Quality vs Size... Tiffany and Co Ering

[audball]

I don't think you are hearing this group of women who are trying to tell you that what her entire family will see is that her diamond is a LOT smaller than her sister's 1.7 F ring! The color won't matter!

THIS x 1 million! They are going to look at your 1-1.2 D ring like a cheap Honda! Not a BMW! THAT is what we're trying to say! SIZE = brand when it comes to diamonds. NOT color. You can't top size with color. Does not compute.

Also: these times you "saw" color in G stones .... I am 100% sure you were COMPARING SIDE BY SIDE with "D" stones. Which, in DAILY LIFE um, NEVER HAPPENS. If you saw a GIA or AGS graded "F" or even "G" stone out in public, out in the world -- there is no way your human eyes (no matter how "superior" and "BMW-like" they are!) are going to perceive any difference from a "D" stone. Only face down in a jewelry store setting on white paper. How often do you think that's gonna come up - versus - her ring being SEEN NEXT TO HER SISTER'S WHOPPER OF A STONE. See?

Is that too "negative" for you -- or can you handle the truth.

I have always adored you, deco!

 

[Circe]

Am I the only one here who kind of understands the OP? I know lots of us want to give the best advice so people can get educated and get the best for their money. But OP stated that he knows he can get better, bigger for less via online. But he has his heart set on getting Tiffanys. So why not just answer question? I usually don't get involved with things like this, but it kind of irks me. I feel bad for the OP.

I think it's because his questions are predicated on incorrect facts, and the site is full of people who can't stand to see misinformation disseminated. If he'd been saying "I really love Tiffany," plain and simple, that wouldn't be up for discussion: insisting that it's the BMW of the jewelry world (which, as a little bit of a car snob ... talk about damning with faint praise), and that this quality will immediately trump a bigger stone, while still maintaining some amorphous quality of "class" (which will immediately be erased if one goes around saying, "Oh, it's TIFFANY, you know") got him corrected, at first gently, and then less so, as he kept insisting that he was right.

DiamondHeadache, if you're still reading - even if you're taking some of these comments as harsh, they're still trying to be helpful. People are taking time to try to help you. Consider maybe being a little receptive to that instead of getting indignant.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

My vote would be for a DIF--branded!! Yup, no one here would concur--doesn't bother me in the least.

BTW, Tiffany has a return policy no? If your GF doesn't like your initial choice, go back and get what she likes/wants. Also remember that Tiffany allows one "upgrade" for the future, should you change your mind down the road.

Please show us your choice--goodness know I love me some Tiffany! Happy Friday!

cheers--Sharon

 

[diamondseeker2006]

HI:

My vote would be for a DIF--branded!! Yup, no one here would concur--doesn't bother me in the least.

BTW, Tiffany has a return policy no? If your GF doesn't like your initial choice, go back and get what she likes/wants. Also remember that Tiffany allows one "upgrade" for the future, should you change your mind down the road.

Please show us your choice--goodness know I love me some Tiffany! Happy Friday!

cheers--Sharon

Sharon, I like Tiffany, too. Nothing more classic that their solitaire. But if this was for your only e-ring, would you rather have a .90 D IF or a 1.5 G VS2? Just curious!

 

[Haven]

I don’t really have anything to add to this thread other than to echo what Charmy and Chemgirl have said about Tiffany. If you are looking for brand exclusivity I would go for a higher end name like Harry Winston, Cartier or Graff , etc.

This is a good point, if I were looking to "wow" people with where I bought a ring, I would go with one of these names.

This times a million.

If you really want to impress people with the brand, I don't think Tiffany is the right choice, here. Every high school student in my town owns several Tiffany pieces. Harry Winston? Now that's a different story. (I still wonder how you plan to spread the word that she has a Tiffany ring. Are you going to TELL people? That would leave an impression, but not the one you're hoping to achieve. )

I still think the only person you should be concerned with impressing is your girlfriend. You may be concerned with others' opinions now, but if you give her the ring and see even a glint of disappointment in her eyes because you went for a smaller brand name over a larger stone elsewhere, it's probably going to crush you.

 

[CedarRapids]

With all due respect, I don't think the OP necessarily needs to approach or beat 1.7 carats for his GF to be on par with her sister.

OP alluded to not being able to compete with the 1.7. I think that's the wrong attitude. It shouldn't be all about the head-to-head competition of size. While size matters, what his GF wants matters most. It's all about the pride she will wear with her ring. If she likes it, if she adores it, her ring will naturally be on par with her sister's ring (assuming her sister got what she wanted). If GF wants a 1.8, so be it. If GF wants a D/IF 1.2, great. If Tiffany is her thing, perfect.

It really is all about her and giving her something to remind her that her choice matters. Giving an e-ring to someone should be a selfless act. At the same time, the budget should be consistent with each other's expectations, too.

The tragedy here is that the OP may not know entirely what his GF wants. Maybe she wants to be truly surprised. But, surprised with what is the issue here.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

My vote would be for a DIF--branded!! Yup, no one here would concur--doesn't bother me in the least.

BTW, Tiffany has a return policy no? If your GF doesn't like your initial choice, go back and get what she likes/wants. Also remember that Tiffany allows one "upgrade" for the future, should you change your mind down the road.

Please show us your choice--goodness know I love me some Tiffany! Happy Friday!

cheers--Sharon

Sharon, I like Tiffany, too. Nothing more classic that their solitaire. But if this was for your only e-ring, would you rather have a .90 D IF or a 1.5 G VS2? Just curious!

Diamondseeker:

DIF in a heartbeat. In fact, If I could find a vendor who would trade my ring for a superior cut DIF, I'd do it tomorrow. Even better if it were a Tiffany! (or Cartier, or Bulgari, or HW...)

cheers--Sharon

 

[missy]

I still think the only person you should be concerned with impressing is your girlfriend. You may be concerned with others' opinions now, but if you give her the ring and see even a glint of disappointment in her eyes because you went for a smaller brand name over a larger stone elsewhere, it's probably going to crush you.

Absolutely 100% agree here with Haven and others. The only person you need to impress/make happy with this choice is your darling girlfriend/soon to be FI!
No one else's opinion matters in the least. I understand where you are coming from though as when I was younger I cared what other people thought a bit too much. Now that I am older (and hopefully a little wiser and more mature) I know what matters and that is not what other people think. So, echoing so many others who contributed to your thread, please make sure you know what your girlfriend desires because that is critical. Learn from the mistake of others (including my dh's) and choose wisely. If you must have a name brand (nothing wrong with that at all!) pick one of the more quality name brands (Cartier, Winston etc) and leave the Tiffany name brand to the masses. Nothing wrong with Tiffany but it is not going to achieve your goal of impressing others as compared to the higher end names.

Good luck and congrats on your upcoming engagement!!

 

[katushka]

To me, the particular ring you're looking at determines whether the T&Co. markup is "worth it."

I'm a huge fan of the Tiffany Legacy and think that it's worth the premium because other vendors don't cut that same type of asscher/cushion hybrid, which I find very beautiful. (Crisscut is similar but not quite...) With the Legacy, you are buying a signature, recognizable Tiffany design and a proprietary cut that, from what I've seen, can't be faithfully replicated and probably shouldn't be from a copyright infringement perspective. In other words, there is a large real-life difference (if not necessarily superiority) between a Legacy center stone and one in a replica, one that goes way beyond the box and hallmark.

(I think it might be a similar situation with the Lucida, but I don't know much about that cut.)

But if I were shopping for a round in a simple setting? I would go for top-optics in a replica setting all the way. Just my 2-cents.

 

[Diamondheadache]

I'm glad some of you appreciate quality stones (DIF) over size... I'm not the only one lol!

I know what my gf wants... RB, classic setting, great quality, and she likes Tiffany's quality (btw lots of people own pieces that are in the <$300.00 range... Not many gals have $20,000.00 rings from there...).

I will admit this, I don't know if she wants a ring the size of her sisters... Personally I think she would like a smaller ring since her sister can't wear hers daily. Should I just take her in the store?!? This is my last optiont, even though I feel it would ruin the entire proposal! Or I can buy 2 rings and just return one after she picks lol!!!! I really think I might have to do this... Since I'm not getting anywhere... And after hearing all of the replies here, might truly make a mistake with selection.

I want a size that is widely acceptable, perfect for daily wearing/ activities, better stats than 90% of rings out there.

 

[missy]

I will admit this, I don't know if she wants a ring the size of her sisters... Personally I think she would like a smaller ring since her sister can't wear hers daily. Should I just take her in the store?!? This is my last optiont, even though I feel it would ruin the entire proposal! Or I can buy 2 rings and just return one after she picks lol!!!! I really think I might have to do this... Since I'm not getting anywhere... And after hearing all of the replies here, might truly make a mistake with selection.

Don't spoil the proposal!! But can you propose without a ring and then go ring shopping that (or the next) day and take your time in deciding with her? That would be my vote as my dh proposed (total surprise) without a clue as to my preferences and it was a costly mistake unfortunately. Good luck!!!

ETA size doesn't preclude wearing a ring everyday if you choose the right setting- your girlfriend just might surprise you and want a larger carat size and may be willing to compromise on color/clarity (never cut though!)...

 

[Circe]

I'm glad some of you appreciate quality stones (DIF) over size... I'm not the only one lol!

I know what my gf wants... RB, classic setting, great quality, and she likes Tiffany's quality (btw lots of people own pieces that are in the <$300.00 range... Not many gals have $20,000.00 rings from there...).

I will admit this, I don't know if she wants a ring the size of her sisters... Personally I think she would like a smaller ring since her sister can't wear hers daily. Should I just take her in the store?!? This is my last optiont, even though I feel it would ruin the entire proposal! Or I can buy 2 rings and just return one after she picks lol!!!! I really think I might have to do this... Since I'm not getting anywhere... And after hearing all of the replies here, might truly make a mistake with selection.

I want a size that is widely acceptable, perfect for daily wearing/ activities, better stats than 90% of rings out there.

I think talking to her might be the best way to go, honestly - without giving away the fact that you're immediately shopping, at an opportune moment ask, "Hey, does it bug your sis that she can't wear her ring all the time?" and see if you can guide the conversation gently to what she wants.

Alternately, I think the idea of proposing without a ring, or with a placeholder - maybe the Tiffany wedding band you think will go with either option? - is a nice one: you mentioned that one of the things you preferred about Tiffany's was the ring-buying "experience." So, why not let her share that, too, and try on the rings you've narrowed it down to instore, without the headache of having to return one, and with more options? From what I understand, Tiffany's goes all out with couples who are getting engaged, to the extent of champagne and such (which actually does justify a bit of the markup to me - who doesn't like to be spoiled?). But at any rate - glad you're thinking about what people are saying, and hope you find the perfect piece!

 

[Joolz]

With the holidays around the corner I am sure you could come up with an excuse to go to Tiffany to browse. For all she knows you could be gathering ideas for a holiday gift for her. Look at earrings, necklaces and then ask her to look at rings for the heck of it. If you are working with a particular SA there, could you call ahead with your intentions and have them nudge her towards some colored stone rings then onto some engagement rings judge to try on "for fun?" I am sure you would find out very quickly what her preferences are judging by what she gravitates towards first.

I am curious as to why her sister can’t wear her 1.7 solitaire daily? Is it her daily activities that preclude her or is her setting ornate or contain pave?

 

[decodelighted]

I don't know if she wants a ring the size of her sisters...

Spoiler alert: she does. Even if she'd never admit it out loud. Unless she is an exceptionally non-competitive, practical, heroically saintly type of person.

Spoiler alert #2: Other shoppers aren't just all dumb "normals" seeking "mediocre" things. People make trade-offs for VALID REASONS.

 

[rainydaze]

I'm glad some of you appreciate quality stones (DIF) over size... I'm not the only one lol!

I know what my gf wants... RB, classic setting, great quality, and she likes Tiffany's quality (btw lots of people own pieces that are in the <$300.00 range... Not many gals have $20,000.00 rings from there...).

I will admit this, I don't know if she wants a ring the size of her sisters... Personally I think she would like a smaller ring since her sister can't wear hers daily. Should I just take her in the store?!? This is my last optiont, even though I feel it would ruin the entire proposal! Or I can buy 2 rings and just return one after she picks lol!!!! I really think I might have to do this... Since I'm not getting anywhere... And after hearing all of the replies here, might truly make a mistake with selection.

I want a size that is widely acceptable, perfect for daily wearing/ activities, better stats than 90% of rings out there.

now you're talkin'! how about a nicely planned proposal sans ring, followed directly by a trip to tiffany's to pick something out together as part of it. you can go armed with knowledge (esp. regarding cut because while you won't likely run into a dog at tiffs, they still have some variation, so if you want absolute top-notch cut you'll need to know what to look for). you could even have them call in some more options from other stores to cover the gamut of what you are thinking (smaller w/higher color/clarity to larger with lower color/clarity). she may fall in love with something right then and off you go, or you could embark upon a journey of finding the right one together, without having ruined the surprise of the proposal. i think working it into the proposal is more romantic (and exciting! honestly that would have been soooo much fun to me!) than having two rings and saying pick one. JMO, though. good luck!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Just out of curiosity, why can't her sister wear her ring daily? I have a 1.63 ct. stone and honestly, it's not all that big that I can't wear it daily. There is certainly no difference as compared to my old 1 ct. stone. You shouldn't wear any size diamond when doing housework, working out, doing yard work, etc., so size is not an issue for those kinds of things.

I LOVE the idea of making the trip to Tiffany's part of the proposal! Maybe you could take her to a restaurant close by and go for a walk and say, hey, let's go in here! Propose in front of Tiffany's! I can't think of many better stories that that!

(Sharon, wow, you'd go to a .90 when you have like a 5 ct. ring?! That really, really surprises me! I am very sure you can find a vendor who will do a trade for you!)

 

[cookies]

If she has long and slender fingers, any size will look great on her.

Otherwise, (I know you want it to be a surprise, but I still want to say this -->) it might be a good idea to have her try on stones in different sizes and maybe even different shapes. That way she can figure out what looks best on her. For myself, I absolutely hated the look of a small, round, diamond on my short and fat finger. I am glad we went ring shopping together. There were still surprise elements in the proposing process (e.g. he hid the ring away for several months before the proposal, he picked the time & the place, etc.)

I am curious, how did you figure out her ring size, given that you didn't talk to her at all about the e-ring? If you get a setting with diamonds on the shank all the way down to the bottom, you will want to make sure you get the ring size right the first time, as resizing can be a nightmare for that kind of design.

 

[Spesh2011]

I think proposing in front of Tiffany is a great idea. You can set it up in advance with an SA and have them bring out all different types of rings in your budget (just so they don't show her $30k rings!) and then let her pick.

Now THAT would be a romantic story and one she'd tell everyone. It's not always easy to say that the ring is from Tiffany w/o sounding a bit, um, braggy, but telling that story is a whole other thing.

It'll be like the scene out of Sweet Home Alabama. "Pick one."

And DiamondSeeker .... I'd go for the 1.5 in a hot second. I've tried on a 1.10 RB and it looks really pretty on my 5.25 finger, but I would loooove the look of a 1.5+.

 

[piggies]

I think the best option is to ring shop together before the proposal. Reason: once your engaged, EVERYONE asks to see the ring and if you don't have it yet or it's being sized, you don't have a ring to show! When I first got engaged, I didn't want to ever take my ring off. And I have friends that didn't want to get theirs sized right away because they'd have to part with the ring. So it's kinda nice having the ring you know for a fact she'd love, in the right size, when you propose. And the only way to do that is to shop with her! And she'll love every second of ring shopping too... it's a nice experience to share together. You'll still have all the proposal details to surprise her with.
This is my very biased opinion because we shopped together and then he surprised me only a couple weeks later. I was honestly still very surprised with the proposal and shopping together beforehand did not take anything away from the experience.

Or if you decide to do this on your own after all, like I said before, propose within the 30-day return period

Side note: Tiffany's upgrade policy is a one time trade up to a ring at least twice as expensive as your first ring and they will assess your first ring for its trade up value. In my case, that would currently only get me an extra 0.5ct over what I already have

 

[StoopidMonkey]

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? ALL I'M LOOKING FOR IS A GOOD BALANCE AND GOOD ADVICE.

To the negativite comments by over 90% of you... Who do you people think you are?

I am a YOUNG medical professional in chicago and ONLY want to make the right decision here. 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.

Those are just a few examples of the things that have rubbed people here wrong. Without even getting into the merits of the Tiffany vs [x] argument, what seems to be eluding you is that your behavior comes across as childish, hostile, insecurely defensive, arrogant, and petulant. Take a moment to re-read what you wrote here and how you took personal offense to peoples' advice. Your decision to shout at people with caps lock and your refusal to give us the benefit of the dobut and apologize if anything you said rubbed us the wrong way is why some here are telling you to grow up. It has less to do with your opinions on diamonds than it has to do with your attitude and people skills. It's as though you didn't care how anybody else here felt because we dared to disagree with you or take offense to your tone. At that point it became a matter of "either you are with me or against me", which is a very immature stance to take if you want to be treated as a serious adult. You seem to value the woman you are proposing to so I'm going to give you a bit of honest advice: either you take some time to cool your head off, see how your own behavior comes across to others, and learn some well needed humility, or your relationship which you value so much is going to be over because no adult woman (or man) is going to put up with that attitude for long. If you don't want the woman you love to join the disappointed majority of divorcees that wonder "How did it come to this? What happened to the man who was once so nice to me?", then ignore this heartfelt advice that comes from personal tragic experience at your own peril.

 

[Gothgrrl]

by Circe » 04 Nov 2011 15:57
Written by Gothgrrl » 04 Nov 2011 04:29:
Am I the only one here who kind of understands the OP? I know lots of us want to give the best advice so people can get educated and get the best for their money. But OP stated that he knows he can get better, bigger for less via online. But he has his heart set on getting Tiffanys. So why not just answer question? I usually don't get involved with things like this, but it kind of irks me. I feel bad for the OP.


I think it's because his questions are predicated on incorrect facts, and the site is full of people who can't stand to see misinformation disseminated. If he'd been saying "I really love Tiffany," plain and simple, that wouldn't be up for discussion: insisting that it's the BMW of the jewelry world (which, as a little bit of a car snob ... talk about damning with faint praise), and that this quality will immediately trump a bigger stone, while still maintaining some amorphous quality of "class" (which will immediately be erased if one goes around saying, "Oh, it's TIFFANY, you know") got him corrected, at first gently, and then less so, as he kept insisting that he was right.

DiamondHeadache, if you're still reading - even if you're taking some of these comments as harsh, they're still trying to be helpful. People are taking time to try to help you. Consider maybe being a little receptive to that instead of getting indignant.




My bad.

 

[Circe]

My bad.

Not bad at all - empathy's a great quality. I guess I'm just ... empathic, while still being a pedant.

 

[Lahey]

personally, I'd sacrifice some of the surprise of the proposal before I would sacrifice having that special moment of proposing with the actual ring and stone (so I wouldn't propose without a ring or with 2 rings). I would consider asking the sister. just my 2 cents though.

btw, I went to Dimend SCAASI yesterday on the recommendation of someone in this thread, and I would highly recommend them. Isaac has more knowledge and technical expertise than any Tiffany employee I've spoken with. He understands cut as well as the best of them on here this forum. He'll show you any of the stones they have under their hearts & arrows viewer and asset scope (he even let me look at the loose stone I brought in under there to compare). so if you're into the technical aspects of stones and want to get the most for your money, I'd highly consider them. most importantly, they have a good selection - trust me.

 

[SC86]

I don’t really have anything to add to this thread other than to echo what Charmy and Chemgirl have said about Tiffany. If you are looking for brand exclusivity I would go for a higher end name like Harry Winston, Cartier or Graff , etc.

+1! I am constantly drooling over Harry Winston and Cartier pieces! It's not good that I walk by both of the NYC stores almost everyday on my way to work and stare in their windows!

 

[kindred]

I have read through this long thread and the one thing I haven't seen mentioned is the suggestion that the OP buy an Ideal-Scope. Tiffany diamonds are not all cut equally, and I wouldn't consider making such an expensive purchase without one. It's easy to use, inexpensive, and more accurate than the HCA.
http://www.ideal-scope.com/

I agree with the other posters suggesting that the OP ask his girlfriend what she wants. He may not be able to beat the size of the sister's ring, but he sure could come close to it with his budget! This diamond that was suggested earlier looks gorgeous and is an F in color. http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2531899.htm

 

[sapphirering]

Just want to chime in again- my D solitaire isn't white, it's completely colorless. It looks different than a *white* diamond. The sparkle it gives off under certain lighting is incredible. And because it's truly colorless, it looks bigger than it is because the diamond's edge is blurred and all you see is the light return. I'm not diamond expert, but IMHO this is why there is a premium for colorless diamonds.

Edge to edge brightness and great light return is due to cut, not to color. A J stone will look bright and sparkly on the edges if it is ideal cut. The premium for colorless stones is because they are more rare.

Thanks DiamondSeeker! I guess in my case a D is more of a mind clean thing. Although I personally like nothing lower than F.

Ok, sibling rivalry comes in many different forms, and in this case, OP's girlfriend might prefer a higher quality diamond versus a bigger one. Not everyone wants to compete on size first and foremost.

 

[Laila619]

I don't know if she wants a ring the size of her sisters...

Spoiler alert: she does. Even if she'd never admit it out loud. Unless she is an exceptionally non-competitive, practical, heroically saintly type of person.

Spoiler alert #2: Other shoppers aren't just all dumb "normals" seeking "mediocre" things. People make trade-offs for VALID REASONS.

Yes.

A 1 carat will look small next to her sister's 1.7. Period.

Also, what's with the idea that only a D IF stone is "quality?" So a bigger AGS000 ideal cut diamond with H color VS2 clarity is NOT quality?

 

[Diamondheadache]

Thanks for the idea of proposing outside of the store! I think this is a good option vs proposing without a ring or buying something she won't like. Will this look silly though? Without holding a ring box? Any other ideas to make it more special?!? If I do this, it's gotta be special!
I will work with a SA to try and set up a display case inside with just rings for her to choose from. I'll have them gather diamonds ranging from 1.0-1.5 carats, d to g colors, vs2 or better, under $20k. Hopefully 5+ to choose from... Thanks to everyone who helped me come up with that.
Also thanks for the HCA calculator. What is an ideal scope though? Do I really NEED it?!?

Any other things I should think about? Any more ideas to make it an incredible and surprising moment?

Thanks again!

 

[motownmama]

This seems like a great idea. Take a horse-drawn carriage and end up at T&C (you're in Chicago, right)?

 

[lovemybling]

I really don't think it will be silly to not have a box since your idea is to take her inside and let her PICK her hearts desire. (at least with in your price range). You may want to have a few different settings to chose from as well as shapes of stones. I know this may sound silly BUT I always thought I would want a classic round in a "Tiffany" type setting. But then when I tried it on (I am very petite and have small child like fingers) It really didn't look that great on.

IF it were me I would love it if my guy would take me out for a great dinner (some place with in walking distance of Tiffany's), then suggest a nice romantic walk after where you Just happened to walk by the Tiffany's. Then you could either suggest that you go "browse", you know to get out of the cold. Then propose in front of the case (LIKE in Sweet Home Alabama) and when she says YES tell her to Pick one.

GOOD LUCK can not wait to hear how it all turns out.