Tiffany Soleste Yellow Diamond-Which Yellow would you Choose?

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topglamchic

topglamchic

O.G.
Dec 7, 2008
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#1
I originally posted in the Tiffany's thread (mods please feel free to delete or move if appropriate)

Hello, jewelry enthusiasts please help. I am not a jewelry aficionado however, I have fallen in love with the Tiffany Soleste Oval Yellow Diamond Ring. This will be my only ring and I will wear it on my index finger.

I am in need of assistance in choosing between Fancy Yellow and Fancy Intense Yellow. So for approximately a 0.57 caret oval soleste ring a Fancy Intense is 3-4k more than Fancy Yellow (cut, clarity all the same). Should I stay with the FY or the FIY?


The Tiffany manager advised “the FY at 10k is a better buy as it’s unusual to find a yellow diamond in this price range and you can always upgrade later. You won’t look at the diamond and wish it were an FIY. You are young leave room to upgrade.” It was a sweet assessment from the manager.

I am in new and exciting territory here with yellow diamonds. Any suggestions?

Thank you!
 
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#3
A bottle of Red said:
Leaving the idea of an upgrade aside , because I assume you want to enjoy the ring now, which one do you prefer? Fiy is usually a darker or more vibrant yellow.
They're considered more rare , hence the higher price tag, but not everyone likes or wants a darker yellow stone.
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Well, when posing the question this way...I would say....I do prefer the more vibrant yellow but the price tag of the lighter yellow hahaha!!!

The halo effect with diamonds I think (and I could be wrong) makes the FY even lighter due to the sparkle of the diamonds surrounding it.
 
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#4
It's a balance of head and heart.

That was very sweet of the SA to say that, but it could also be that was placing his money on the surer bet in case you decided to to walk away with neither (sorry to be cynical - he absolutely could have been genuine and talking from experience).

In terms of GIA gradings only the one that states 'fancy' is considered a yellow diamond, a fancy intense yellow diamond is pretty rare, but not impossible in the yellow range - so you could upgrade later. If you're buying for investment go as vivid as you can, prices go up by percentages and jumps, and these rarer examples are not going to get cheaper - not at Tiffany anyway.

I think you will look stunning with the brightest yellow for sure, but you will look beautiful with anything from the 'fancy' range. Since it'll be your one and only ring (at least for a while) and you'll be wearing it all the time, just makes sure it's the one you like best.
 
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#7
papertiger said:
It's a balance of head and heart.

That was very sweet of the SA to say that, but it could also be that was placing his money on the surer bet in case you decided to to walk away with neither (sorry to be cynical - he absolutely could have been genuine and talking from experience).

In terms of GIA gradings only the one that states 'fancy' is considered a yellow diamond, a fancy intense yellow diamond is pretty rare, but not impossible in the yellow range - so you could upgrade later. If you're buying for investment go as vivid as you can, prices go up by percentages and jumps, and these rarer examples are not going to get cheaper - not at Tiffany anyway.

I think you will look stunning with the brightest yellow for sure, but you will look beautiful with anything from the 'fancy' range. Since it'll be your one and only ring (at least for a while) and you'll be wearing it all the time, just makes sure it's the one you like best.
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Thank you @papertiger I am trying to remember that he is a store manager and is likely wanting to make a sale. It is like 50% genuine and 50% salesman speak. I do think you are correct it needs to be the one "I like the best" especially as I had never had the intention of "upgrading" or selling. I didn't even know it was an option until he mentioned it. My intent has been solely to gift this special piece to myself.
A bottle of Red said:
I totally get your feelings, I think you should take your time , maybe try it on again (and of course show us pictures lol) .
I find the comment a bit odd from the Sa, not everyone plans to upgrade
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@A bottle of Red thank you for your words. I never thought of upgrading until he mentioned it and honestly I don't want to consider it as an option. I should just enjoy the item without endeavoring for more.
Bag*Snob said:
Do you have any pics of the two stones?
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This is the issue. I have only tried on FIY in the setting that I love (as pictured above). I have seen the FY on a different ring (yellow gold ring). To make a true comparison one needs to have the FIY and FY in the exact same setting. However, the FIY that I have pictured is the comparable caret weight (0.57) that I would get if I chose the FY.

I have called Tiffany's and their customer service will help with a virtual appointment so that I can see both side by side.

IMG_6291.jpg
 
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#10
Without getting too deep in the weeds, yellow diamonds are usually categorized as

Fancy Yellow
Fancy Intense Yellow
Fancy Vivid Yellow
Fancy Deep Yellow
Fancy Dark Yellow

Only the first three are really yellow - after that they get brown or orange.
Fancy Vivid is the most prized (except a really good orange) but they are VERY expensive. And Tiffany doubled their prices on yellows last year. Unfortunately the prices seem to be going nowhere but up (although they are affected rn by Russian supply chain not being available).

Do you know the grading of the Fancy Yellow? Is it a letter grade, ie X/Y/Z?

FWIW the Fancy Intense you showed us is gorgeous and looks quite yellow. There is a wide range in all grades and if you are going to pay a premium, you want the deepest yellow you can find in that grade.

All that said, it is a gift to yourself!! So choose what you love the most. IIRC, if you ever do "upgrade"* you can "trade in" a Tiffany ring for an upgrade at the price you paid BUT I think you have to be upgrading to 2x the price (so, upgrading a $5k ring gets you $5k credit but ONLY for a $10k and up ring).

*I don't like the word "upgrade", because all diamonds are beautiful and bigger is not necessarily better!
 
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