Anybody ever bought a Tiffany diamond ring before?

[derekrodneysim]

Need a crapload of advice from you guys. Basically need to know anything and everything about getting a ring from them and what to look out for.

I basically have the ring picked out from the website and now it's just the matter of carat size (if it's available) and how much should I have before I walk into the shop without making a fool out of myself.

Thanks in advance, guys!

[Underdog07]

Tiffany's premium. A stone/ring there will cost upwards of 30% over market price. Figure out your limit nc stick to it as they will try to upsell and -- shockingly -- the more you spend the bigger and nicer the ring.

I haven't done this since 2001 but the keys were cut 1st, color, clarity and then Carat as the nicer cut/color rings appear larger (if that makes sense). Make sure you get a certified stone. The. Have an appraiser confirm you got the stone you paid for. Then get it insured.

[PureInvasion]

When I was engagement ring shopping, my wife was set on a 'Tiffany' ring. Needless to say, we went into the shop and I was shocked at their prices.

I told my wife to let me look around a bit on my own before we committed. Went on a site in the US and ended up buying the exact same diamond with a platinum band for 6k less than I would have paid in Tiffany.

If you don't 100% need the name for that ring, look around and get a better bang for your buck. Just my $0.02.

In terms of actual diamond shopping though, it takes a ton of research before knowing what to look for and what they are worth. I think I was researching for 2-3 months about diamonds prior to making any purchase. By the time I walked into another local store (Spence Diamonds), I was able to know the bs lines that the sales reps were feeding me giving me more knowledge and knowing when to walk away.

I can't really say 'have this much money for this sized diamond' as every economy is different. If you thinking it's a solid deal then go for it. There is always another place to buy from though.

[Underdog07]

I agree with what PureInvasion says. I spent months .ooming. Ended up buying a stone from a dealer on the West Coast and it turned out the stone was actually physically located 5 blocks from my office in NYC. I ended up getting what I think was a good deal and it was well below the price of a Tiffany ring.

Being in NYC, my wife's ring was average to small. We moved to NC in August and within the 1st month, one of her co-workers approached her to say " your ring is obnoxious and inappropriatly large".

[Y3E]

know your 4 Cs, carat, color, cut and clarity

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Save yourself a boatload.


Stay single.

[ambasah]

lol, I think I spent 3 months researching the ring to get my gf at the time. We went window shopping to get a sense of the "cut" she liked (she went with princess) and the rest was up to me.

stay away from any retail jewelry store if you can, especially ripoffs like Tiffany. You are paying a 20% markup for a blue box. You could use that money to get a larger and better quality diamond.

Your best bet is to find a wholesale diamond jeweler in your area if possible. Also make sure your diamond is "certified" and if you can, "bloodless". There is a nasty side to the diamond market and you would be shocked at what goes on in places like Africa, so try to get a diamond that is not involved in any of that...

This site has lots of info:

http://www.bluenile.com/ca/diamonds?click_id=672559054

[Sharkey]

In addition to what others have said above, keep in your budget and do not let the sales person badger you into getting something far higher than you were intending to pay. I got engaged a year and half ago, and the person was feeding me all sorts of BS lines about how much I 'should' spend on a ring. There are plenty of great rings for ~1k and some slightly less even.

The whole market for them is a sham that has been inflated by their own industry (as diamonds are actually very plentiful and easy to construct).

Your lady will love almost any ring you present her with so don't overthink it and just go with your gut on it.

Congrats on the future engagement!!

[derekrodneysim]

Thanks for all the input, gents! Really appreciate it and I can just tell you guys are looking out for my welfare with all the sound advice. (I think Keith has the best economical solution )

I guess I'm pretty much SOL in the ring-option department having met a girl who has always dreamt of a T&Co engagement ring. Girls.. go figure I just have no idea how much I need to prep before being able to walk into the store.

I've read a fair bit about the equivalent (some even way better) for way less than a Tiffany stone. Trust me, I'm fully with you guys on that But ambasah brought up a great point about the blood diamonds.

Thanks, everyone! Keep more comments coming. Good Lord knows I need lots of advice.

God bless you guys!

[VaultMan]

Originally Posted by derekrodneysim

Thanks for all the input, gents! Really appreciate it and I can just tell you guys are looking out for my welfare with all the sound advice. (I think Keith has the best economical solution )

I guess I'm pretty much SOL in the ring-option department having met a girl who has always dreamt of a T&Co engagement ring. Girls.. go figure I just have no idea how much I need to prep before being able to walk into the store.

I've read a fair bit about the equivalent (some even way better) for way less than a Tiffany stone. Trust me, I'm fully with you guys on that But ambasah brought up a great point about the blood diamonds.

Thanks, everyone! Keep more comments coming. Good Lord knows I need lots of advice.

God bless you guys!

Good advice from the crew! Nothing to add!

You can get a great diamond, cheaper, NYC, diamond district...

Approach this with wisdom - your girl should be more about the ring than with Tiffany's...get a great ring, and get something cheaper from Tiffany's so she can say she got a turquoise box