22 replies to this topic

[basgkk]

What is the experts opinion of Tiffany engagements rings?
I love the setting, the prices, however, are 50% higher than on the web and bargaining seems impossible.
Thanks,
Sebastian

[michaelob]

it depends because you are just paying for the Tiffany name. Tiffany buys all of their diamonds just like the other places... raises the prices to carry the "Tiffany" name, but you can get the same stone at other places for much much less.

[japhynmarley]

I've bought diamonds there and am happy about it...beyond the intangibles associated with the blue box in terms of presentation, there is also a matter of ease of shopping...there aren't any sub par diamonds to be had...they don't play games in terms of sales...the sale people have always been patient professional and willing to show me any diamonds in the store, not just the ones that they assume that i can afford...this has not been the case with most other jewelers that i have dealt with...yeah there are better deals out there, but i don't feel like I’m getting ripped off...you have to be willing to pay ofr a total experience and not just a rock...

[trock]

Holy Crap, I just happened to stumble onto this website, and the first post I see is on Tiffany's. Here's my situation, and I can tell you're in the same one I'm in: we found a ring that we love, but it is way overpriced. When I asked if they bargain at all they said no. Is this true?

HEEEEELLLLP!!!!!!!!!!

***Please let me know if anyone else here has been able to talk them down in their prices****

In terms of whether it's worth it in answer to your question I don't know yet, I would like to hear anyone else’s' opinion. In terms of my feelings on the rings they have in store, just look at the quality of everything you see there compared to the rest of the jewelers out there. It was like when you walk in there you can tell there is a different standard of quality. The sales professional was amazing, and I don't have to worry about getting a crappy diamond. I've been all over town and seen the standards that really just fall way short of Tiffany's.

[highfly]

I don't think it's possible to bargain Tiffany down. If I were them, I certainly wouldn't concede to bargaining.

Here's why:

When you walk into Tiffany, everything is of the highest quality possible. The diamonds, the ring, the sales professionals, the counters, the carpeting... everything! That's what the name Tiffany stands for.

Would you consider willingness to "bargain" a sign of a quality establishment? I hardly think so. "Bargaining" tarnishes the Tiffany brand.

It is your choice. If you want to save money, go to the thousands of other vendors, many of them represented on this site, who will give you great quality and service at a great price. If you describe the ring to them, chances are they'll be able to come up something close. But if you want the ultimate brand, be prepared to pay for it!!

My 2c...

Good luck and keep us posted!

[aprilbaby]

Ugh! Tiffany should be reported to the American Civil Liberties Union for unfair treatment of human beings (don't ever wear a baseball cap in there - you'll NEVER get service!)

Seriously, you are paying for the name. You can find a diamond of the same or better quality for much MUCH less online. Tiffany may have the "carpet" and the pretty lights, but pretty lights aren't paying for you diamond - you are - and as long as you do your homework first, you can still get a quality diamond elsewhere with a 30 day money back guarentee.

[iceman]

aprilbaby



You learn fast , I agree.

[nightmare]

think its very mucha case of 'each to their own'

All the points made here, both positive and negative are good ones. Highfly is as always correct - Tiffanys have spent many, many years building a fine jewellery brand - only the best wil do - and it is entirely smart of them to not 'devalue' it in any way...just try getting a discount on a Lamborghini Gallardo or Lotus Exige at the moment!!

That said......you are indeed buying 'the same' as anywhere else in the world and paying a premium for said name - the extra money gurantees nothing beyond the right say 'hah, I can afford tiffanys'. In the UK, Hatton Garden in London (a jewellry area) has exactly the same rep - they charge more for the same stuff...but you get the experience of being 'one of them'

What's important to you in ownership is what's worth spending on. If I wanted a car to go from a to b I could easily own a nice cheap Toyota....I chose to drive something silly, pay a premium and try and justify it to myself in other ways!"

cheers
Night

[J'taimeCartier]

Good post nightmare. I don't think anything has changed in the year + of this thread. The ads on the t.v. quip "He got it at Jarod's!" As if to say he chose the very best for his fiancee. We all feel like we want to get the best, at the best location from the establishment with the best reputation. Those are intangible values. if not intrinsic ones.

When you tell your bride-to-be, "I got it at Union.com!" What does that tell her?
You are shrewd and know the value of a dollar...or you went cheap and made the eagle squeak? In this case, I would just let the beauty of the ring and the moment speak for itself.

[purpleeagle]

I agree with J'taimeCartier. Let the diamond speak for itself. My finance originally wanted me to buy the engagement ring at Jarods. We went there and had a nice experience. He showed us what type of diamond my amount of money would buy. But when we looked at UnionDiamond.com and they told us what stone we could buy for the exact same money, the diamond was of better quality and larger. When she realized that I was shopping at UnionDiamond because I wanted more for my money, and not to spend less. The decision was easy. We bought the better diamond for the same amount and last week we made our 2nd purchase from them.

[sosparkly]

To anyone thinking about buying a diamond at Tiffany's, try this....

First, pay a big, burly male esctort to have his way with you...
Then, go to any other store in the world and buy the same diamond for 50% less.

That way you'll have the same experience as if you bought at Tiffany's...

You'll have a nice diamond... and you'll know you just got fu

Heh heh heh....

/I crack me up.....

[Sir Aurik]

I wouldn't go so far to call Tiffany's a rip-off. The customer service, selection, and quality of all of their jewelry is absolutely top-notch, and their reputation is near second to none.

However, this all comes with a price, which is reflected in the price tag. They're very PROUD of their reputation and quality, and you'll pay for it. I've bought jewelry there before, and I may buy from there again... but I don't plan on buying an engagement ring there.

[Martel5]

I wouldn't go so far to call Tiffany's a rip-off. The customer service, selection, and quality of all of their jewelry is absolutely top-notch, and their reputation is near second to none.

However, this all comes with a price, which is reflected in the price tag. They're very PROUD of their reputation and quality, and you'll pay for it. I've bought jewelry there before, and I may buy from there again... but I don't plan on buying an engagement ring there.

In trying to save some money and get more bang for my buck, I chose to purchase an engagement ring from a so-called reputable jeweler years ago and got a lemon (the jeweler is no longer in business). I now find myself spending 10 times more for a replacement ring from Tiffany's. To me, the expense is well worth the piece of mind and the expression on my wife's face was priceless. A diamond from John Doe Jewelers or Costco does not have the same effect as one from Tiffany's. The experience alone makes it worth the expense.

[glitter girl]

I am a librarian and I think the piece that some of you are not really understanding is how hard it can be to research places.

some people don't care about the name but have no idea how to do the research.

It is very common to tell people to just "go out and do research" but for many subjects - medicine for example - that approach is dangerous. you go to the doctor or you go to a website like webmd or you possibly waste a lot of time "diagnosing" and "mistreating" yourself and other people.

evaluating information correctly is a difficult job and many people are busy and not up to it. I really think the Tiffany thing is not so much snobbishness in many cases as reliability and standardization. although sometimes it is the name.

Tiffanys although they cost a fortune do provide reliability high quality. Jared OTOH - I posted about Jared in the above thread on buying at Jared. I used to buy at Jared a lot until *experience* taught me their quality was low. then I stopped.

many people are just too busy or too distracted with work, raising children, etc. to add another area of research to their lives.

so my suggestion is that if you want to compete, figure out a way to present the information so that it does not require research. such as building a database of satisfied customers which will provide documentation. I think someone here is starting this.

this website is a great help to me btw. I am just saying, you would be surprised at how hard evaluating information is for many people.

other problems with research you may not think of:

some people:


do not like to read or only read on very specific topics (chicklit, man-against-nature nonfiction). they will not venture away from their topics of reading material even when directly relevant to their lives and money saving.

are dyslexic

have ADD/ADHD

shop on impulse, perhaps with mood disorders problems and they go to a store they know about and buy. it's not snobbishness but impulsiveness (which fuels a lot of purchasing behavior btw) and going with the "known quantity".

are illiterate or have low literacy.

are not functional with computers.

never learned to type and they "type" with two fingers so they go to a favorite website or two and that's it.

swore when they got out of school they would never read a book again and they kept that promise and applied it to the online world as well.

there are a lot of practical barriers to research beyond not having the time or capability to understand the information.

Edited by glitter girl, 23 March 2007 - 08:40 AM.

[marcyc]

I visited a Tiffany and Cartier a few months ago. Beautiful jewelry in both stores but certainly not at prices I am willing to pay. The name probably more than doubles the price. A diamond with the best specs in the world won't perform any better if you bought it from Tiffany's or an online diamond broker. I would shop around and find the best deal for what you want. I think as long as you buy from a dealer that offers you a satisfaction guarantee and a lifetime warranty; you'll be able to get the quality you want at a much lower price.

[denverappraiser]

Glitter Girl,

There's a thread in the FAQ section about finding a dealer. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on how a shopper can sensible search out the dealer that's right for them.

Neil

[engagediamonds]

I'm not sure what Tiffany's pricing is like in the States but I know in Toronto, Canada, you can easily expect to shell out 2 to 3 times the amount you'd be charged by a reputable independant store. The diamond with regards to quality can be the same with a GIA or AGS certification so there is a massive premium placed on the consumer for the pretty blue box.

[princessanna]

I love my jewelry from Tiffany's and Cartier! My husband knew he was getting quality and also knew that he could purchase very similar items elsewhere much more cheaply. But he didn't have the time or inclination to go to the diamond districts in NY/Philly/etc. to investigate. He was saving himself time and angst by shopping where the reputation is impeccable and he didn't have to worry about knowing what was under the loupe.
You can't go wrong with these stores. Peace of mind is worth a lot.

I, however, love to go to the diamond districts and look under loupes etc. But I know what I am looking at and I treat it as a great adventure. I have also had to go back a couple of times (one time with a cop) to exchange diamonds- sometimes they switch them as they are putting them into your box!! I have always walked away at the end of the day with what I wanted and paid a lot less for it, but the process was not easy. As I said earlier, it is an adventure and you have to like the thrill of it all, otherwise, just buy it at Tiffany's!
P.S. You can always just buy a ring setting with Tiffany's etched into it at Tiffany's/Cartier and have a loose diamond which you purchased elsewhere for less set into it. That way, your fiance can say "I got if from Tiffany's!!"

[shiningstar412]

There are other places that sell authentic Tiffany and Cartier Jewelry. I purchased a pair of earrings from www.beladora.com. There was a necklace that Tiffany didn't have in stock, and they didn't know when they were getting them. So I scoured the 'net and found it on Beladora. Not to mention all the other great jewelry they had. And the prices were excellent!

[asianhoney]

I'm not sure what Tiffany's pricing is like in the States but I know in Toronto, Canada, you can easily expect to shell out 2 to 3 times the amount you'd be charged by a reputable independant store. The diamond with regards to quality can be the same with a GIA or AGS certification so there is a massive premium placed on the consumer for the pretty blue box.

There are several things you don't take into account when you buy from an independent store:
These parameters include table, crown height, pavilion depth, girdle, culet, and depth, according to Tolkowsky's calculations for maximum brilliance and a recent change in table diameter to 59% (some complicated reading and further details). For my particular solitaire, it has nearly perfect proportions (within 0.10%) as Tolkowsky with the modified 59% table diameter. It literally directs every beam of light exits the top of the stone and sparkles from every angle, even in the shade.

Buying from Tiffany's takes care of that for you, ensuring your diamond is cut for maximum brilliance.
It's not just about the 4C's.. but not many people know that.

Edited by asianhoney, 29 October 2008 - 07:29 PM.