What is so special about Tiffany's diamonds?

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azaelea

Member
Aug 10, 2006
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#1
I'm in the market for an engagement ring right now and I'm just wondering what exactly is so special about Tiffany's diamonds that they can charge such a premium? Aside from the name and being able to say, o my ring is from Tiffany's is there anything that makes their diamonds a truly better product? How does it compare to Zales or the Kay Leo diamond?

Apologies if this topic has come up before.
 
#3
azaelea said:
How does it compare to Zales or the Kay Leo diamond?

Apologies if this topic has come up before.
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I'm new so I haven't explored all the threads...but!

You know about the 4 Cs? Cut, color, clarity, carat?

Ignoring carat weight for a sec, Tiffany's diamonds are supposedly superior in cut, color, and clarity than found in most mall shops like zales or Kay's.

From what I understand, T&Co maintains natural diamonds (no "enhancements") with minimum requirements of color (I) and clarity (VS).

For color grades : D-E-F = colorless; G-H-I =near colorless ... maybe a hint of yellow, but mostly undetectable by the avg person when set in white metals.

For clarity grades (all assuming 10x magnification): FL = flawless; IF = internally flawless, may have negligible flaws difficult to find on surface; VVS = very very slightly included, internal flaws extremely difficult to find; VS = very slightly included, difficult flaws to find.

From VS to F, you will get an "eye-clean" diamond... meaning you w/your naked eyeball will not see any feathering, carbon spots, cracks, etc.

For larger diamonds, clarity grades of SI (slightly included) are acceptable ... and it's possible to find "eye-clean" SI diamonds, but under a jeweler's loupe, inclusions will be easy to spot.

A clarity grade of "I" means the diamond is visibly included & is often refered to as a "commercial grade diamond" (go to the jewelry counter at macy's & you'll see them touting their colorless diamonds...w/a clarity of "I1" or "I2"

Color and clarity are what most girls are concerned about, but if you want to make sure your diamond really really sparkles its also very important to consider your diamonds cut. ... and by "cut" I don't mean its shape, ie round, princess, marquise...

Diamond cuts range from Poor to Ideal/Excellent and include the diamonds polish (think of how nicely a freshly waxed car looks) and symmetry (dont' want a lopsided diamond, right?) and really describe how good of a job the cutter did in matching depth/angles/proportions of the facets to a mathmatical equation proving the best light return in the diamond.

Light goes into your diamond, bounces around the facets, & is reflected back out.... which is what makes diamonds nice and sparkly... the better the cut, the better the sparkly!

I'd recommend a rating of at least a Very Good for polish/symmetry & cut... but that's just me...

And going back to the original question... LOL ...

T&Co supposedly takes the guesswork & footwork out of looking for a nice diamond, as they've got their minimum standards. At stores like Zales, Kays, etc... I'm sure it's possible to get that "special" diamond, but you may have to hunt for higher graded diamonds...
 
#4
As far as I know, places like Zales and Kay's jewelers have pretty low-grade quality diamonds, while Tiffany's offers high-quality diamonds. You could get the same stuff at a private jeweler, just make sure you know your stuff so that you don't get ripped off. The extra tens, hundreds or thousands that you pay extra at T&CO is basically just for the brand name.
 
#5
Anonymous1 said:
As far as I know, places like Zales and Kay's jewelers have pretty low-grade quality diamonds, while Tiffany's offers high-quality diamonds. You could get the same stuff at a private jeweler, just make sure you know your stuff so that you don't get ripped off. The extra tens, hundreds or thousands that you pay extra at T&CO is basically just for the brand name.
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BINGO! You are paying for the name & service at Tiffany's, they also have a very large collection of nice stones because they have the budget to stock those on hand. They cater to those not concerned about paying a premium for the "name". However, you can go to your local jeweler and have him order in a stone of comparable size & clarity for hundreds to thousands less.
 
#6
The answer is absolutely nothing, if you take into account the 4Cs: cut, color, clarity and carat weight.

A 1.0 CT, brilliant cut, J color and VS clarity diamond is the same no matter where it comes from.

Any reputable jeweler will tell you the 4Cs for a stone that you are looking at.

Tiffany, IMHO, has more innovative SETTINGS than Zales










azaelea said:
I'm in the market for an engagement ring right now and I'm just wondering what exactly is so special about Tiffany's diamonds that they can charge such a premium? Aside from the name and being able to say, o my ring is from Tiffany's is there anything that makes their diamonds a truly better product? How does it compare to Zales or the Kay Leo diamond?

Apologies if this topic has come up before.
Click to expand...
 
#7
Tiffany's has different settings styles etc. to offer but a diamond of a certain grade and cut is a diamond of a certain grade and cut regardless of where you purchase it.
 
#9
The settings are beautiful and the rings are beautiful - I just got a Tiffany ring and I absolutely love it. Nothing I've seen compares, partially because I love how the classic Tiffany setting looks so delicate, other rings IMO look rather clunky. And my diamond sparkles like mad! LOVE IT.
 
#10
I'd say that in theory there is nothing that separates a Tiffany diamond from one from Zales...they are both diamonds with the same chemical make-up. That said, I do think that you can find a good quality stone within your budget ANYWHERE! Even the mall stores (but, stick to the good ones). OR you can hunt around for a good jeweler with a great attitude and a willingness to educate ya and see what other options there are!

For myself, I opted for Tiffanys...not because of the quality (even tho it's good!), or the fact that they cut there stones MIGHTY fine (hence the shine). It was because of the story of Tiffany's...it's history and importance to American Gem history that inspired me to get one and I'm very happy with it!

But, I try not to get into these "why Tiffany" debates...you (meaning the shopper) should go after the diamonds that inspire you...from wherever! And one should NEVER knock the ring of the girl next to her! (which no has done in this thread! I'm just sayin' it could be our motto! "Never knock the ring of the girl next to me"! :smile:
 
#11
There's tons of information from the jewellers we have on this board in other threads if you want to know the nitty gritty.

Basically it boils down to this a diamond is a diamond is a diamond. If you go for the 4Cs and do your own research, you'll get a superior quality diamond no matter where you shop. People who say Tiffany's diamonds are "superior" to other diamonds don't know what they're talking about. They all come out of the same ground. The reason Tiffany's is so popular is that all of the leg work is done for you. They only sell high quality diamonds, so by shopping there, you don't really have to do too much extensive research. When you go there, you won't have to sift through less-than-stellar diamonds to find the one you want. They're all going to be really clear and sparkly. However, you pay the price for it.

There's nothing wrong with buying a Tiffany's diamond, just like there's nothing wrong with buying a diamond elsewhere. It all comes down to personal preference.

Good luck with your search!
 
#12
I would buy Tiffanys for their settings, not for the diamond. It is hard for other to duplicate a design to every detail.

If you go to Tiffanys and ask them for the engagement book, (a little book that you can take home), it shows in the the difference between their settings and other poorly made settings. Those were things I didn't look out for until I saw the pictures in the book.

You are not only paying for the name and service, you are also paying for the design, and crasftsmanship of the ring. If their rings are not well made, why would you even think people will pay a premium just for the name?
 
#13
As others have mentioned, you pay for the brand name.

Doing my fair share of ring "browsing" at this point...I will say that I am impressed w/ Tiffanys. Maybe it is the environment within the store that leaves me w/ a better feeling, compared to a Ben Bridge or Zales...

But nonetheless, w/ Tiffany's....you pay for the brand name. ASSUMING that the diamond itself is much like the others, you end up paying more for the settings. Their ring settings are very nice, clean, and defined. The symmetry is excellent.

Tiffany & Co. | A Tiffany Diamond | United States

I've looked at enough of their rings up close to trust what I'm buying.
I will say that I've seen a non-Tiffanys ring where the setting broke...causing a diamond to be misplaced.

At Tiffany's...you end up paying extra because of the pretty lighting used to make their rings sparkle. Don't believe me? Take a close look at the way their stores are designed. No fluorescent lights frequently found in the jewelry section at say...Macys. Their lighting is very precise and carefully thought up based on their room configuration.

And lastly, you pay for their pretty blue boxes and the white ribbon.

I will be purchasing my ring from Tiffanys, as I know the quality is excellent and their reputation is well known. Isn't that why everyone is here on this forum anyway? You believe in paying a bit more for your purses, as their quality is excellent and are going to last?
 
#14
Tiffany's focus is the group of buyers who in the marketing world is known as easily manipulated by advertising campaigns. Doesn't make them bad people, there are other companies that do this same thing. These buyers feel they are getting something others can't offer. Tiffany spends alot of money to create this image & it works.
No you can't compare Tiffany to a mall store. But there are other jewelry makers that can give you tiffany quality on both diamonds & jewelry without the huge markup. In fact there are other companies that will give you better quality, They just don't have the ad budget to market to this easily manipulated group.

BTW - this "easily manipulated by advertising campaigns" is a term that is coined in the marketing world to describe a group of buyers. Just as DINK, etc.
 
#15
Vegas Long Legs said:
Tiffany's focus is the group of buyers who in the marketing world is known as easily manipulated by advertising campaigns. Doesn't make them bad people, there are other companies that do this same thing. These buyers feel they are getting something others can't offer. Tiffany spends alot of money to create this image & it works.
No you can't compare Tiffany to a mall store. But there are other jewelry makers that can give you tiffany quality on both diamonds & jewelry without the huge markup. In fact there are other companies that will give you better quality, They just don't have the ad budget to market to this easily manipulated group.

BTW - this "easily manipulated by advertising campaigns" is a term that is coined in the marketing world to describe a group of buyers. Just as DINK, etc.
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OT: One of my roomies in college was a marketing major and I learned so much about advertising campaigns from her. It really opens your eyes when you watch commercials & read magazines. It's amazing how much we can be manipulated without even realizing it.

In Georgia (where we went to college) the #1 diamond store was a cheapo one because of the commercials. The voice was soft & soothing, and spoke in a friendly voice. The majority of people who shopped at this particular store went there because of the commercials, they felt too intimidate by upscale stores. The shoppers reported feeling like they were buying from a friend rather than a corporation.

To me it was amazing how something so simple could make such a big difference.
 
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