she goes and read off a page of stats as to why your diamond is the best, then by all means. Aside from that, no one will notice, ask, or care about the materialistic things you seem to be obsessed with. And please, stop referring to diamonds above F as "yellow diamonds" like you're some big time mogul with money to burn. You wanting a "D" colored stone makes you better than absolutely NO ONE. A lot of people on here work hard for their ERing purchases, and there are better ways to express yourself without denouncing and degrading other people's decisions and preferences. If you plan on soliciting any more advice, maybe you could grow up a bit, collect yourself, and realize these people are trying to help you; they have no stock investested in whether or not you get a 1ct or 1.5ct Ering.

Advice: get her input. she will be the one wearing it not you. i promise there will be time for you to coach her up on the diamond's stats so that when she holds it up to her sister's 1.7 she can rattle of the list and justify it with YOUR logic.

Man this thread rubbed me the wrong way. Rant over.

+2, 3, 4 *applauds*

 

[Lahey]

I'd rather drive my BMW than a high end Honda. That's just how I am.

I know some really wealthy people who rock 1 carat flawless stones and don't brag about them. They just don't want the attention. All they know is that their 1 carat $40,000+ rock is worth more than the car the girls with the 2 carat yellow stones are driving... But that is just me.

you aren't seriously comparing a BMW vs. Honda debate to Tiffany ring vs. another ring? that's completely different.

as for the people with flawless, 1ct d rings, it sounds like they ARE bragging about it if you know it's a d color, flawless diamond. that sounds even more superficial and pretentious to me than someone who doesn't spout out stats about their diamond or where they bought it. but, hey, to borrow your words, I guess "that is just you"... the big shot leasing the 328i buying a T&Co ring.

 

[mrssalvo]

What about an AGS000 diamond in a tiffany replica with an actual Tiffany wedding band, best of both worlds...

sna77's wife e-ring and Tiffany wedding band:

[URL='http://www.pricescope.com/forum/show-me-the-ring/tiffany-co-2-86-tcw-shared-prong-eternity-band-t83307.html']http://www.pricescope.com/forum/show-me-the-ring/tiffany-co-2-86-tcw-shared-prong-eternity-band-t83307.html[/URL]

 

[footshooter5]

+ ∞


You have to realize that the contributors to this forum and PriceScope in general are very passionate people who are spending their own time trying to help you find the best and most fabulous stone you can possibly find for the money...in simple terms that means VALUE.

The things that people will notice IMMEDIATELY is going to be the SIZE, and then how SPARKLY her stone is (I use sparkly instead of fire, scintillation and light return because I am lazy...)

If you want a stone that is huge, and lights the earth on fire because it sparkles like it means business, +1 for the p'scopers who said AGS000 superideal cut, like this stone http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2531899.htm

If you get idealscope images, ASET images, etc you can see how superb the optical symmetry is in these stones, not to mention that they have phenomenal HCA ratings.

If you must have the biggest stone you can afford from Tiffanys, then by all means no is going to stop you, but I have to second the poster who said that no one in their right mind is going to ask your fiance what clarity and color the stone is.

Also, I'm not specifically advocating WhiteFlash - any of the reputable online vendors like Brian Gavin, and Good Old Gold are fantastic.

And for the record, you can't compare a BMW to a high end Toyota, and say the same is true for diamonds.

You could compare an AGS000 superideal cut stone as being a BMW M6 compared to a GIA ex/ex as a 3 series (yes, this is a little exaggerated, and I mean no offense to GIA EX/EX which are for the most part fantastic stones

Good luck with your search.

-Gayan

 

[sapphirering]

Wow, the mood here is turning fast and downward... I do not have a T&CO ring but I do have a 1.5ct D SI1 solitaire. Nobody has ever asked me about the color of the diamond, but I have received plenty of compliments on it (after a good cleaning, that is.) I, personally, LOVE the fact that it's a D. Between color, cut, clarity, and size, I prioritized color and cut, then size, then clarity. This has nothing to do with bragging rights.

I am pretty color sensitive and I can tell the tint on my sister's G ering without even putting our rings side by side. Hers is bigger than mine (2ct), and each of us are happy with what we've chosen. Buying an engagement ring is such a personal and emotional decision, it goes far beyond just the size or getting the best possible *deal* (which varies by definition according to each buyer.) I do think that before you commit to a ring, you should get a feel from your girlfriend on whether she would prefer a larger stone with lower color or vice versa. I personally love Tiffany diamonds even though I don't own any. Good luck!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Okay, I am going to answer again that I'd rather have a 1.3 than a 1.2. There is a little difference visually but definitely a mental difference.

I am going to post some pictures for you of diamond size. There are some of a 1.6 ct. diamond which will give you an idea of the sister's diamond which will be a little larger.

 

[Haven]

OY.

Okay, I posted earlier that you should just get the TIffany ring you really seem to want because you seem so dead-set on getting a D from your original posts. However, you came back and *seem* to really be seeking advice, so here goes:

I see two competing purposes, here, and I think you need to figure out which is most important to you: A) Impressing others with the ring, and B) Purchasing a stone that is, in your opinion, the rarest stone you can afford. You really can't have it both ways, especially since you define quality as a D color from Tiffany, because those two elements really drive up the price.

I live in your area, and I can honestly say that I have never EVER heard anyone ask about or discuss the color or clarity of their stone. The only thing people comment on is size and the design of the setting. I've never heard anyone ask whether a ring is from Tiffany, either. SO, a D stone from Tiffany isn't going to fulfill your purpose of impressing others.

As for the difference between a 1.2 and a 1.3, I would prefer the 1.3, no question.

That all being said, I think your purpose *should* be to get your GF exactly what she wants.

I also feel compelled to add that (IMO) the people who would be impressed with a particular stone aren't really worth impressing, if you know what I mean.

P.S. GO SOX!!!!
(I grew up in the northern burbs, too, but my parents didn't! )

 

[piggies]

Well, it sounds like your mind is pretty made up. But to answer your question, yes, I think it's stupid to buy the D-color in your situation. That said, my opinion doesn't matter at all because I'm not the recipient. And since you don't want to risk ruining the surprise by getting her opinion (understandable), propose within Tiffany's 30-day return period so she can get what she wants if it isn't what you picked for her.
Happy wife happy life!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

After reading footshooters post and MrsSalvo's, I'll have to say, I'd rather have the WhiteFlash 1.5 ct. F VS2 in a Tiffany repro setting. (and NO sales tax!)

But if Tiffany is what SHE loves, then I'd say the 1.4 H stone followed by the 1.3 G stone would be my next 2 choices.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Seriously .. there is no freaking way that there is a tiny in E. I am super sensitive to color and E is really white.

You care about her impressing her friends - (snobby side) I would no way be impressed by a 1 ct nor a T&CO ring. Also .. if she really wants to brag ... no one ever asks ... "what color is the ring? what is the clarity?" ... people only ask "how many carats is it?".

I have a friend who received a D VVS ring but it is much smaller in size due to that. As a result, her ring gets next to no attention when say compared to my ring which actually cost less than hers but is better cut and much larger. Also a side note, my ring is not T&CO and hers is ... but no one cares about T&CO and they are more amazed but a really well made unique yet timeless design.

 

[stargurl78]

If it gives you peace of mind to buy from Tiffany and you are most comfortable with a D colored diamond, then by all means, go for it *if* you know your gf would be happy with that. I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to buy from Tiffany or wanting a icy white stone, everybody's preferences are different.

However, I don't understand why it is so important what the public will think of her ring or if it will "outdo" her sister's ring! Is this really what is important in choosing the perfect ring for the person you want to spend your life with??? Instead of worrying about everyone else, consider what YOUR GIRLFRIEND wants. Nowhere in your original post do you mention anything about her preferences. I don't get it.

 

[Diamondheadache]

Thanks for the positive comments and WOW, once again, to the negativite comments by over 90% of you... Who do you people think you are? Everyone has their opinions, I appreciate OPINIONS... but fighting words? Telling me to grow up.. do my research...saying I'm a frequent poster and the same person as someone else posting on this forum?!?! Are you serious??? I found this site after googling forums for similar threads trying to get help. This was my LAST resort because everywhere I go a jeweler just agrees with me and wants to sell a ring... I think I made a HUGE mistake even posting on here... It seems like everyone is hostile and wants to argue because I think differently than they do...
I am a YOUNG medical professional in chicago and ONLY want to make the right decision here. $20,000 is a lot of money for me right now- I busted my ass off in residency for this specific reason, so yes I will continue to question people about my situation. And yes, I can see a difference between E and G/H. DON'T TELL ME I CAN'T. Do you think I am LYING? Get out of here with that crap... PLEASE DO NOT POST HERE IF YOU ARE ANNOYED BY MY THREAD... Obviously you have something against me.
I'm not bashing on anyone's prior purchase. If you love your rings, GREAT! I am happy for you all... Just respect what I want to spend my money on. People keep talking about value, more diamond for the buck... I'm not an idiot and know this. But I don't want to buy a diamond online, I don't care how it looks or it's stats. I don't trust it and it takes away from the jewlery store experience/ engagement process. Maybe I will do this later on for other diamonds, purchases she will KNOW about... And NO, this diamond isn't for me.. I already made that clear... Yes, every girl wants a bigger rock, DUH, but she must love me for a reason, maybe it's how I make my decisions?!? I know she will be OK with a 0.25 carat diamond.. but I won't propose with that (no offense to others who have a stone this size). I want to wow her, I want her to have something her sister doesn't have (better color, T&Co), since I won't be able to beat that size. That is all I'm trying to say.

Like I said earlier, thanks all for the constructive criticism, not the bashing. I am really considering going to an F thanks to some of you- I will have the store I choose make an appt with me and have them shipped in the day I buy something. I will look at all the specs and GIA/ Tiffany gradings, as well as try the HCA calculator, whatever that is... If someone can explain it, I'd appreciate it! I REFUSE to go to a lower color. Because to me, I can see a difference. And yes, I WILL say they are more yellow, NOT trying to offend anyone (people will still think I am...), BUT THEY ARE. They are GRADED that way, that is why they are NEAR colorless. I don't want anything lower than a VS2, as this is eye clean to me, and others. I would rather get a better color than clarity, with a excellent cut stone.

Anything else I should inquire about while I'm at the store? Any ways to find out a stone is better cut? Should I ask them to view it under different lights? Any other things I should do before I go in/ am in the store?

Thanks again.

 

[Laila619]

To use your previous car analogy, the AGS000 ideal cut diamond is the BMW and the GIA excellent cut (Tiffany) diamond is the Honda.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

We have some info that helps evaluate cut of diamonds by the numbers when the other tests for diamonds are not available. You could print it out and see if any of the diamonds fall into these parameters:

depth - 60 - 62%
table - 54- 57%
crown angle - 34- 35 degrees
pavilion angle - 40.6- 41 degrees
girdle - thin to slightly thick, thin to medium, etc (avoid very thin or thick)
polish and symmetry - very good and above

If GIA report...you will want excellent cut.

There are good diamonds that fall outside of these parameters, but those wanting excellent cut can be relatively safe if they stay within these numbers.

In my personal experience in Tiffany's, I have found that their lighting makes all diamonds sparkle and it is difficult to see color or any other characteristic differing from the others! You generally can't go outside with stones there, and they may not have a window with natural light to take it near. So I don't think you'll be able to tell much about different lighting environments in the store. I imagine they will all be very pretty. I personally would go by the numbers above and prefer excellent for cut, polish, and symmetry. I am glad you are considering F color because it is beautiful and colorless.

 

[Diamondheadache]

Thx diamondseeker!

 

[CharmyPoo]

I am sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way. I was giving some recommendations because you appear that you want your gf to be able to impress others with her ring. Honestly, a 1.0 ct D IF is not going to impress as much as a 1.5 F VS1. I am not against high rated diamonds or even name brands. In fact, I would not buy an e-ring diamond below F (mine is E) and I wouldn't go below a VS1. However, I would not be happy to sacrifice significant size for D IF versus F VS1 which most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Also, people will very rarely ask what color or clarity the diamond is.

In terms of brand name for cars, I actually would only buy German cars (and I actually drive a BMW) because I love the drive over a Japanese car. However, a plain T&CO is not the same comparison - their metal is no different and frankly .. there is much better workmanship and designs out there. I actually own a small diamond in a T&CO solitaire and that setting is nothing special even compared to the solitaires I have seen from Leon Mege. In my circle of friends ... no one is impressed by a T&CO ring. I would say over 50% of my friends have engagement rings from T&CO so it has become relatively common and so many have the same designs - either the novo, solitaire or the round channel set ring. I would think a Cartier or Harry Winston ring would be more WOW ... since you are going for the WOW factor.

Even my guy friends joke about T&CO being the lazy man out - guaranteed to get something decent .. guaranteed no one will complain. BUT there are nicer and better value .. and also rings that will command more "jealousy".

 

[Lula]

Like I said earlier, thanks all for the constructive criticism, not the bashing. I am really considering going to an F thanks to some of you- I will have the store I choose make an appt with me and have them shipped in the day I buy something. I will look at all the specs and GIA/ Tiffany gradings, as well as try the HCA calculator, whatever that is... If someone can explain it, I'd appreciate it! I REFUSE to go to a lower color. Because to me, I can see a difference. And yes, I WILL say they are more yellow, NOT trying to offend anyone (people will still think I am...), BUT THEY ARE. They are GRADED that way, that is why they are NEAR colorless. I don't want anything lower than a VS2, as this is eye clean to me, and others. I would rather get a better color than clarity, with a excellent cut stone.

Anything else I should inquire about while I'm at the store? Any ways to find out a stone is better cut? Should I ask them to view it under different lights? Any other things I should do before I go in/ am in the store?

Thanks again.

Diamondheadache, I am sorry that your visit to Pricescope has no doubt given you an even bigger headache. It sounds like you have decided to stick with Tiffany's, after doing your own research and making an educated choice. Given the underlined, I say congratulations on making a decision on where to buy the ring, and I'll do my best to help you get the best Tiffany ring for your budget.

It sounds like these things are fixed:

Color: D, E, or maybe F. Don't apologize for this; many people are color sensitive and can see color in a G or H diamond. Some people are not bothered by that; others are.

Shape: Round brilliant

Budget: $20,0000 (for total ring? Diamond in Tiffany setting? In platinum? Yellow gold? Not sure about this).

Clarity: VS2 and above.

Ring size: This would be helpful to know in advising you on what different size diamonds will look like on your gf's hand.

Here's my advice:

Call Tiffany and ask to see a range of carat weights over 1 carat in your budget, in the D-F color range, VVS2-VS2 clarity range. Your decision to put color before clarity (without going below VS2) will help you get the most for your money. Make sure you tell them that you want to see the GIA certificates for any diamond that they show you. Don't let them weasel out of this request!

In the meantime, you will want to do some reading on how to evaluate a diamond's cut quality when you are viewing diamonds in person.

The Holloway cut advisor (HCA) is a quick-and-dirty-tool that helps you eliminate diamonds that may be poorly cut. For example, the Holloway cut advisor can help you eliminate diamonds that are cut deep. Deep diamonds "face up" smaller than their stated carat weight because they carry extra weight in the bottom of the stone where you can't see it. Here is the link to the HCA https://www.pricescope.com/tools/hca. You can use this link on your iphone or blackberry while you're in the store. The goal is to weed out stones that score over 2 on the HCA. Please note, the HCA is really just a weeding tool; it does not replace your eyes. So you may find that you are drawn to a stone that scores over 2 on the HCA. Please note, a stone that scores a 1 on the HCA is not "better" than a stone that scores a 1.8 on the HCA. A score of 2 or under is all that you need to weed out stones that *may* have cut issues. I say *may* because the HCA cannot see the stones; it is simply a formula. If you are drawn to a stone that scores over 2, and that stone passes the following visual inspection tests, then don't worry too much about the HCA score.

Visual inspection tips. Here's where your experience looking at lots of diamonds in lots of stores will pay off. From reading your posts, I get the sense that you were able to tell, even under misleading store lights, that most of what you were seeing in local stores was lower in color than you prefer and lacking in sparkle. Training your eyes to "ignore" the jewelry store lights, which tend to flatter even poorly cut stones, is very important.

You will be looking at a group of diamonds that should all be in your color and clarity range, and be in a fairly narrow carat range. There will be slight differences in the appearance of the stones due to slight differences in cutting. Read about how differences in a diamond's proportions can change the look of a diamond here:
https://www.pricescope.com/articles/Diamond+Grading?page=1 the article at the top of this page, "What the report doesn't show" and here http://www.goodoldgold.com/Articles/MinorFacets/. After you read these two articles, you will know more than most diamond salespeople know, and, no, I am not kidding about that.

Those two articles should help you translate the numbers on the grading report into differences in appearance -- sparkle, fire, etc. -- in the diamonds. Some people like smaller flashes of white sparkle and fire and others prefer larger "chunks" of fire. Some people like larger tables and others prefer smaller tables. The only way to know is to compare many diamonds.

After you narrow it down to a few diamonds, compare the diamonds across a variety of lighting conditions: low light, incandescent light, fluorescent lighting, diffused daylight (near a window). Tiffany's insurance may only allow them to show you one ring at a time, and they may not allow you to walk around with the ring to observe the diamond in a variety of lighting conditions. Tell them that this is what you want to do; they should be able to accommodate your request somehow.

Comparing the diamonds across different lighting conditions is probably the most important step. Your future wife will not be wearing her ring under Tiffany spotlighting in her day-to-day life. That's why it's important to see the differences in the diamonds under what I term "normal" lighting conditions, i.e., office lighting, daylight, incandescent light. Looking at diamonds across different lighting conditions is also, in my experience, where you will see any differences in body color in the diamonds.

Best of luck to you, and please let us know what you decide!

ETA: If you are not familiar with diamond grading reports, read this https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-grading-report/ to educate yourself on grading terminology.

 

[Gothgrrl]

You say you want to get as close to perfect color/clarity. From the list you post, then I would pick the 1.19 vs2/d. Maybe you can see if they have anything in E color range? For me personally, vs2 is good enough. But I hear you, you just want to get your special lady the very best. I would just love a D/IF stone. Just because you don't see many with that combo.

Good luck on finding the perfect ring.

 

[ame]

To use your previous car analogy, the AGS000 ideal cut diamond is the BMW and the GIA excellent cut (Tiffany) diamond is the Honda.

And that even assumes that the Tiffany has a real grading report, versus their in-house, whatever-made-up-grade-they-want-to-call-it-that's-probably-not-even-close-to-reality-that-can-bilk-some-resident-from-chicago-for-all-20K, report. It could be a Kia Forte designed to look like a honda but isn't a honda.

 

[yssie]

I still don't see any mention at all of finding out what your intended wants. Since I firmly believe there is nothing more important or meaningful, I will bow out of this thread as I certainly have nothing more to contribute.