Diamond (jewelry district) vs. Colored Gemstone (Tiffany Legacy) E-Ring?

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#46
my husband did a EXCELLENT JOB.. we did a lot of shopping together.. so i basically gave him a really broad range of what i liked but mostly what i DID NOT LIKE.. ie.. dislike tiffany's lucida.. it's too much metal for me... but he eventually picked out the stone and setting all by himself because he wanted to make sure that i would be totally and utterly surprised when he proposed... and i was :)

it's a 2 ct G, VS2, Ideal cut, EX/EX/EX stone.. and it's flanked with .25 ct. pears on either side.. so it's 2.50 ctw.. i LOVE my ring.. it looks very similar to this ring by tiffanys

http://www.tiffany.com/Engagement/Item.aspx?GroupSKU=GRP10024#f+4/0/0/0/0/0

however i got engaged when i was 24.. which i believe is how old you are now if i'm not mistaken.. but i'm 27 now.. and well.. originally i thought i wanted something more simplistic... buuuuuuut.. i now realize that i totally want something more blingy... my husband jokingly says i'm gaudy ::sad face:: hahaha. so i've been looking to change my setting to this

http://www.ritani.com/products/view/535/in_category/1

when you click on that link you MUST to view the video.. (because the fake stock photo doesn't do it any justice) i've watched the video like 50 times.. and everytime it makes my heart sing hahaha.

anyways so the moral of my story is.. don't worry and don't stress out too much about your decision.. you seem like you have excellent taste.. get what you like.. but know that you can always change your mind.. i don't like the word "upgrade" but as i always like to say to my husband.. "i reserve the right to change my mind at anytime.. because a happy wife is a happy life" hahaha

oh and no yellow diamonds for my right now.. but i SO want one as a RHR.. but i do want a really saturated yellow stone.. and a larger carat weight.. so the hubs says i have to wait until a big anni.. like 10 years *sigh* hahaha.. 8 more years to go!!!!

oh and btw you are SO lucky you live in LA.. i live in SF.. and i'm planning a trip to LA in a few months so i can go visit like the 10 chanel stores.. and bazillions of awesome outlets you have!
 
#47
I'm torn between getting a bigger carat weight and getting it at a jewelry district store or getting a smaller diamond but branded with the Tiffany name (just as the thread name states!) I hope I get a better idea when I go to IntaGems and other stores in dtLA next weekend. I'm very excited =)

Your ring is amazing! Are you going to put the center stone from your original e-ring into that new setting? And that new setting! It sparkles like crazy, I was nearly blinded when I watched the video haha.

I figured that I can reset or get new rings as time passes and anniversaries come and go! My boyfriend is practical but he also wants to make me happy. However, he also only has a limited budget, so I can't go BIG like I truly want! So I'm thinking sometime in the future? Some women don't even have a ring when they are engaged, so I feel very fortunate and very loved that I am getting a ring at all, let alone a yellow diamond!

BTW what is RHR? Haha, I'm not very good with forum linguo. I really love LA, but honestly, I think my heart is in SF! My two best friends live in the bay area, and I visit whenever I can. I also went to school briefly at UC Davis before I transferred to UCLA, and every chance I got, I would drive to SF (because there is NO good shopping at Davis!)

The outlets here aren't bad - my favorite is cabazon/desert hills premium outlets. I was planning on going last weekend but I think after xmas will be the time I go!
 
#48
Also, thank you to EVERYONE that answered and replied to my thread. Everyone is so knowledgeable and without the sagely advice and reference sites to help guide me to the most informed decision, I know I would've been lost and utterly confused!

Even though I have my heart set on Tiffany, I will not rule out other, non-branded name stores. Comparison shopping is smart shopping right? After looking at all my options, then I will make a decision between the two! Thanks again everyone!
 
#49
If I were you, I would go ahead and get a ring from LA jewelry district. There are a lot of great jewelers down there. And if your boyfriend is willing to spend the $12-$13K he'd be spending at Tiffany's - than you can certainly get a 1.5 diamond w/ a nice setting in that price range!
 
#51
^^ Well, cut is king when it comes to diamonds, and GIA evaluates clarity and color, not cut. Having said that, Tiffany's diamonds are nice, but certainly not always the best cut diamonds out there. Branded cuts like H&A and HoF are likely to outshine Tiffany diamonds, but there are TONS of non-branded diamonds that will also outsparkle.


BTW, Kohl: My jeweler is located in the LA jewelry district and I had a great experience buying my ering and later my studs.
 
#52
ahertz said:
^^ Well, cut is king when it comes to diamonds, and GIA evaluates clarity and color, not cut. Having said that, Tiffany's diamonds are nice, but certainly not always the best cut diamonds out there. Branded cuts like H&A and HoF are likely to outshine Tiffany diamonds, but there are TONS of non-branded diamonds that will also outsparkle.


BTW, Kohl: My jeweler is located in the LA jewelry district and I had a great experience buying my ering and later my studs.
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I agree that cut is key - does the holloway cut advisor help for round diamonds at all? Is there such a "calculator" for cushions (I know there are a ton of different cuts out there - pillow, square, old chunky, etc.)? Most yellow diamonds only in fancy shapes and I don't know how to judge cuts for those types. . .there are just too many.

I tend to give Tiffany the benefit of the doubt when it comes to quality and cut because I am paying so much money for it. But I did notice that the novo, one of the most popular diamonds they have, doesn't sparkle as much as the rounds or even the modified cushion for the legacy, for instance. It just looks like a block of ice.

If it's not too much trouble, could you PM me the name of your jeweler? Thanks!
 
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#53
Well basically I was just saying that you can get a quality diamond without it having to be a brand! I didnt mean that just having the GIA report makes it quality, I meant that having the GIA report means you know what you are getting.
 
#54
This is just my observation: I also go on bluenile.come a lot and constantly check the "recently purchased rings" section. The cushion cut facets look crazy, almost messy compared to the neat(er) starburst design that the rounds have. Radiants look like cushions but have straighter lines and is decidedly more squarish. The emeralds also have neat lines, but they look almost glassy, but they look beautiful also.

I looked around and it seems like yellow diamonds come more in cushion and radiant cut styles.
 
#55
Have you tried Harry Winston or Leviev? Their diamonds come with GIA certs and I believe even higher quality than Tiffany's. But I have a feeling you're going home with the Tiffany yellow diamond ;) Just be aware that diamond prices are going up and in fact have already gone up by up to 10% for certain carat weights.

Good luck shopping and enjoy! You're in such a happy dilemma!
 
#56
Oh yes, the Harry Winston micropave cushion halo ring is AMAZING. My boyfriend, who isn't at all into rings or diamonds, was utterly star struck after we saw the ring, and he wouldn't stop talking about it for the entire day!

I've never heard of Leviev. . .I have to check them out, thanks for the referral!

I know diamond prices are going up (makes me sad!) and I've been trying to encourage my boyfriend to buy the ring sooner, but of course this is something that can't be rushed. :shrugs:
 
#57
Leviev owns their own mines and I've been told they supply to the big names, including HW. They also have some of the most amazing coloured stones, but I think their prices are rather intimidating. I just saw a $23m stone in their window display!!!

Honestly, if all diamonds being equal and it boils down to brand alone, between Tiffany and HW, I would go with HW. Tiffany has somehow lost the appeal for me since they went mass market. I admit in my 20s I was quite in love with the little blue box. But many many years later, HW appeals to me more. I still love Tiffany's high end jewellery though, like the plique à jour and Schlumberger pieces.
 
#58
kohl_mascara said:
This is just my observation: I also go on bluenile.come a lot and constantly check the "recently purchased rings" section. The cushion cut facets look crazy, almost messy compared to the neat(er) starburst design that the rounds have. Radiants look like cushions but have straighter lines and is decidedly more squarish. The emeralds also have neat lines, but they look almost glassy, but they look beautiful also.

I looked around and it seems like yellow diamonds come more in cushion and radiant cut styles.
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Rounds don't work best for enhancing the color of a stone. Colored diamonds may be cut for color retention vs light performance. The busier facets that radiants have help to amplify the color in colored diamonds due to how the light travels through the diamond. David at Diamonds by Lauren would be a good person to explain all this to you. I'm just paraphrasing. I'd just have someone like that help educate you on colored diamond basics. There are different things to look for.
 
#59
http://www.fancydiamonds.net/ This site has some lovely options as well. They have loose yellow diamonds, I'd make sure to look at the ones that have GIA certificates so you know you are getting what you pay for (fancy light yellow vs fancy yellow big price increase). I definitely think you should contact several vendors and see what they can pull for you. They may have something that is not yet listed or give you some guidance. If your heart still longs for Tiffany, at least you'll go into it fully educated. Not all yellow diamonds are created equal and you'd still want to be able to pick the one that is the best bang for your buck. There is nothing wrong with wanting a branded ring, especially since you are willing to compromise on size. Get what YOU want, but learn as much as you can first! Sorry this is so rambling lol.
 
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#60
evekitti said:
Leviev owns their own mines and I've been told they supply to the big names, including HW. They also have some of the most amazing coloured stones, but I think their prices are rather intimidating. I just saw a $23m stone in their window display!!!

Honestly, if all diamonds being equal and it boils down to brand alone, between Tiffany and HW, I would go with HW. Tiffany has somehow lost the appeal for me since they went mass market. I admit in my 20s I was quite in love with the little blue box. But many many years later, HW appeals to me more. I still love Tiffany's high end jewellery though, like the plique à jour and Schlumberger pieces.
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I completely agree that I would pick HW over Tiffany! However, the prices at Tiffany are still much more affordable and palatable to our green bank accounts than at HW - My bf and I looked at a 1 carat micropave cushion halo and it was $23k. It's a little too steep for us - we'd still like to save up for a new house, pay for a wedding, pay for honeymoon, retirement etc. Haha. Maybe I'll get HW when I'm older and we both settle into our careers; certainly when it comes time to "upgrade" :D
 
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