Sticker Shock

[fingerscrossed]

Hi. This is my first posting. My boyfriend and I recently looked at rings at Tiffany. I had looked before with friends and have spent some time on Blue Nile so I had an idea of what kind of numbers we are looking at for what I want. My boyfriend had a bit of sticker shock. One ring we saw was 1.7 six prong solitaire, F color, vvs1 or vvs2. It was $31,000. My boyfriend was planning on spending more like $15,000. I really want a nice ring, at least a 1.7 (preferably 2 carat) quality stone. I know this must sound materialistic and I feel horrible. But, I am not that much of a jewelry person and this is probably the only significant piece I will ever want. For example, I have worn the same Ann Taylor silver earrings for 3 years, occasionally changing to other gems for a bit of change.

We both make good money and could afford the ring. My boyfriend just thinks it is crazy to spend that much money on something with "no utility." I do understand that, and I would be happy to contribute to the cost to get the ring I want. I don't think it is necessarily fair to put all the cost on him. I don't want to look at my ring and be disappointed. I also don't want to "upgrade" later. I want the ring I get engaged with to be the ring I keep forever.

I know we could get MUCH better value at some place other than Tiffany, but for some reason my BF is set on buying there. We live in New York and everyone I know has their person in the diamond district that they have used. My BF doesn't want to go that route.

Any advice?

 

[jfus]

First do your research and get your bf to visit a ps vendor.. maybe Mark at Engagement Rings Direct.. for 15k you can get a really nice stone..probably close to size of the one you saw at Tiff''s..

Also the VVS1-VVS2 is just paying for something you can''t see (that is my opinion) you can totally go down in clarity and end up with a nice HUGE rock for a fraction of the cost of tiff''s rings..

Start with Mark.. just get your bf to see that stones elseware are just as nice but much less expensive!

GOOD LUCK!

 

[BriBee]

I''m certainly not an expert, but when I discovered Pricescope, the more time I spent here, the more disillusioned I became with Tiffany''s. Maybe you could do some research here and then show your boyfriend what you have found. It seems a little contradictory that he realizes the ring has no utility and therefore doesn''t want to spend a fortune (which I completely agree with) and yet he is insistent on buying a ring from Tiffany, who has some of the biggest markups out there. In the end, you could find a diamond at Tiffany, and then find one with the same specs (or even better) through a PS vendor, and have it set in the same kind of setting, and the only difference would be the absence of the word "Tiffany" on the box or inside of your band. It can be hard to change certain people''s minds when it comes to Tiffany or Cartier vs Online vendors, but you both seem to be smart, and work hard for your money, so maybe you can bring him around.

 

[DMBsGirl]

Well your bf is dead set on getting a Tiff''s ring for you, but doesn''t want the big price that comes with it? He can''t have it all!
The only other option I can think of is getting your ring from signedpieces.com, they sell authentic second hand tiffany rings for a big discount. Going to g,h,i colors and vs2 clarity will also lower price if he is still set on getting you a tiffany''s ring, but I don''t think you will be able to get the size you want for 15,000. Try showing him pics of pricescoper''s Tiffany replica rings and show him how nice a non-Tiffany ring can be, and how much more you can get for your buck!

 

[largirl]

Wish I could be of more help...my boyfriend had a heart attack when he saw that the ring I loved was $5,000!! Which, for the curious, would be something like this.

I don''t see any problem with you contributing to it, though...obviously it goes against tradition but if you love it and have the money to spend, I''d say you might as well go all out to get your dream ring! Either that or somehow convince him he can get the same thing for 2/3 the price somewhere else....but if he has his heart set on Tiffany''s, then you might want to let him have that since you''d be chipping in.

Alternately, let him get the diamond he can afford in the setting you want, then you can upgrade the diamond in a year or so!

 

[Pandora II]

Why not take him out to see Good Old Gold since you live in NY?

Why does your bf have his heart set on Tiffany?

Once the blue box is out of sight, 99% of people will have no idea it''s from Tiffany.

Personally, I think an awesome rock and custom setting at a great price that you have put some time, thought and heart into making yours confers far better bragging rights.

Does he think Tiffany''s has the ''best'' diamonds?

 

[fingerscrossed]

I think it''s more the experience of shopping at Tiffany rather than just the bragging rights. I think he sees it as a much calmer, relaxed environment and that puts him at ease.

I am totally in favor of going somewhere else. He is pretty set in his ways and can be a bit stubborn (but I love him!)

 

[bee*]

I got my ring in Tiffanys but only as it was the lucida that we both fell in love with and no copies that we saw came close to it. If you don''t want to get your ring from there though, I would definitely have a look around some of the places that the girls named and source out the type of diamond that you want and then show your bf. Is there any reason that he specifically wants to shop at Tiffanys? If it is an RB you can get a setting almost identical to it elsewhere and you can definitely save money on the diamond. Or as someone has suggested, try signedpieces-they usually have a good selection of tiffany rings and you''ll save a ton of money buying from them.

 

[Pandora II]

Definitely take him to GOG then - I''m sure you''ll have an even better experience than Tiffs - and I will be very jealous!

 

[alexah]

there''s always signed pieces; right now they have a tiffany 1.65 G VS1 with a diamond band for about $20000? linky

 

[bee*]

Date: 11/8/2007 5:41:56 PM
Author: fingerscrossed
I think it''s more the experience of shopping at Tiffany rather than just the bragging rights. I think he sees it as a much calmer, relaxed environment and that puts him at ease.


I am totally in favor of going somewhere else. He is pretty set in his ways and can be a bit stubborn (but I love him!)

They do make it very special when you are buying it and we went through a bottle of champagne while we were there picking ours, but I''m sure you can do something like that elsewhere.