Tiffany vs. Cartier- why do you favor one over the other?

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#76
Only the silver jewelry is accessible, which plays into their history of being a gift shop. You can also buy silver housewares and flatware. Given the price of a place setting of silver, a full twelve place setting set would also not be considered accessible for most.

The diamond jewelry, is NOT as common. I don't think it's fair to compare sterling necklaces intended for "gifts" to diamond and platinum necklaces at Cartier. You have to compare Tiffany's fine jewelry to Cartier's, in which Cartier is slightly more expensive and the style of designs differ greatly.

I prefer the cleaner, modern and more American style of Tiffany. I want a love bracelet from Cartier, but other than that I think their designs are a little too traditional for my tastes.
 
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#77
Both Tiffany and Cartier but for different items.
My engagement ring and band were created by Cartier...I purchased my husnabds wedding bang from Tiffany.
I love my tiffany gold charm bracelet.

For diamonds, Cartier is THE place. Many people don't realize that unlike Tiffany & Co, Cartier does all of their work "in house". Tiffany & Co. is NOT in house. I feel that while the marketing implies that nothing compares to a Tiffany diamond, Cartier has a much higher standard in this area. Cartier is more exclusive....Tiffany more affordable with a broader reach.
 
#78
If you can get past crappy customer service and after-market repairs which never happen in a timely fashion (personally, Cartier is much worse than Tiffany! But both are irritations.) - you have to judge jewelry by it's designs.

Aldo Cipullo (RIP) is no longer designing for Cartier, but Frank Gehry and Elsa Peretti are still making new collections. Because I prefer modern designs, I prefer Tiffany.


Every time I hear the "exclusivity" argument, I get annoyed. Tiffany had the Avon years, Cartier had the 60s. Hello, cheap but expensive gold plate jewelry!
Every time I see the modern version of the LOVE bracelet, it reminds me of the 1970s Revson gold-plate piece. That, and the $500 Charity bracelets (which have experienced some dramatic price hikes) have worn a lot of the "exclusivity" off of Cartier.

That being said, I wouldn't turn down a single piece of 1910-1940 Cartier, or some of the original Aldo Cipullo designs - spike, nail, chastity belt love...
 
#79
AntiqueShopper said:
I am just curious why people lean towards certain brands. Is there a history behind the brand that the buyer finds intriguing? Is there a childhood story of shopping in the store? Do the pieces just make your heart beat faster?

For me, I am a Tiffany girl. I have always been a Tiffany girl, and probably will always be a Tiffany girl. Although Cartier has its appeal (I do have a panthere stainless steel watch), Tiffany is where my heart is.

I have a many reasons why I enjoy Tiffany. First off, I like the history behind the store. The fact that it started off as a personal business luxury stationary store and turned into a huge business is interesting to me. I feel this business exemplifies the American Dream. Second, I have many memories of going to the 5th Avenue store. Although my mom never bought anything from the store, my family would go in and look at all of the beautiful pieces. It was my favorite store to visit as a child, and it still is today. Finally, I like the fact that many people can have a piece from this store. To me, the fact that someone can buy a small piece of silver for $100 does not take away from the exclusive pieces. It just allows people who could not afford their dream piece to walk out of the store still feeling special when they carry their blue bag out the door.

So, why do you choose your store of choice?
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There are def more things I want from tiffany than from cartier, except right now I am crazy a couple of pieces from cartier. I want a love bangle and a BB balloon bleu watch. Otherwise I love their statement completely out of budget jewelry. I like that tiffany has many different designs. And its not all stereotypcally tiffany.
 
#80
Aside from Tiffany for diamonds my perception of them is not so much a luxury brand, they seem pretty mainstream to me bec. of their silver line. When I think of Cartier I feel it is much more luxurious and impressive. I have two Cartier watches on my wish list and can't wait until I can get them. I'm not really into designer jewelery for myself, it's not something I crave. I just like fine jewelry in general by any designer. If I had the option of buying jewelry from a design house I'd probably pick Bvlgari.
 
#81
To be honest here, I'm kind of sick of both of them!

With Cartier, the gold feels nice. I like the classic designs and I love the weight of my Cartier pieces.

I cannot stand the snobby horrible service at Cartier. I have had nothing but poor service and ineptitude from sales to repairs; in all facets, they seem to be thoroughly inept.

With Tiffany, the pieces are lighter weight and horribly overpriced. There are quality issues. However, the service is fantastic. I have had nothing but prompt, professional and knowledgeable service and repairs from Tiffany.

That said, I've been getting custom pieces made from a local jeweler. I get what I want, the service and quality are better, and no one has them. Better value, too.
 
#82
I don't have anything from Cartier but have many Tiffany pieces including an engagement ring. I certainly would love a few pieces from Cartier as well but I'm not into all of their styles. I do agree that many Tiffany pieces can be seen on a lot of teenagers but what I've noticed is when I am in a store and see a teenager looking at a silver piece, more often than not, a parent is with them to purchase it. Which means, the jewelry isn't so cheap that any teenager can just get one on their own. They still need an adult or someone with disposable income to buy it for them. Mind you I understand Cartier is so expensive that you can't just get your teenage daughter a bracelet from there but my point is I think a Tiffany piece still holds a certain degree of prestige.

Some people like to own and wear things that are more rare whereas some people don't mind if every other neighbour down their street has a bean necklace.

When people receive gifts from Tiffany, it's still considered a pretty high end gift. Their silver jewelry just allows tiffany to target another group of consumers too.

I guess I lean towards Tiffany more because their pieces appear "cuter" to me but this doesn't mean I would turn down a Cartier piece in the same price range. Tiffany blue (turquoisy colour) is also my favourite colour so that might be why the scales tip that way =)
 
#83
I like pieces from both, but Tiffany by far. I start wearing their sliver necklaces since I was in high school. Nw that I'm older, still prefer tiffany's! Cartier is prestigious, sure, but I cannot spend more than 5 min in the shop... I don't have lot of interest..
 
#86
texasgirliegirl said:
Both Tiffany and Cartier but for different items.
My engagement ring and band were created by Cartier...I purchased my husnabds wedding bang from Tiffany.
I love my tiffany gold charm bracelet.

For diamonds, Cartier is THE place. Many people don't realize that unlike Tiffany & Co, Cartier does all of their work "in house". Tiffany & Co. is NOT in house. I feel that while the marketing implies that nothing compares to a Tiffany diamond, Cartier has a much higher standard in this area. Cartier is more exclusive....Tiffany more affordable with a broader reach.
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I share the same view! I was divided between Tiffany Classic Setting and Cartier 1985. I chose Tiffany because the diamond of the same carat (2ct+) looked bigger and more sparkly in 6-prong, higher classic setting. But if I purchase more than 3 carats in the futuer, I will choose Cartier diamond in the lower 4-prong setting. Perhaps, people who buy Cartier diamods are not fussy about their specs because they believe in Cartier's selection. I want to choose the one I like best without knowing/paying attention to the specs. In that case, Cartier is the place (IMO)!;)
 
#88
einseine said:
I'm totally like you! Design wise, I normally prefer tiffany's. But, I love Love Bracelet and Cartier watches.:D
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Me too!

I also found this interesting, my BFF loves Cartier, likes tiffs too but loves Cartier alot more!!! She also is a bit more conservative. She loves pearls (I love it, but I won't start wearing them till I'm 60, I look too mature with them). While I'm more simple and modern, aside from love series and my panther watch, I really don't have alot of love for Cartier.
 
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#90
For all the wedding rings I've seen, mum's Cartier trinity ring was the most simple and practical choice. (Engagement ring is nicer in Tiffany's classic 6-prong setting, but I don't find the diamond ring as versatile as the trinity ring.) Also, when I was searching for a gift to dad, Cartier had some really lovely purses.

However, I think that Tiffany's small jewelleries are generally more versatile and suit daily needs. I have a rose gold mini lock, and it suits with everything - cute with T-shirts, elegant with formal clothes and feminine with dresses! Also, love the designers Elsa Peretti and (sometimes) Paloma Picasso.

And lastly - Cartier's honestly a bit too much for my age! Tiffany definitely, for anyone in early 20s. However, I might fall in love with Cartier sometime in the future! :)
 
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