I need help deciding between a no brand or a Tiffany engagement ring please

[Cluelessnancy2]

Hey ladies, I’m new here.

Im in a bit of a pickle because I’m trying to decide between a Tiffany solitare or a no brand diamond.
I’ve wanted a blue box for quite a while, and do like designer items (obviously since it’s why we’re all here haha) but we are on a budget so we have to stick to that.

If I get the no brand I can get 40% more diamond for our budget but I would also go down in clarity a bit. If not, we’ll I can still get the Tiffany solitare but in a bit of a smaller carat.

I’m getting a lot of mixed opinions from friends and family. I’m also on the weddingbee website but they tend to dislike Tiffany rings there, not sure why. I know it’s ultimately up to me and what I like, but I’m stuck on this one big time. I do like a decently sized diamond but at the same time I love the timelessness of a genuine Tiffany.

 

[Mrs.Z]

Have you shopped for the same specs as the Tiffany ring at another store? It might give you an idea what kind of mark up you are paying for the Tiffany name and then you can decide how much you care about it

 

[Cluelessnancy2]

Have you shopped for the same specs as the Tiffany ring at another store? It might give you an idea what kind of mark up you are paying for the Tiffany name and then you can decide how much you care about it

I have. It’s a couple grand.

So, my options are this-
Tiffany ring $4250 .45 carats H color VVS2 triple excellent
No brand diamond ring $4200 .97 carat I color SI1 triple excellent

 

[ChanelCelineLaurentLover]

Hey ladies, I’m new here.

Im in a bit of a pickle because I’m trying to decide between a Tiffany solitare or a no brand diamond.
I’ve wanted a blue box for quite a while, and do like designer items (obviously since it’s why we’re all here haha) but we are on a budget so we have to stick to that.

If I get the no brand I can get 40% more diamond for our budget but I would also go down in clarity a bit. If not, we’ll I can still get the Tiffany solitare but in a bit of a smaller carat.

I’m getting a lot of mixed opinions from friends and family. I’m also on the weddingbee website but they tend to dislike Tiffany rings there, not sure why. I know it’s ultimately up to me and what I like, but I’m stuck on this one big time. I do like a decently sized diamond but at the same time I love the timelessness of a genuine Tiffany.

I love designer things but this isn’t one where I’d spend tons more. Get the same specs in clarity etc elsewhere. I almost did this with Cartier and we would have paid double for a slightly smaller diamond, with not as nice specs. It seems wonderful to have it come from a certain brand but the markup is DEFINITELY not worth it.

 

[DB8]

I have. It’s a couple grand.

So, my options are this-
Tiffany ring $4250 .45 carats H color VVS2 triple excellent
No brand diamond ring $4200 .97 carat I color SI2 triple excellent

Yeah. Hard pass on the Tiffany ring. Just because the setting is Tiffany doesn’t hide the fact that it’s still a 0.45ct diamond.

People are usually most “impressed” by size of the diamond. Brand, I mean sure it’s nice but in this case the bigger the better. If you had the budget for a branded 2ct or non branded 2.5ct, that would be a different discussion (though I’d lean for the larger still lol)

 

[Cluelessnancy2]

Yeah. Hard pass on the Tiffany ring. Just because the setting is Tiffany doesn’t hide the fact that it’s still a 0.45ct diamond.

People are usually most “impressed” by size of the diamond. Brand, I mean sure it’s nice but in this case the bigger the better. If you had the budget for a branded 2ct or non branded 2.5ct, that would be a different discussion (though I’d lean for the larger still lol)

Yeah but not everyone thinks bigger is better right? A large diamond doesn’t necessarily outshine a small one. I don’t know how important carat size is to me.

 

[FunBagz]

I’d say no to Tiffany for an e-ring (I actually did LOL). Even if size isn’t that important to you, you could go up in color and clarity from the Tiffany (and honestly, better specs as far as cut quality is concerned seeing as there are better cut diamonds out there than many Tiffany diamonds and simply “GIA ExExEx” diamonds, but that topic is for a different forum). There are plenty of settings available that are similar to Tiffany settings. Over the grand scheme of things, people won’t ask where it’s from and it could come off as pretentious to blurt out “its Tiffany”. In this case, the brand does not win IMO. Of course, if your heart yearns for that little blue box, go for it. But since you posted this and are even considering anything else, my guess is your heart is open. GL!

 

[Miss Happy]

Cluelessnancy2,

Congratulations on your engagement!

Only you know how important having the Tiffany brand engagement ring is to you.

On the choices you mentioned, the SI2 clarity would be a concern to me. I would recommend pricing a diamond with clarity that is closer to the Tiffany one for a more accurate comparison.

Best wishes with your decision.

 

[Cluelessnancy2]

Cluelessnancy2,

Congratulations on your engagement!

Only you know how important having the Tiffany brand engagement ring is to you.

On the choices you mentioned, the SI2 clarity would be a concern to me. I would recommend pricing a diamond with clarity that is closer to the Tiffany one for a more accurate comparison.

Best wishes with your decision.

thank you! I’m sorry I had to edit the info. It’s actually SI1 and it’s eye clean.
The only reason to not get the Tiffany is to get the 1 carat. The specs do not bother me really as long as it’s white and eye clean which to me they are.

 

[jyyanks]

I don't think a Tiffany ring is worth it. The diamond is half the size and no one will even be able to tell that it's Tiffany (if that matters). You will get much more bang for the buck with an unbranded diamond.

 

[Leo the Lion]

Congrats on your engagement. I would shop around for a non brand with the same specs to compare and to save money.

 

[pursegirl3]

I agree with the no brand option. Unless it is an heirloom.Size does matter. Maybe the Wedding ring or an Anniversary ring in the future could be from Tiffany.

 

[ka.gonenc]

İ would advise to get a no name diamond with GİA certificate. İ bought my first e ring from a wellnown brand and when decided to upgrade i would loose almosr half of its price. So i bought a new no name ring and kept the first one to make a necklace from it. Fall in love with the ring and its brand doesnt matter at the end.

 

[park56]

I agree with the no brand option. Unless it is an heirloom.Size does matter. Maybe the Wedding ring or an Anniversary ring in the future could be from Tiffany.

I agree. Get an unbranded larger diamond and pay special attention to cut quality. Then, I’d buy the wedding ring from Tiffany if you really must have the blue box. Best wishes with your decision

 

[DB8]

I do like a decently sized diamond

I don’t know how important carat size is to me.

So which is it?

I can still get the Tiffany solitare but in a bit of a smaller carat.

Yeah but not everyone thinks bigger is better right?

"A bit of a smaller size" is quite the understatement here - you're comparing a diamond that is 0.52 carats smaller, or basically half the size. That's pretty significant. If this was 2+ I'd say half a carat wouldn't necessarily matter, but 0.45ct to 0.97ct is very noticeable. So in this situation I'd say yes, bigger is better.

The exercise you need to be doing here is to see how much the equivalent non branded ring is - apples to apples. I've done the leg work for you.

Blue Nile has the following:
Princess 0.46ct, very good cut, G color, VVS2 clarity, with a simple platinum band: $1,356
Round 0.44ct, ideal cut, H color, VVS2 clarity, with the same band as above: $1,503

So if you compare $1,356 (BN) to $4,250 (T&CO), are you willing to pay 3x the price to have the Tiffany name? (and no, you can't go around telling people it's Tiffany & Co.)