Tiffany Or Not?
- Thread starter Princess Pink
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NYC_Cady....would LOVE to see your ring!
Personally, whlle I love Tiffany & own a few pieces......when it comes to my e-ring, I wanted both size & quality which is why I had it custom made. I just couldn't see my DH dishing out extra $$$ for the name. Couldn't rationalize that one.
But I admire you Antique Shopper........who love what you love and leave it at that. I respect you for that.
Personally, whlle I love Tiffany & own a few pieces......when it comes to my e-ring, I wanted both size & quality which is why I had it custom made. I just couldn't see my DH dishing out extra $$$ for the name. Couldn't rationalize that one.
But I admire you Antique Shopper........who love what you love and leave it at that. I respect you for that.
Thank you! I think that buying jewelry is such a personal thing. If the OP wants a name, then I will support her. If she does not want a brand, then I will support her.
OP- Choose what is important to you. If size is important, than you may not want a name. If a certain style by a certain brand is important (like the Legacy), then buy the brand. Choose a style, then determine where you plan to buy it! Enjoy the search!
My fiance and I went to every Jewelry store in our area to look for e-rings and wedding bands, from Tiffany's to Zales. Ultimately it was down to a big named 'Engagement Ring Superstore' and Tiffany's. Every place we went to put pressure on us on choosing their ring - the SA at this specialty engagement store in particular kept showing me wedding bands that were waaayy out of range for us - as far as design, budget, style, etc... which was annoying! In the end, my fiance surprised me with the Legacy!
I hated to think that a big chunk of his budget went to the Name, even when I gave my fiance the option to have it replicated. But he didn't want to take the chance and he felt good about his decision because Tiffany's was the only place that made us feel at ease (as intimidating as you think they would be), and they put no pressure at all to go with them. They kept encouraging us to go somewhere where we thought our budget and taste would fit best. We must've gone to them a million times before making decisions, and they never acted like they were annoyed.
Now maybe it depended on the SA's we ended up with, but we dealt with multiple SA's every time we went to the specialty engagement ring store, and every time we got an SA that made me feel like we were at a car dealership. So like what other girls said, even if it is a little more, you know you'll receive good quality and customer service with Tiffany's! EVERY single time I walk in there, they're super friendly. We've even been invited to special events and received goodies.
Definitely shop around and do your research, but ultimately go with your gut feeling on what you'll be truly happy with and who will treat you best as a valued customer and not just another commision/sale. G'luck!
I hated to think that a big chunk of his budget went to the Name, even when I gave my fiance the option to have it replicated. But he didn't want to take the chance and he felt good about his decision because Tiffany's was the only place that made us feel at ease (as intimidating as you think they would be), and they put no pressure at all to go with them. They kept encouraging us to go somewhere where we thought our budget and taste would fit best. We must've gone to them a million times before making decisions, and they never acted like they were annoyed.
Now maybe it depended on the SA's we ended up with, but we dealt with multiple SA's every time we went to the specialty engagement ring store, and every time we got an SA that made me feel like we were at a car dealership. So like what other girls said, even if it is a little more, you know you'll receive good quality and customer service with Tiffany's! EVERY single time I walk in there, they're super friendly. We've even been invited to special events and received goodies.
Definitely shop around and do your research, but ultimately go with your gut feeling on what you'll be truly happy with and who will treat you best as a valued customer and not just another commision/sale. G'luck!
Where do you live? What kind of jewelry store options do you have around you? I think if you can go to a jewelry district and get a GIA certified diamond, you can feel pretty confident in the quality you are getting. I would do some research and check out what's around you. I just think while you may be able to trust Tiffany's reputation and quality and I am sure you can find other trustworthy jeweler's and get a whole lot more for your money!
For me, although generally I like to go with brand name, and I appreciate good design, in engagement rings (especially a solitaire) I just think it's all about the stone. So, if you trust the jeweler and you get diamond that is GIA certified, I would go for the custom made.
going to tiffany cuts down the research you will have to do on your own and gives you a peace of mind especially if you don't already have a trusted jeweler. going the custom route means you have to really do your homework, research, and find someone you trust to execute your vision. i guess what i'm saying is that you pay more at tiffany to do less work.
I really have to agree with what has already been said. You can find the same or better stones elsewhere for much less, but it will take some research and a trusted jeweler or online site to accomplish that. Many people would much rather pay for size and quality than name.
On the other hand, the name is very important to other people, and if it is to you then don't compromise on what you really want. Some argue that you don't wear the blue box on your finger while others argue that the settings are never quite the same if they aren't Tiffany. Ultimately, try to look at stones and settings in person and see what calls your name. And don't try to convince yourself that something else is just as good if one in particular sings to you, branded or not.
On the other hand, the name is very important to other people, and if it is to you then don't compromise on what you really want. Some argue that you don't wear the blue box on your finger while others argue that the settings are never quite the same if they aren't Tiffany. Ultimately, try to look at stones and settings in person and see what calls your name. And don't try to convince yourself that something else is just as good if one in particular sings to you, branded or not.
I recently received a tiffany's ring. I absolutely love it. I think it's important to consider things like size etc, but it's also important to look at the setting. I have an emerald cut diamond, and the Tiffany setting is like no other( IMO). My diamond is absolutely beautiful and I would go back to tiffany's again. I had a sa & a manger helping me. I went in several times and they never pressured me. They encourage me to not make a quick decision. They also showed me the company inventory, so I could order the rings that I wanted to see. Good luck with your decision!
Some thoughts:
Would you be willing to buy an estate Tiffany ring? You'll be able to get MUCH more diamond for a lot less (we were originally looking at 1-1.5 carat solitaires at Tiffany but we were able to buy a 2.07 carat three stone with very white H VVS1-2 diamonds for $5k under budget). Tiffany's melted down the original setting and remade it in my size for about $60 and for $200, I sent it to NYC to put in my name/get an insurance valuation which confirms it is authentic. Tiffany's still cleans it for free for me.
Pros for going with a non-branded ring: For a simple design or if you have a general look in mind, you can save some money. I think once you go into branded cuts (Royal Asscher, Hearts on Fire) and designer settings, it becomes not much cheaper. With research on your part, you can find an ideal H & A cut stone online with a wire transfer discount and a simple pre-made setting. Also note that Tiffany rings for the most part are NOT customizable, so if you prefer a four prong round solitaire then going this route may be better for you. One look I really like is an Asscher cut stone side flanked by two trapezoid diamonds. Tiffany doesn't make this style (and a Tiffany custom multi-carat ring would be $$$$), so it would just make sense to go unbranded and save a little.
Pros for going with the Blue Box: Like PPs said, it's very easy. Not every diamond is perfect but you will be sold a high quality diamond. You can buy a trademarked cut like a Lucida and Legacy and get EXACTLY what you want. My stones are round brilliant and the most common compliment I receive is that my ring is the sparkliest ring they've ever seen. I don't have a popular setting, so I'm sure most people wouldn't care or notice that it's T & Co. but it's very apparent that it is a high quality ring.
You can always send it in for misc. repairs and maintenance... Tiffany's will not work on jewelry that is not their own. This is a big perk to me when you don't have too much confidence in various jewelers where you live and don't know who to go to. Branded jewelry holds slightly more value over time.
Would you be willing to buy an estate Tiffany ring? You'll be able to get MUCH more diamond for a lot less (we were originally looking at 1-1.5 carat solitaires at Tiffany but we were able to buy a 2.07 carat three stone with very white H VVS1-2 diamonds for $5k under budget). Tiffany's melted down the original setting and remade it in my size for about $60 and for $200, I sent it to NYC to put in my name/get an insurance valuation which confirms it is authentic. Tiffany's still cleans it for free for me.
Pros for going with a non-branded ring: For a simple design or if you have a general look in mind, you can save some money. I think once you go into branded cuts (Royal Asscher, Hearts on Fire) and designer settings, it becomes not much cheaper. With research on your part, you can find an ideal H & A cut stone online with a wire transfer discount and a simple pre-made setting. Also note that Tiffany rings for the most part are NOT customizable, so if you prefer a four prong round solitaire then going this route may be better for you. One look I really like is an Asscher cut stone side flanked by two trapezoid diamonds. Tiffany doesn't make this style (and a Tiffany custom multi-carat ring would be $$$$), so it would just make sense to go unbranded and save a little.
Pros for going with the Blue Box: Like PPs said, it's very easy. Not every diamond is perfect but you will be sold a high quality diamond. You can buy a trademarked cut like a Lucida and Legacy and get EXACTLY what you want. My stones are round brilliant and the most common compliment I receive is that my ring is the sparkliest ring they've ever seen. I don't have a popular setting, so I'm sure most people wouldn't care or notice that it's T & Co. but it's very apparent that it is a high quality ring.
You can always send it in for misc. repairs and maintenance... Tiffany's will not work on jewelry that is not their own. This is a big perk to me when you don't have too much confidence in various jewelers where you live and don't know who to go to. Branded jewelry holds slightly more value over time.
You bring up a very good point with estate pieces! I LOVE, LOVE estate pieces and a Tiffany's estate piece is always worth it! Like Gimmethebag says, you would probably be getting the brand name for far less than retail and they will still work on it! Best of both of worlds! Then you may not have to compromise quality or size (dependent on what is important to you)!!!
You definitely save money. We found our ring through an auction house/ estate shop out of state. When I asked about the serial number at my local Tiffany's, they were very informative and helpful and said they actually work with a handful of these shops/auctions since it upholds their image as a historically significant brand. The ID number assigned to my ring is pretty old, before they started inscribing the girdles of their diamonds with the matching code.
Since my ring only came with it's original box and no paperwork, we did get a deal on it. FI and I negotiated an extension of the return policy instead of trying to get an even lower price. They extended the policy to include enough time for us to get the ring inspected by the head office in NY for an "insurance valuation". We were very surprised by our savings: we spent $10.9k for the ring and Tiffany valued it at over $25k!!!
We found this ring by accident. I forgot what I was Googling, but I guess I looked at the right website at the right time. We're not too sensitive about "estate" jewelry, since the diamonds are already a million years old. I would have liked to keep the original setting but sizing it down made it not an option. The platinum was used to make a completely NEW setting (I just have an old ID number). It's a green alternative too if that's something you care about.
The shop I bought my ring now has a huge, gorgeous three stone oval T & Co. ring for $16.9k and another high end estate shop, Dover, has a ring the same style/size as mine but Van Cleef & Arpels for $17.9k. You can definitely find high end vintage if you look!