Tiffany & Co vs Local Jewelry Store

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ghostchewmai

Member
Aug 21, 2015
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hi guy,

I have my heart set on the Soleste Emerald cut, it is to die for.

I called Tiffany and got a price quote of $10,200 for 0.94 ct H color VS2 clarity. With about the same price at my local jeweler, i can get a 1.50 carat H color VVS1 clarity.

My husband and dad are telling me to get it from Tiffany because of their brand name so at least i’ll have a peace of mind knowing that the diamond and platinum are real. I dont have to go through the appraisal and stuff after purchasing the ring from the local jeweler.

However, i don’t feel like sacrificing the carat size.. i’m a size 7 so i’m pretty sure .94 can be a little bit small..

What would you lovely ladies do? Tiffany or local shop?
 
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The soleste emerald is on my wish list and I say go for the one from Tiffany. It’s so well made and you don’t have to worry if the diamond is not what is stated on the diamond certificate. I own the classic setting ring and a Lucida ring, yes I could have gotten larger stones if I had gone the non branded route but I am very happy with my Tiffany rings.
 
Tiffany for sure. Your Soleste will be a beautiful stone that you will be proud of and it’s a Tiffany. Anything else is just a no name diamond. Life is not always about the bargain, that’s why there’s Nike, Apple, and Tiffany!

You will know it’s a Tiffany and will love it! Not to mention, Tiffany does an amazing job with the cut of the diamond to make it super sparkling. My two cents is you may be disappointed with the cut of a no name. Emeralds are hard to get a nice cut. I have also seen some poorly made “Soleste” halo rings too, so think about that too. Custom made is not always beautiful... I’ve been down that route.

The Tiffany is a perfection and speaks of quality. I love my Tiffany round solitaire. It sparkles like mad!

Congrats to you!
 
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I’ll be the odd one out and say to go with a local jeweler. I love Tiffany for some of their recognizable designs but a diamond is a diamond no matter the name as long as it’s GIA. My jeweler went through literally dozens of stones to find me the best possible cut because that is what I prioritized and also offers a trade in program. Most professional jewelers also do third party appraisals (you will need it for insurance) so I don’t understand the worry about it not matching the certificate.
 
I love Tiffany's craftsmanship with their settings and after sale customer service. The Soleste setting has a very delicate halo that I think is hard to duplicate. If your local jeweler can match the quality of the diamonds, setting, and the customer service, then I say go for it.
 
You should check out pricescope, and post your question there. It is a knowledgeable community all about diamond and jewelry. You may also want to consider online store. If you don’t care about brand name, you can get better and bigger diamond in similar style. Just for your information.
If you buy your jewelry at a designer store, you pay a premium for the name. You can find better quality at a local jewelry store for less money? Go for it. That’s a big difference in carat size and clarity. Once the ring is on your finger, no one will know where it comes from.
Agree completely. I’d MUUUCH rather get bigger and better quality. In reverse, why pay more to get less?????

OP, my post is long because I think you are looking for factual reasons on why to chose a Tiffany ring or one from someone else. So, I’m going to try to offer a few points to consider.:smile:

You’ve posted before with concerns about the size of the stone. I think in your heart you know you aren’t going to be satisfied with the smaller stone - no matter where it comes from.

Plus, reputable jewelers are easy to find and almost all offer a full value upgrade program on diamonds. And, an appraisal takes minutes and a few dollars. There is literally no reason to worry about the ring being real or as graded.

And, in fact, there is NOTHING special or better about a Tiffany diamond. vs. another stone of the same quality (cut, clarity, color). Tiffany actually grades their diamonds themselves vs. using a third party such as the “gold standard” GIA. This isn’t “bad” except I prefer knowing my diamond is independently certified separate from the retailer. I think Tiffany is very trustworthy but, since you are concerned about the diamond being graded as it is, a third party is a better way to be assured than any retailer’s guarantee.

Tiffany is a retailer. They don’t mine or even cut their own diamonds. They go through manufacturers to procure diamonds then they simply set them. So to say any other diamond is “no name” is hilarious in that it has no meaning. Other diamonds may have come from the same mine and been cut by the same guy / gal. For this reason, when you try to resell a Tiffany diamond you get no more money than with other similarly graded stones. You may get a small uptick for a whole Tiffany ring but, again, you won’t get much more because the only difference is the branding.

There are tons of articles on the web that explain just this - how the “value” of a Tiffany ring is ONLY the branding. Nothing more. Certainly nothing around quality. Here’s one https://beyond4cs.com/reviews/tiffany/

Last note. I love diamonds far more than bags or anything other “thing”. And, I demand quality. My wedding band stone is a 3 ct oval GIA certified G, VS2. It shines like crazy because of 1) the actual cut is outstanding. How the diamond is cut is one of the most important things for sparkle and shine. It impacts how the light bounces around in the diamond 2) the tiny occlusions are in a place hidden by the prongs so it’s completely “eye clean” on my finger. And, I got my diamond and setting from an online retailer for less than a third of what a similarly priced Tiffany ring would have cost. They give 100% trade in value for the stone for life and it came with the GIA cert and laser inscription. I still took it to a local appraiser who confirmed I had exactly what they said I had in minutes for a few hundred dollars as I watched him in his office. So, the diamond never left my sight. It’s in a “Tiffany” 6 prong setting on a classic diamond studded band and my wedding ring matches. Some people have thought my set was from Tiffany’s and I let them know it’s inspired by T&Co. but, special and unique to me.

You are about to receive an amazing gift and it’s worth some more time to consider. Please poke around on the web a bit more for how to buy diamonds. Get educated on what really impacts shine (it’s not always round is better), value (brand names are usually not the best buy) and quality (the characteristics of the diamond not the seller).

Then once you know what you are getting, if you still want to know your ring is from Tiffany’s, consider getting one preloved as you will get it at a huge discount and likely get that bigger stone you want.

Good luck and feel free to pm me if you have any questions on my post. :flowers:
 
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As long as the diamond is GIA certified, you know you are getting what you pay for. Listen to Sparkletastic’s wonderful advice. I’ve been buying diamonds for 40 years. Go to a local jeweler. There are some local jewelers that also offer trade-ins, free minor repairs and cleaning, and should offer GIA certified diamonds. The Gemological Institute of America was established in 1931 and is the largest independent certifier of diamonds in the world. Here is their amazing site:
https://www.gia.edu/
Also read here for simple explanation of what they do:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemological_Institute_of_America
 
You should check out pricescope, and post your question there. It is a knowledgeable community all about diamond and jewelry. You may also want to consider online store. If you don’t care about brand name, you can get better and bigger diamond in similar style. Just for your information.
my thoughts exactly. I wouldn't pay for the Tiffany name. A diamond is a diamond. As long as you get it from a reputable source, and have it appraised you should not need to pay extra for a brand name. I got my diamond earrings from Whiteflash (online). And agree, there's lots of good info on Pricescope.
 
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