Really? Were those jewelers HW & Cartier? =)
I am genuinely curious about this. I could be mistaken but when I shopped around (after the fact)- I think we paid a several thousand dollar markup for the Tiffany name.
Brand or No Brand
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Really? Were those jewelers HW & Cartier? =)
I am genuinely curious about this. I could be mistaken but when I shopped around (after the fact)- I think we paid a several thousand dollar markup for the Tiffany name.
This is exactly what I went through 4 years ago! Unfortunately for me, my local Tiffany stores will not be able to upgrade my ring. I will probably just purchase a no-brand diamond ring for my next anniversary though.
It seems as though many people (not on tpf, but in general) seem to think that bigger is better - in my view it is not, but that is personal taste. If you are happy with the (without doubt great quality) Harry Winston than you have made the right decision. Getting 'value' for money is overrated - why always aim for getting the most/biggest for your money when there are great things out there that are well made and come from a heritage company.
when it comes to diamonds, I would always go for the brand. Tried a no-name ring once, big desaster (no fire, little sparkle).
I am probably a marketing-victim.
I am probably a marketing-victim.
We went for a branded ring, but we did not purchase new. We weren't intending on purchasing vintage, but when the right Tiffany & Co. ring became available for a few thousand under budget, no tax, VVS clarity and in double the carat weight we were looking at... we snapped it up. For $260, Tiffany valued it for insurance purposes (so we have documentation that it is authentic), put the serial number in our name and recast the three stone setting to me size... so I have a brand new setting too.
For my wedding gift, I received a pair of diamond stud earrings from his parents' "guy" in the diamond district. He knows I'm grateful and I do like them, but this will be our last purchase from the diamond district. EVER. My settings feel cheap, I've already had problems with the prongs, had a very WEIRD customer service experience in store when I went to get the prongs repaired... Once we find a quality jeweler here in Chicago to upgrade the settings, we will. I'm happy with the cttw and the clarity, but the stones seem warm and don't sparkle as much as my Tiffany stones. I'm already working on him that for an upcoming anniversary, I want slightly larger (and infinitely sparklier) branded studs if we can't find a jeweler that will let us trade these in towards a higher quality pair.
My husband has learned his lesson: if I'm not with him in the purchasing process, he needed to just go branded. I have an extreme eye for detail and he doesn't. What looks fine to him probably does not look fine to me, and it will just save him a lot of time (and money) to guarantee that it was what I want in the first place.
For my wedding gift, I received a pair of diamond stud earrings from his parents' "guy" in the diamond district. He knows I'm grateful and I do like them, but this will be our last purchase from the diamond district. EVER. My settings feel cheap, I've already had problems with the prongs, had a very WEIRD customer service experience in store when I went to get the prongs repaired... Once we find a quality jeweler here in Chicago to upgrade the settings, we will. I'm happy with the cttw and the clarity, but the stones seem warm and don't sparkle as much as my Tiffany stones. I'm already working on him that for an upcoming anniversary, I want slightly larger (and infinitely sparklier) branded studs if we can't find a jeweler that will let us trade these in towards a higher quality pair.
My husband has learned his lesson: if I'm not with him in the purchasing process, he needed to just go branded. I have an extreme eye for detail and he doesn't. What looks fine to him probably does not look fine to me, and it will just save him a lot of time (and money) to guarantee that it was what I want in the first place.
When you buy branded jewelry, you let someone else do the hard work for you. You pay a premium to have them select the best stones, set them securely and in some cases, hand-make the settings, and to clean and maintain the piece for the next century or two that you or your heirs will own it.
I agree. Since my DF and I do not know much about jewelry, he said that just to be safe he rather pay the premium to get an e-ring of good quality and a guarantee for maintenance. Not to mention that their customer service was superb. The e-ring was also handmade and made custom to what I wanted and to my size. Even though, I'm not an expert in jewelry, I'm still picky about what I'm getting (if that makes sense). 
I also had a friend who's e-ring was purchased in the jewelry district and in the six years that she's been married, she's had a few small diamonds that have fallen out and had to be replaced. I wouldn't want to go through that agony of having to bring it back and forth to get a new diamond and then loosing another one again. But that's not to say that all non branded jewelry will turn out that way. I believe there are some really good ones out there.
I also had a friend who's e-ring was purchased in the jewelry district and in the six years that she's been married, she's had a few small diamonds that have fallen out and had to be replaced. I wouldn't want to go through that agony of having to bring it back and forth to get a new diamond and then loosing another one again. But that's not to say that all non branded jewelry will turn out that way. I believe there are some really good ones out there.
I think that anyone who purchases designer bags and puts someone down for branded/designer jewelry is a hypocrite. Just as the brand or design may be unique and better constructed in bags, the same can be true of jewelry (it doesn't have to be, but much of that is in the eye of the beholder anyway). And it all boils down to preference; everyone has their "thing".
I own both branded jewelry and non-branded and I love each and every piece I own. The branded pieces are unique to the designer, IMO, and I couldn't find and wouldn't want to find a look-alike in a non-branded piece. In the non-branded pieces, I was looking more for a general style and not a specific design, so the brand wasn't as important.
I own both branded jewelry and non-branded and I love each and every piece I own. The branded pieces are unique to the designer, IMO, and I couldn't find and wouldn't want to find a look-alike in a non-branded piece. In the non-branded pieces, I was looking more for a general style and not a specific design, so the brand wasn't as important.
Good point! Haha...actually, one friend who mentioned that to me carries all designer name bags. 
Its just my personal preference that I prefer Brand jewelry now when it comes down to it. Same goes with watches and handbags, and I'm selective with brands, not just any brands. I definitely appreciate quality.
I agree with Vintage Leather that "When you buy branded jewelry, you let someone else do the hard work for you. You pay a premium to have them select the best stones, set them securely and in some cases, hand-make the settings, and to clean and maintain the piece for the next century or two that you or your heirs will own it." Couldn't have said it any better.
I agree with Vintage Leather that "When you buy branded jewelry, you let someone else do the hard work for you. You pay a premium to have them select the best stones, set them securely and in some cases, hand-make the settings, and to clean and maintain the piece for the next century or two that you or your heirs will own it." Couldn't have said it any better.
I'm a lover of quality and uniqueness. I would much prefer a 1 ct excellent stone over a 1 1/2 ct good stone. I'm also a lover of timeless brands. So i would prefer HW over no names. But for me i'm realizing it comes down to overall beauty.
My situation is different. I wanted a sapphire but we soon realized that quality sapphires are harder to find than quality diamonds. So my hubby bought me a diamond "placer" ring. We finally found a quality sapphire that i will get for my 3 year anniversary in the fall, but it has been very difficult finding a setting i like. I have searched brand, no brand, everywhere. A lot of "brands" won't put what they consider "foreign" stones in their settings even though i would love a branded setting. And those brands don't really deal in sapphires. So I had finally settled on a Tacori setting, which i have heard of but know nothing about. So i don't know if it is high end, medium end, low end, i just recognize the name. But the other day i saw a no name setting that was so unique i had to have it. And it was more than the price of the Tacori. So this experience has really turned around my stigmas and has shown me that it is just the big picture... And just what makes us happy. Our rings should just say something about ourselves, whether they are branded or not.
My situation is different. I wanted a sapphire but we soon realized that quality sapphires are harder to find than quality diamonds. So my hubby bought me a diamond "placer" ring. We finally found a quality sapphire that i will get for my 3 year anniversary in the fall, but it has been very difficult finding a setting i like. I have searched brand, no brand, everywhere. A lot of "brands" won't put what they consider "foreign" stones in their settings even though i would love a branded setting. And those brands don't really deal in sapphires. So I had finally settled on a Tacori setting, which i have heard of but know nothing about. So i don't know if it is high end, medium end, low end, i just recognize the name. But the other day i saw a no name setting that was so unique i had to have it. And it was more than the price of the Tacori. So this experience has really turned around my stigmas and has shown me that it is just the big picture... And just what makes us happy. Our rings should just say something about ourselves, whether they are branded or not.
Congrats! I can't wait to see your reveal of the sapphire ring. I can just imagine how beautiful it will be. Your right though that, unfortunately, most name brands won't mount an outside stone onto their setting. Please post pics when you get the ring!
Thank you! And you should be very very proud of your ring! I would love an HW ring! And i would choose it over a no brand larger ring in a heartbeat.