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Tiffany, Cartier or Similar Brands

Leon makes wonderful items... he made me a matching e band for my winston halo ring at a substantial discount as compared to HW and the quality is very similar. He also made some halo studs for me. The biggest draw back to going with Leon is that it will take time to make the ring (months). I''m not sure if you are on any time constraints. ALso you won''t have the same bragging name recognition as say Harry Winston. In very small circles (on this board) he is well known but not outside of that. So if bragging rights are important, which it is to some, take that into account.

It sounds like you are located in NYC?? If so that;s perfect. You can visit Leon as other PSrs suggest and go to all the other stores previously mentioned....sound like a blast!
 
OH.. I wanted to comment on the size of the stone.

Remeber, diamonds only shrink with time :) If you can spring for a larger stone you will not regret. My winston ring is a size 5 and 3 ct is just right.
 
Date: 6/3/2010 1:43:19 PM
Author: kgkg
Thanks, y''all!

Also, is it cheaper to buy in Europe, New York, or somewhere else in the US? I live in New York, but if it saves money, I can fly to Europe.
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if i were you i''d WALK to GOG and talk to Jon.
 
Date: 6/4/2010 11:13:08 AM
Author: kgkg
My girlfriend likes to do ''window shopping'' in the Tiffany store on the 5th Ave. Is there any way to compensate for the loss of this shopping experience if we choose Leon?
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Definitly take her to see some of Leon Mege''s work (you have to make an appointment). Would letting her be involved in the design
process make up for window shopping? She can combine everything she likes about different rings and come up with her own.

About his website...I think he is more into creating his settings then he is into his website. It may not be flashy or fancy but his pictures
really show how beautiful his work is.

This thread has lots of pics of Leon Mege rings...
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege.24698/

A three stone ring with pears on either side would be lovely...like this...
(this belongs to Ries...hope they dont mind me pulling it over. It is somewhat large (2.6 center with .32 each pears))
Simple, classic, elegant!
Leon_4pic.jpg
 
Great ideas! I will take my girlfriend around town (maybe during lunch break every day!) to different stores and Leon''s place. That will satisfy her shopping desire. The downside is she may like the one that I cannot afford...
 
Date: 6/4/2010 1:51:14 PM
Author: kgkg
Great ideas! I will take my girlfriend around town (maybe during lunch break every day!) to different stores and Leon''s place. That will satisfy her shopping desire. The downside is she may like the one that I cannot afford...
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I''m so sorry, but my only advice is "grow a pair." I think it''s forunate she has such an understanding and generous BF. Set boundaries and stick to them. You''re not a sugar daddy...you''re going to be her partner in life.
 
I''m not trying to start a cyber war-- however, BlingADing, I think that you could have chosen a more eloquent way to express your opinion.
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Kgkg is doing a fantastic job trying to figure out how to make this a memorable experience for his girlfriend. There is no reason to say something like that to him. If he wants to go out shopping with his girlfriend everyday, or possibly stretch his budget...that''s his business. Who are you to judge him and tell him to "grow a pair"? That was really rude.
 
Thanks Oranges!

I think I know what BlingADing means. The question is not that my girlfriend may want a ring that I cannot afford. She prefers that I save money on the ring for house downpayment. She will not be happy if I buy a ring that stretches our budget.

What I am concerned with is that she may feel that she gets a ring that is not as "perfect" because of our budget after she saw so many nice things at Tiffany, Cartier,etc. Well, we all know there is nothing that is perfect.

To address this concern, guess I have to tell the sales person my budget before she/he shows me and my gf something that I cannot afford.
 
Date: 6/4/2010 3:23:33 PM
Author: kgkg
Thanks Oranges!


I think I know what BlingADing means. The question is not that my girlfriend may want a ring that I cannot afford. She prefers that I save money on the ring for house downpayment. She will not be happy if I buy a ring that stretches our budget.


What I am concerned with is that she may feel that she gets a ring that is not as 'perfect' because of our budget after she saw so many nice things at Tiffany, Cartier,etc. Well, we all know there is nothing that is perfect.


To address this concern, guess I have to tell the sales person my budget before she/he shows me and my gf something that I cannot afford.
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I think she is a very lucky girl to have such a nice boyfriend take her ring shopping every day on her lunch break. My impression was it seemed as though you were trying to fulfill her desire for name brands (which is awesome) while willing to sacrifice your budget. I just don't like seeing nice guys get taken advantage of by the high-end stores and expensive-taste girls. Obviously, whatever makes her happy I'm sure will make you happy, but it doesn't hurt to have an outside perspective. Everyone here has provided awesome input and you are doing a great job by taking everything into consideration. One thing to remember is Leon will have more 'perfect' pieces within your budget- high quality too.

Date: 6/4/2010 3:23:33 PM
Author:
I'm not trying to start a cyber war-- however, BlingADing, I think that you could have chosen a more eloquent way to express your opinion.
Kgkg is doing a fantastic job trying to figure out how to make this a memorable experience for his girlfriend. There is no reason to say something like that to him. If he wants to go out shopping with his girlfriend everyday, or possibly stretch his budget...that's his business. Who are you to judge him and tell him to "grow a pair"? That was really rude.
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I don't believe in cyber wars.
 
Hey, so just to chime in from when I was shopping around Tiffany and Cartier (at the end of March and beginning of April),

F VS1 1.02 Cartier 1895 16K after tax
H VS1 1.04 Tiffany Solitaire 10.something before tax (this was pulled from online inventory, the salesperson offered to bring it in store for me but I declined due to time constraints)
G VS2 .87 Tiffany Solitaire 8400 before tax (this one was also gorgeous)
G VS1 1.2 Tiffany Solitaire 12.8K before tax (this one was gorgeous on my finger and my fiance did not want me to take it off haha)
E VVS1 1.2 Tiffany Solitaire 14.something before tax

I have only seen that one Cartier ring because I realized I like the 6 prong look better, so we exited the store, despite the beauty of the rings. I will suggest you put a info request on the Tiffany website. You will get a call within a few hours and the salesperson is super nice. She will work with you and search through their online inventory to find something on your price range. Their stones also change, so she can keep an eye out for you and give you a call back if a stone comes in (e.g. they didn''t have a 1ct G VS1 stone, weird I know, and we weren''t ready to pay for the 1.2 ct yet so she recommended I go down to H or VS2 range. She told me to go in store and ask for a color sensitivity test, in which they mix up a lot of stones and ask you to identify haha).

I ended up buying a BGD Knife Edge ring because it allowed us to get wedding bands as well under our optimal 10K budget (my fiance allocated 15K total for me, but I really wanted to stay under 10K for everything), but the service at Tiffany''s was fantastic and really helped me decide on the style and look of the ring that I wanted.

Hope that helps!
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Date: 6/6/2010 12:50:38 PM
Author: RockNoob
Hey, so just to chime in from when I was shopping around Tiffany and Cartier (at the end of March and beginning of April),


F VS1 1.02 Cartier 1895 16K after tax

H VS1 1.04 Tiffany Solitaire 10.something before tax (this was pulled from online inventory, the salesperson offered to bring it in store for me but I declined due to time constraints)

G VS2 .87 Tiffany Solitaire 8400 before tax (this one was also gorgeous)

G VS1 1.2 Tiffany Solitaire 12.8K before tax (this one was gorgeous on my finger and my fiance did not want me to take it off haha)

E VVS1 1.2 Tiffany Solitaire 14.something before tax


I have only seen that one Cartier ring because I realized I like the 6 prong look better, so we exited the store, despite the beauty of the rings. I will suggest you put a info request on the Tiffany website. You will get a call within a few hours and the salesperson is super nice. She will work with you and search through their online inventory to find something on your price range. Their stones also change, so she can keep an eye out for you and give you a call back if a stone comes in (e.g. they didn''t have a 1ct G VS1 stone, weird I know, and we weren''t ready to pay for the 1.2 ct yet so she recommended I go down to H or VS2 range. She told me to go in store and ask for a color sensitivity test, in which they mix up a lot of stones and ask you to identify haha).


I ended up buying a BGD Knife Edge ring because it allowed us to get wedding bands as well under our optimal 10K budget (my fiance allocated 15K total for me, but I really wanted to stay under 10K for everything), but the service at Tiffany''s was fantastic and really helped me decide on the style and look of the ring that I wanted.


Hope that helps!
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How much tax in your country?
 
Thanks, RockNoob. The information is very helpful in setting my budget. Now I am thinking that I can get a brand name 1ct for close to 15k. How much discount did Cartier give you? I guess Tiffany does not negotiate.
 
Hi Kgkg,

I think you are a very sweet man to come seek help to make your future fiance happy. I suggest you keep in mind that average PSers are different from the average diamond shoppers. Many of us value "cut" and "diamond quality" above any and everything else. Luckily there are non-brand name excellent vendors who have the knowledge and skills to satisfy these particular needs. However, that does not make the "needs for best cut" better or more important than the "needs to have a brand name ring".

Please communicate with your gf what you learn here, but don''t discount the value associated with name brands. For a lot of us it may not be important, but I certainly understand that the brand name itself carries unmeasurable value and romance for others.

Best of luck in your ring-shopping!
Zhuzhu
 
Date: 6/6/2010 10:11:17 PM
Author: zhuzhu
Hi Kgkg,


I think you are a very sweet man to come seek help to make your future fiance happy. I suggest you keep in mind that average PSers are different from the average diamond shoppers. Many of us value 'cut' and 'diamond quality' above any and everything else. Luckily there are non-brand name excellent vendors who have the knowledge and skills to satisfy these particular needs. However, that does not make the 'needs for best cut' better or more important than the 'needs to have a brand name ring'.


Please communicate with your gf what you learn here, but don't discount the value associated with name brands. For a lot of us it may not be important, but I certainly understand that the brand name itself carries unmeasurable value and romance for others.


Best of luck in your ring-shopping!

Zhuzhu
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Well said Zhuzhu. I went the super-ideal route and sometimes for the money I think I would have liked the experience and romance of a Cartier or Van Cleef. Sometimes the endless setting and diamond choices available in the online world is just, well, tiring. (I'm on my fifth reset. That would have added a lot to my initial budget for the stone!)
 
Date: 6/6/2010 10:59:22 PM
Author: angeline

Well said Zhuzhu. I went the super-ideal route and sometimes for the money I think I would have liked the experience and romance of a Cartier or Van Cleef. Sometimes the endless setting and diamond choices available in the online world is just, well, tiring. (I''m on my fifth reset. That would have added a lot to my initial budget for the stone!)
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very surprised to find out that Van Cleef''s bridal engagement rings only come in D,E colour, FL - VVS2 clarity
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