Tiffany Ring....

[flowerladytoo]

Date: 11/18/2008 7:03:11 PM
Author: cartisdm
plus tax......and plus my credit card payment!


I looked around on their site, it''s a little odd navigating around. I really like the Lucida and the classic round. Click Here


As for the band, I won''t get it from Tiffany. She would also like the engagement ring to be ''sandwiched'' between two wedding bands. I would like an something on either side of the center diamond, it definitely won''t be anything significant though. In the link above I think it gets the point across, but it''s out of my price range. Any ideas?

Cartisdm, I hope you think about this carefully before taking the plunge. Several of the pricescope vendors have Tiffany style settings for a lot less, and they are impeccable quality. I believe there is a similar one to the Lucida too. You could get an absolutely breathtaking diamond from one of them for your lady, and not go so far into debt either. That would leave you more to buy the wedding ring with, and if she really want''s something with the Tiffany name, there is your chance.
With the economy as unstable as it is right now, it pays to be a bit more frugal, especially when it means your girl will still get a diamond that will knock her socks off, and she will be proud to wear! Congratulations on your engagement, and good luck on finding the ideal ring for your lady.

 

[Clairitek]

I just read through the entire thread and I wanted to throw in my 2 cents.

I too thought I''d really love a Tiffany ring. I went in and my heart was fluttering when I looked down at my hand. I have always been pretty mesmerized by the Tiffany name. I also went into Cartier and tried on their classic solitaire (which I loved more than the Tiffany) and I had the same reaction.

The whole point of the exercise was to see what we could get for our budget and if I really could sacrifice the size for the name. I knew that we could afford something that would appear 50% larger in the "outside" world compared to what we could get at Tiffany or Cartier.

Making the decision to go high end or not came down to what really mattered to me in a diamond so I prioritized my 4 Cs... My order came down to:

Sparkle (aka cut)
Size
Clarity
Color (I am someone who doesn''t need the whitest of white diamonds, I don''t mind an I color or maybe even a perfectly cut J, the perfect cut will make even a little yellowish diamond appear more white)

I don''t feel that Tiffany and Cartier will always sell you an ideal cut diamond and this fact made me really nervous. I tried on what we could afford right next to the size that I knew we could get from an online vendor or even an independent jeweler in the store. I knew right then and there that I wanted the bigger diamond, or at least something in between that was perfectly cut.

Also, Tiffany won''t sell you an SI stone in an engagement ring. There are TONS of people on PS that have eye clean SI-1 and SI-2 diamonds that are simply stunning. Taking a step down in clarity is another good way to maximize your budget.

I will probably seriously consider Tiffany or Cartier for my wedding band though. I love their bands even more than I love their engagement rings.

So if in the end your girlfriend really wants the Tiffany name (and there isn''t one thing wrong with that!) then go ahead and do the best that you can with your budget. I hope that you''ll come back with pictures of whatever you end up getting her because we love ALL rings here on PS, no matter what name is engraved on the shank.

 

[LGK]

I just had to add something. When I was first engaged, my then-fiance & I had just graduated from college and had NO MONEY to spare. None. We spent $400 on a .25ct antique ring and I wore it happily for 7 years... heck I probably would still be wearing it if I hadn''t lost it. My sister wears a similar ring, exact same price range, while my sister-in-law has a $600 antique ring. They''re all about one third to one quarter carats. Because we all got engaged when it wasn''t financially feasible to spend thousands on a ring. Yes, I wear a larger diamond now, because our means have changed over the years, and that''s what we chose when replacing the missing ring. But, I would NEVER have expected my fiance to finance the ring I wear now when we first got engaged, or to borrow the money. Or to go to Tiffany''s, because I knew that would be absolutely ridiculous in our financial situation. He *could* have done any of the above, but I would have flipped over him spending so much. Trust me. Full on freak out if he had spent thousands, because I knew what our financial reality was at that time and expected and was happy with what he could afford.

Perhaps you aren''t in the same financial situation as we were when we bought that first ring, but truly, there is no need to spend $5K on a Tiffany ring right out of the gate. You have many years ahead together to get the Tiffany ring of her dreams- if she doesn''t want to replace the original e-ring (my sister and sister-in-law would never ever) then she has nine other fingers to decorate!

I don''t think there''s anything wrong with either upgrading or adding a RHR. Sometimes you end up *having* to upgrade (see: lost ring above!) even if you would never think about it otherwise. I do think we see people getting all caught up in the e-ring, and not really thinking about all the many, many years they have ahead to get other jewelry.

My advice would be to spend whatever you can in cash comfortably on a Tiffany replica. Using a card is your choice, of course, but I hope you realize you aren''t *obligated* to cough up a large, brand name ring. And that indeed she might be much more pleased at your working within a realistic budget to get her a lovely ring, whatever the size. And yeah, a lot of the ACA diamonds from Whiteflash are indeed cut better (and thus prettier) than a Tiffany diamond. We girls can be pretty hard-headed about the spending-money thing, even if our guys feel like they need to get us something spectacular to get engaged with, we aren''t necessarily thinking along the same lines. Most of us would prefer you not go into debt of any sort to get us a ring.

 

[Clairitek]

Just noticed the Tiffany ring is gone from Signed Pieces! What a STEAL that was!

 

[onvacation]

Date: 11/18/2008 7:03:11 PM
Author: cartisdm
plus tax......and plus my credit card payment!

I looked around on their site, it''s a little odd navigating around. I really like the Lucida and the classic round. Click Here

As for the band, I won''t get it from Tiffany. She would also like the engagement ring to be ''sandwiched'' between two wedding bands. I would like an something on either side of the center diamond, it definitely won''t be anything significant though. In the link above I think it gets the point across, but it''s out of my price range. Any ideas?

I prefer a small stone from Tiffany''s too, but that''s just me. (Well actually I''d prefer a large stone from T''s, but that''s for another thread...

) Has anyone seen their wedding band prices lately? It''s jumped again from the fall! Ridiculous to pay 2k for a men''s band with no stones. If your girl wants two wedding bands, I would get an e-ring from Tiffany''s then two simple bands from somewhere else. Depending on how much sentimental value you place on your wedding rings, you can either get solid quality bands, or even pave''d bands. (Did you know Target has micro pave sapphire bands? try a search here on PS and you''ll see a few members who ordered from them.) I think my wedding band is much more important than my e-ring because it symbolizes our marriage, but hubby thinks the e-ring is more sentimental ''cause to him it represents our initial devotion to one another and promise to wed. When I asked him which one should I give up if I had to lose one (in case of a robbery, whatever), he said I should surrender the wedding band because "we can always get another one. The e-ring is one of a kind! Not to mention waaay more expensive"

Although I would of course hate to lose either one, I''m saying this to point out that people have different priorities; only you know your GF''s and yours, so let that direct how you allocate your funds.

It also depends on your circle of friends and what she''s comfortable with. If you''re still an undergrad, I would think it is fine to go with the Tiffany route. I agree with some of the posters above about age-appropriate jewelry. You only get to wear small jewelry when you''re young. Why not enjoy that period? With a quality piece, she can wear it later as a right hand ring with all the memories attached to it, and wear whatever larger ring you have bought for her then (fingers crossed for you!). I don''t mean to insult PSers with smaller rings; I just mean to note that there is just something charming and elegant about a younger woman with a small but quality stone. Plus you can''t deny that the brand name adds to the story of the ring.

Summary of my two cents : ASK HER WHAT SHE PREFERS if you don''t know by now (after 4 years?!).

By the way, if you''re really unsure, you could get the silver stacking ring with the diamond from Tiffany''s, get hold of the box, propose, and hunt for a ring together. Ring hunting can make for some great memories, and she''ll have that band from Tiffany''s!

 

[pixley]

Date: 11/19/2008 9:46:47 PM
Author: Clairitek
Just noticed the Tiffany ring is gone from Signed Pieces! What a STEAL that was!

Maybe he bought it?!

If not, whomever snagged that baby owes us a SMTR thread PDQ.

 

[Kelli]

Since everyone seems to be discussing their preferences in this thread, I''ll gladly add my 2cents.

I''d much rather have EITHER

1) My boyfriend not go into debt over my engagement ring and spend only what he needs to in order to get the size and quality we want

OR

2) have him spend the amount on money he would on a tiffany ring (if he truly had his heart set on blowing his cash

) but go to an online vendor to get a bigger and better diamond for the money.

I don''t have anything against Tiffany''s. Really. I LOVE going in and looking. But I just could NEVER spend my money on the Tiffany''s name only. My whiteflash recut shines just as brightly as any diamond I''ve seen in there and was WAAAAAAAAY less than a Tiffany''s ring of it''s size, color, and clarity. I feel like you pay a premium for the name and with that comes the guarantee that you''re getting something of great quality. But if you take the time and do the research yourself, you don''t need them and their premiums to guarantee it. You can save a LOAD of money by doing a little research and there are so many people here that are more than happy to help.

That being said, if she truly does desire a Tiffany''s ring, I think that is what she should get if you can afford it. I do think you should try to find out (in a super sneaky way) what it is she really wants before purchasing. Does she have any friends you could put on that task? Sorry if someone already asked these questions, I skimmed through this whole thread but may have missed a thing or two.

 

[bruceb916]

Date: 11/18/2008 3:47:29 PM
Author:cartisdm
She''s not one of those girls that HAS to have brand named stuff to be happy but I know that she would just love to see that Tiffany box and it would mean a lot to her.


My question is, what can I expect to pay? Their website doesn''t really give a lot of details about price because I don''t think it includes the diamond. Can I realistically get her a platinum engagement ring for under $4,500? I know because of the Tiffany Co. name they will cost more, but I don''t know how much more to expect.


Obviously, I know I''m being vaque by not giving any details about the ring itself but I have to start somewhere. I want to at least know if it''s possible for me to even consider. When I get off work I''ll post some links to what ring styles I''m interested in.

Get the ring online.

Find a used Tiffany box on eBay or Craigslist.

Put ring in box.

After she falls in love with the ring, tell her you got her a better stone online for a cheaper price. She''ll still love the ring and your wallet will love you.

 

[blondebunny]

Date: 11/18/2008 7:38:26 PM
Author: cartisdm

Date: 11/18/2008 7:33:47 PM

Author: jbazz

I realize everyone is different but a smaller, higher quality classic Tiffany ering would be my preference. There is a lot to be said for understate elegance in youth.



Save the door knob sized diamonds for later on.

Well said. She doesn''t want an elaborate ring at all. Simple and sentimental is what I''m going for (not to be confused with tiny or pathetic, it''s a fine line I know) So.....for future replies lets lean more towards this approach

If you go look at my SMTR thread... I actually got a Tiffany ring.. and I think it looks ALOT larger than .55 carat... and alot of poeple think its bigger too... I couldnt imagine having any other ring...

Obviously what girl wouldnt want a huge diamond... But I dont want one right now...Me and my FI discussed getting a ring from Tiffanys or from Jareds(this was our only other option... he HATES the internet...I tried... he refused) and for the price we paid at Tiffanys... we would have only gotten about .15 carat bigger... so it wasnt worth it... and plus he already told me he plans to upgrade my ring when we are more financially stable.. and older.. we are still in college getting our masters..

I LOVE the sparkle of my ring.. I look at other girls in the rooms.. and they dont sparkle nearly as much as mine does... but we dont know where they got theirs from..

okay well Im getting off track.. BUT Tiffanys DOES offer payment plans... its 6 months for under 10k or 12 months if over 10k..no interest or anything and I believe maybe 20% down?? Pretty decent... not bad.. and then you wouldnt have to put it on your credit card...

Also if you plan to upgrade later on in life and want to get her a tiffanys then... you may as well invest the money now because when you try to sell whatever ering you get her that isnt Tiffany''s you probably wont get much for it...just my opinion... goodluck!

OH and you dont have to worry about that goofy 6 month check thing to keep the warranty thing like some places have... that was also another plus we had for tiffanys...

 

[bruceb916]

Date: 11/18/2008 4:38:39 PM
Author: musey

Date: 11/18/2008 3:47:29 PM

Author: cartisdm

My question is, what can I expect to pay? Their website doesn''t really give a lot of details about price because I don''t think it includes the diamond.

It does. You use the drop-down menu to select a carat weight, and it''ll tell you the base price for that size of stone in the setting. Looks like 0.5 starts at $4,030. That would be about on point for your budget, after tax.

That''s a great Tiffany link. I looked at Tiffany rings once in Seattle and after comparing their prices/quality to online, I knew it wasn''t the place for me.

On a side note, I love how they show a 2ct stone when clicking on matching wedding bands. Shows what price range they try to sell to.

 

[bruceb916]

Date: 11/18/2008 7:49:35 PM
Author: vita*dolce
cartisdm --



I can tell you that every .1 of a carat is about a thousand dollars there. (in a classic solitaire, that is.) so if you''re able to spend 4500 you''ll be getting a little less than 1/2 of a carat. (for reference, the average woman in america has a .38ct diamond in her engagement ring.)

.38? That''s a interesting statistic. Then again Parade magazine in their "What People Earn Issue" this year said "If you make more than 40k a year, you make more than half of all Americans." Scary statistic when you look at the cost of diamonds, and living in general.

 

[musey]

Date: 11/20/2008 12:55:29 AM
Author: bruceb916

Date: 11/18/2008 4:38:39 PM
Author: musey

Date: 11/18/2008 3:47:29 PM
Author: cartisdm
My question is, what can I expect to pay? Their website doesn''t really give a lot of details about price because I don''t think it includes the diamond.

It does. You use the drop-down menu to select a carat weight, and it''ll tell you the base price for that size of stone in the setting. Looks like 0.5 starts at $4,030. That would be about on point for your budget, after tax.

That''s a great Tiffany link. I looked at Tiffany rings once in Seattle and after comparing their prices/quality to online, I knew it wasn''t the place for me.

I think that''s true for most people.

 

[musey]

Date: 11/19/2008 10:03:58 AM
Author: Clairitek
I will probably seriously consider Tiffany or Cartier for my wedding band though. I love their bands even more than I love their engagement rings.

I was the same way... I didn''t even (seriously) consider either for my engagement ring, but I couldn''t tear myself away from the band that I fell in love with at Tiffany. I''m sure that I could have gotten something elsewhere, but nothing I found was just *perfect* the way that the tiffany band was (VERY low profile, tightly fit bezels, etc.). In the end the price pad for a band was worth it to me to get it just perfect... but considering that it''s a percentage, the price difference does not have as big of a discrepancy as a ring that has a large center stone (diamond or otherwise) does.

 

[musey]

Date: 11/20/2008 1:06:50 AM
Author: bruceb916

Date: 11/18/2008 7:49:35 PM
Author: vita*dolce
(for reference, the average woman in america has a .38ct diamond in her engagement ring.)

.38? That's a interesting statistic.

I'm not surprised. In my hometown (smallish city in the midwest), most women had about half a carat or less, if they had a diamond at all.

Even here in LA, I mostly see stones in the 1ct. range. A lot of the bigger stones I see (more than 2ct.) are obvious fakes

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Date: 11/20/2008 12:45:24 AM
Author: bruceb916

Date: 11/18/2008 3:47:29 PM
Author:cartisdm
She''s not one of those girls that HAS to have brand named stuff to be happy but I know that she would just love to see that Tiffany box and it would mean a lot to her.


My question is, what can I expect to pay? Their website doesn''t really give a lot of details about price because I don''t think it includes the diamond. Can I realistically get her a platinum engagement ring for under $4,500? I know because of the Tiffany Co. name they will cost more, but I don''t know how much more to expect.


Obviously, I know I''m being vaque by not giving any details about the ring itself but I have to start somewhere. I want to at least know if it''s possible for me to even consider. When I get off work I''ll post some links to what ring styles I''m interested in.

Get the ring online.

Find a used Tiffany box on eBay or Craigslist.

Put ring in box.

After she falls in love with the ring, tell her you got her a better stone online for a cheaper price. She''ll still love the ring and your wallet will love you.

No offense, Bruce, but I would definitely advise against this.

There is nothing wrong with not buying from Tiffany''s. As everybody has pointed out, financially, it''s not in your best interest. There is something wrong, however, with not buying from Tiffs and then pretending the ring was from Tiffs only to tell your fiance down the road that you lied. Not the best way to start out an engagement/marriage

 

[QueenG]

The Signed Pieces .99 was just listed on Ebay, with no reserve! There''s also a .95 listed, no reserve.

.99 --

http://cgi.ebay.com/TIFFANY-CO-Platinum-Round-Diamond-Engagement-Ring_W0QQitemZ110314853491QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Fine_Rings?hash=item110314853491&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1326%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1309


.95 --

http://cgi.ebay.com/TIFFANY-CO-Platinum-0-95ct-I-VS1-Engagement-Ring_W0QQitemZ400010643252QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Fine_Rings?hash=item400010643252&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1326%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1309

 

[onvacation]

Date: 11/20/2008 1:49:04 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady

Date: 11/20/2008 12:45:24 AM
Author: bruceb916

Date: 11/18/2008 3:47:29 PM
Author:cartisdm
She''s not one of those girls that HAS to have brand named stuff to be happy but I know that she would just love to see that Tiffany box and it would mean a lot to her.


My question is, what can I expect to pay? Their website doesn''t really give a lot of details about price because I don''t think it includes the diamond. Can I realistically get her a platinum engagement ring for under $4,500? I know because of the Tiffany Co. name they will cost more, but I don''t know how much more to expect.


Obviously, I know I''m being vaque by not giving any details about the ring itself but I have to start somewhere. I want to at least know if it''s possible for me to even consider. When I get off work I''ll post some links to what ring styles I''m interested in.

Get the ring online.

Find a used Tiffany box on eBay or Craigslist.

Put ring in box.

After she falls in love with the ring, tell her you got her a better stone online for a cheaper price. She''ll still love the ring and your wallet will love you.

No offense, Bruce, but I would definitely advise against this.

There is nothing wrong with not buying from Tiffany''s. As everybody has pointed out, financially, it''s not in your best interest. There is something wrong, however, with not buying from Tiffs and then pretending the ring was from Tiffs only to tell your fiance down the road that you lied. Not the best way to start out an engagement/marriage

Couldn''t agree more. In addition to the let down of a (hopefully) very shortlived lie, she will most likely feel a wistfulness that wouldn''t have been there if you hadn''t used the box.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Yoohoo

--Did we scare you away--what did you decide?

cheers--Sharon

 

[musey]

Date: 11/20/2008 8:52:01 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

Yoohoo

--Did we scare you away--what did you decide?

cheers--Sharon

I think I probably freaked him out

whoops! I'm sure he'll figure it out on his own.

 

[sapphirepod]

If she doesn't mind (and you, too) a second hand ring, you can get quite a nice Tiffany ring for that price. I paid about that much ($4500) for mine. All authentic with papers, blue box and original receipt. I got it re-appraised at Tiffany and they even sized it for free. I have a Tiffany ring from Signed Pieces, too (not e-ring) and it's in perfect condition. You just need to really know what you're buying and get all the possible info.

 

[bee*]

Date: 11/18/2008 4:34:38 PM
Author: musey

Date: 11/18/2008 4:29:46 PM

Author: cartisdm

I''m mostly concerned if I can get something that she will enjoy that she will be able to say ''it''s from Tiffany.''

For what it''s worth, my husband said that quite proudly once (at our wedding, my wedding band is from Tiff''s), and I felt so embarrassed! Like we were trying to show off or something. I''m always pretty sensitive to that sort of thing, though.

Ditto, I''m the same. I wouldn''t get her a ring from Tiffs just so she can say where it''s from. My e-ring is from there and only my parents and a couple of other people know where it''s from as I wouldn''t go around telling people. I adore my ring and as it''s patent cut, I couldn''t have got it anywhere else. If I could have gotten it elsewhere and saved money, I would definitely have. It''s really down to what you want-you will get smaller than elsewhere, but you can still get a beautiful quality stone in Tiffs. I hope that you come back and update us!

 

[onvacation]

bump...

How''s the search going?

(Did we really scare him off?)

 

[LoveRoundBrillants]

ok so i dont know how much value this may add to your decision but i thought i would give it a try anyway...

My best friend got engaged 1.5 years ago, her Fiance bought her a tiffany''s ring and at first she told everyone its tiffany''s blah blah blah. At the time she was fresh out of college (22), and loving the brand name. But her ring is small and of course her fiance (who is not much older then her), wasnt able to afford the bling bling. After i got on this site i told her about some of the vendors mentioned here, thinking she could get a nice wedding band. Well she called me 2 weeks ago and told me that she sold her engagement ring and is now buying a bridal set from Whiteflash for not much more then she bought her engagement ring.

The point of my story is that yes its nice to have tiffanys but IMO it doenst seem very realistic. I would love to have a tiffanys ring but would be sad knowing i could of got a bigger diamond for the same price.