Tiffany & Co - which store?

[Pushka]

That is just beautiful. Green. And quite 'Tiffanyesque'. Without the blue box.

 

[drron]

I would go with the majority opinion.Much better bang for your buck if it is not a Tiffany diamond.
The most important thing for your son to do is to read up on Diamond quality.
Then study the way that quality can be guaranteed-a certificate is essential if you really want to be sure and for 50K I would want to be sure.
When mrsdrron had her engagement ring upgraded we got the diamond from a Singaporean diamond merchant,not a jeweller.She got way more diamond for far less than we were prepared to pay.And it came with a GIA certificate.

 

[puppysparkes]

Calling all diamond ring aficionados............elder son is taking the plunge and knows his GF wants a Tiffany & Co engagement ring so has turned to me for suggestions on where to buy. But I do know my limitations so maybe a knowledgeable AFFer can help? Surely some of you ladies have the inside info !!

He travels extensively so he is flexible as to where to buy.

I thought one of their stores in Dubai might be best value but our only experience is with their NY store (prices we saw there a few months ago seemed expensive even for what we normally expect at Tiffany). They apparently also have a store in Bangkok now too.
Do Tiffany's prices vary much from city to city or are they standardised once exchange rates are factored in? Budget approx 50K.

In Australia the prices between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne stores are no different.

 

[blackcat20]

Those rings are gorgeous.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

.......................................................
(though IMHO, once you get up to about 2ct I think it starts to look too big).................................

Quelle horreur !!!! Wash your mouth out with soap ! :shock:

 

[coriander]

Late to the thread: When I was young and single, an engagement ring benchmark price was about one month's salary. I guess things have changed? I remember looking for e-rings at Paul Bram in MEL, then eventually finding a beautiful diamond at one of the diamond companies, later valued at three times what I paid for it. The ring must've worked - I'm into year 27 of a lifetime sentence !

 

[ellen10]

Well I wish I knew all this information last year when we were in Dubai.

Just showed husband and he said we are not going back to Dubai (sad face) and I haven't even upgraded my engagement ring after 36 years of marriage!

 

[Mark3000]

How about Canturi?
We found them much better value than Tiffany and in our opinion, much nicer

 

[Pushka]

Well I wish I knew all this information last year when we were in Dubai.

Just showed husband and he said we are not going back to Dubai (sad face) and I haven't even upgraded my engagement ring after 36 years of marriage!

Same here. Still the original. We are on 37 years. But we are going back to Dubai and I love robd's rings....

 

[Timtammi]

When Mr Timtammi and I got engaged 13 years ago we decided we were going to have the best ring that we could afford and we wanted the best possible value for that spend. We ended up spending quite some time researching and learning about diamonds and then ordering one from a diamond merchant that mainly dealt in wholesale only. This meant we ordered the diamond on spec alone, sight unseen and he brought it in with his regular shipments from an twerp . I will never forget going in to see that diamond when it arrived, it was so exciting and so unbelievably gorgeous and we got to look at it with all the diamond inspection equipment he had. The deal was, if we didn't like it fir any reason we didn't have to take it so there was no real risk and no retail markups either. We bought the diamond and then had a very good jeweller make a hand made setting of my own design and we chose 2 sidestones to compliment it. I still think it's a stunning ring and it was valued at the time at 3 times what we paid. That experience may not be for everyone but it's significant investment and it pays to go in with your eyes open.

 

[hummel]

FWIW I didn't spend anywhere near the amount when I proposed. ~$5k

However, I purchased it online through JamesAllen. It was Tiffany styled, thin band, 6 claw etc but the diamond was pretty good quality. Since had it valued around the $14k mark.

The equivalent at T & Co was $20k.

I think the location of the proposal is much much more important than where the ring was purchased, but each to their own!

 

[cove]

Just had a look at Tiffany (TIF ) on CNBC and if your deal is at the average gross margin a $50,000 jewellery purchase would give Tiffany a profit on the sale of $32,000. I used the January,2015 numbers off their income statement.
I chuckled when Plant suggested eBay for the box purchase but he is on the mark as it turns out.
Perhaps Costco.com might get you about $44,000 of true value rather than $18,000 as they tend to run on about cost plus 15% and sometimes less.
The insurance value has nothing to do with true cost so never be mesmerized by that valuation.

 

[Lu-Lu]

Ok - I too wanted the whole Tiffany experience.... So we went into Tiffany in New York (were living in NY at the time). Looked around - tried everything on, got amazing service, ummed and arghed for about an hour and soaked up the atmosphere. So much fun!!! Then, after I chose the Tiffany setting I wanted walked to the diamond district and met with a friend of a friend (contact my husband had) and explained to him what setting I liked - he showed me a photo of exact ring. Gave me various prices/size/clarity etc and I chose what I wanted. This was 20 years ago and What would have cost $20k in Tiffany we got for just under half!!! Would NEVER buy diamonds from Tiffany. I have since 'upgraded' (much to my husbands dismay) and stayed far away from Tiffany.

as and aside, my brother lives in Bangkok and when he comes to Australia buys from Tiffany here - says its horrifically expensive there.

goodluck and enjoy

 

[diningdecadence]

went through this process in January of this year - luckily the future mrs didn't like the settings Tiffany offered!

went through word of mouth to a jeweller in the dymocks building in Sydney CBD - lovely chap. got his contact to purchase a stone from Amsterdam when the dollar was still around 85c and got a 1.75 carat for about half the budget of the OP.

that being said - if its the lady's dream, and the budget stretches that far, it's a cheap investment for what is hopefully a lifetime of shared experiences

 

[amaroo]

lol I got a really good one! After living together for years prior to doing the thing ... I was instructed not to buy an engagement ring :mrgreen: Last year I tried to get her one in HKG (20th) however, the lady's not for turning - this one really likes her holidays. I'll even admit we had a backyard wedding, IIRC the honeymoon at Bederra Is cost at least 3x more than the wedding

 

[flying_double]

If you go to the Tiffany website, you can change the geographic location to get pricing for a given ring in different countries. This will give you a guide as to where you may want to buy the ring if you decide that T&Co is your preferred supplier. The final price will depend on the actual specifications of the diamond. Also note that within certain regions (eg the USA) the price can vary by state due to the difference in state sales tax that is applied.

If you are going to buy the ring overseas, I suggest you get in touch with a sales rep at the specific store ahead of time with the details of the type of ring you're interested in (an initial phone call and then follow up emails worked for me). Different stores may have different specifications for the diamond etc so if you tell them your preferences and range, they can arrange to have a few options available when you go in-store for a viewing and/or the purchase.

Shop to your style and your budget, and you definitely won't be disappointed with a T&Co ring. But more importantly, she won't be either, particularly if it's a $50k sparkler!

 

[Winston1]

I find it interesting to observe what different people value in an engagement ring. Some just want the absolute biggest. Others want best bang for buck.
Thanfully for me, I could get a glass rock set into a silver band and my partner would cherish it for life. I think for her she's more into the sentiment and romance & that's why she'd love a Tiffany ring.
I personally wouldn't care how much a ring was insured for so long as it could be replaced like for like if it were ever stolen/lost.

 

[k_sheep]

Eep. The Mr and I have been living together for over 10 years now. We're starting to think about maybe getting married because his Grandma wants us to. So I think we'll skip the whole "engagement" thing and get nice wedding rings. But what I'd rather do is get a nice piece of ... something ... that we find ourselves and get it put in a nice setting. Like shell, or wood, or something like that. Not into the whole "gems" thing.

Not even sure if that's doable, but I'll keep an eye out

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Eep. The Mr and I have been living together for over 10 years now. We're starting to think about maybe getting married because his Grandma wants us to. So I think we'll skip the whole "engagement" thing and get nice wedding rings. But what I'd rather do is get a nice piece of ... something ... that we find ourselves and get it put in a nice setting. Like shell, or wood, or something like that. Not into the whole "gems" thing.

Not even sure if that's doable, but I'll keep an eye out

Maybe not this !

 

[robd]

Maybe not this !

Eeeek. Only if you have a screw loose or you're a nut