Anyone have experience of buying e-ring at Tiffanys?

[shoeaddict83]

As above really! Am lucky enough that my amazing DP has said when we go to Vegas next month he will be taking me to Tiffanys at the Bellagio to pick out my engagement ring! Am unbelievably excited, its always been a dream for me to do this which he knows but never thought it would happen! Hes already been in contact with the store and they are pulling in rings from other stores in the US to fit with his budget and the rings i like so its just a case of waiting until we go now.
Have done lots of research of Tiffany rings - and yes before its mentioned i do realise you pay for the name, but were happy with that. I might try them on and decide i dont like any of them anyway (hoping not though!!)
Anyway wondering if any of you MNers have had experience buying from Tiffanys, and which rings you went for?
I Know the only go down to an I clarity, can you see a considerable difference in the colour of the stones?
Did you get insurance in the UK and if so did you need to get a valuation cert done here in GBP, as i know Tiffany issue one but its going to be in USD isnt it?

thanks in advance

[Bananajam]

Probably not the experience you're looking for but anyway... We went to Tiffany's in NYC the day after we got engaged. DH spoke to the sales assistant and gave her our budget, I wandered round looking at the enormous diamonds and then was presented with several I could choose from. My engagement ring has a small diamond and narrow band with the wedding ring to match, it suits me and I love it. No idea of the cost, or if it's insured but I do know we have the documentation in a file somewhere.

The experience was amazing and they were lovely throughout including tying ribbon around the empty box as I wanted to walk out wearing my ring.

I got it 8 years ago and it looks as good now as it did when we collected it. People comment on how pretty it is and how it catches the light.

Good luck and I hope your experience is as good as mine.

[shoeaddict83]

banana thankyou for the reply! I just wanted to hear different experiences and yours sounds wonderful!
To be honest the dealings we have had by email have been brilliant, we were appointed a diamond specialist straight away and shes responded within a day each time. The fact they are getting rings from all over the US to fit our specs so i have lots to try is more than i expected, the budget we have is not big by any means, although it is more than i ever hoped to get, but i know in comparison to the 'usual' Tiffany customer we are probably right at the bottom so i guess i sort of expected to be dismissed a little or not treated as important as soon as we said our price range, but its been amazing!
Just cant wait to try them on now!
Are you in the UK? Just wondering if you had any issues coming back as i know your 'meant' to declare customs duty over £390.....! (not saying were not going to of course... !)
I love the fact i get lifetime warranty and cleaning with it too so everytime im in London i can pop in to get it sparkly new again :)

[Bananajam]

Yes I'm in the UK - it never crossed my mind not to walk through the green zone and no one said a word!

Tiffany's staff were very helpful, perfect customer service from start to finish, I never felt like I wasn't spending enough. However, I didn't really have time to get nervous or consider it beforehand but I've met far more patronising, snooty staff elsewhere both in the UK and abroad! I'm sure you'll enjoy every minute and I definitely think you'll find something you like!

[Welshcake77]

I have a Tiffany E-ring, but didn't pick it myself so can't comment on that side of things. Just wanted to agree with pp, the service is exceptional, my then DP found the ring he wanted for me but they didn't have the right size in stock to fit his budget, they checked global stocks and had it shipped in from a store in Australia. I get it serviced once a year and although it's a shame to be with it for a week or so, definitely worth it!

I'm sure it'll be a really special experience, have fun and make sure you come back and tell us all about it!

[shoeaddict83]

i never thought about it until i read it on a thread about buying rings in the US, but ive bought back expensive shoes etc before over the limit and never even thought about it tbh and wasn't stopped, so naughtily perhaps going to take the chance!!
Thankyou :) DP is very nervous about picking wrong thing hence wanting me to choose it with him (hes not good at decisions bless him!) so excited to be able to do it together! Hopefully be able to update in a month with a sparkly new diamond!!

[Lululooselips]

Not a Tiffany experience but with diamond colour - if you're going for yellow gold then likes of an I colour diamond will look white against it but in a white metal band the yellow can be obvious. You'll see a difference between the stones when they're together but once the ring is on your hand most people can't tell.
Another trick with 'coloured' stones is to get an I coloured stone with faint - medium blue fluorescence as it will make it appear whiter.

[shoeaddict83]

welshcake thanks! I hope to have the same experience as you both, and as i said the service before weve even set foot in the store has been brilliant so hoping it continues through the purchase!
I was concerned about sizes when i saw they only stock Uk size M (im a J) and can take 2 weeks to be sent off to re-size, but checked with our helpful contact there and they have a re-sizer on site at the Bellagio store so she said it can be done in a business day thankfully!

[shoeaddict83]

lulu it'll be a platinum band, actually dont think ive seen many other metal options on the tiffany site?? i dont like yellow gold personally so will be that or White gold anyway. Hoping as I is almost clear it wont look at all yellow anyway if that is the stone grade i end up with, it does say all stones are colourless or near colourless at Tiffany so hoping to the 'untrained eye' it wouldnt be obvious if we went for their lower stones??

[rubybleu]

If the stone is well cut then an 'I' won't look yellow in either white or yellow gold when viewed from the top. I is viewed as 'near colourless'

In terms of clarity, you are fine to go down to SI1 (inclusions noticeable at 10x magnification). You don't want an I - that's very poor clarity and can affect how well it sparkles.

The main thing with a diamond is to buy the best cut you can afford. A really well cut diamond will sparkle like mad and look much bigger than it actually is.

I think Tiffanys is a massive waste of money, but we did pop in to the NYC store for a look & glass of bubbles which was lots and lots of fun, before buying my ring (HCA 1.3, G colour, VS2 clarity) for 1/3 of the price in the diamond district.

[shoeaddict83]

Ruby, as I said in my post I know people have opinions on Tiffany being a waste and paying for brand but I personally am very excited about looking at Tiffany rings hence the post! Tbh I don't want anything near a carat as I have tiny fingers and I don't want anything that looks too big or sits too high that can catch so a small more discrete diamond/setting suits me fine. I'm hoping I find something that fits the bill at tiffanys but of not we'll look elsewhere. When I spoke to the specialist she did say if I'm going smaller then the better cut will showcase it more, so we shall see!

[MrsMillions]

My e-ring came from Tiffanys in Paris, also chosen together - the day after DH proposed. Yes we could have got a bigger diamond for the money elsewhere but the service was wonderful and it all felt so special. Like PP I wore the ring from the shop but they still tied a ribbon round the box and gave me a gift bag, which added to my giddy excitement. We've subsequently bought my w-ring from the Bond Street branch and eternity ring in Manchester (concession in Selfridges), some silver jewellery in Manchester and online. Always excellent service. I lost an earring back to some earrings I had as a first anniversary present and had no problems getting a replacement at the Boston store on holiday.

If you're after a wedding present idea for your future DH, their cuff links are rather nice, and would tie in nicely with your engagement.

[rubybleu]

When I say 1/3 I mean we we looking at a hefty mid five digit sum in Tiffanys - it was a very substantial difference! And honestly, a good jeweller is fascinating to deal with. If you are looking at < one carat then the discrepancy won't be quite so offputting.

Cut is definitely quite important. I have a friend with an 0.5-0.8 ish solitaire that appears to be extemely well cut & it's my favourite ring apart from mine because it's so sparkly.

As you say, don't let yourself get talked into an American high setting (higher settings make the stone look larger) - I have quite a big centre stone in a trilogy arrangement and it is very low profile & never catches.

[peggyundercrackers]

I got my engagement ring in NYC, as someone else said give them a price and they do and do the looking for you, they also looked through rings which weren't on show in a counter. I picked the one I wanted however it needed resizing but it was done for next day pickup. I don't know if that's just because we were in NY or if it's common in other stores. After about 2 weeks they send you s folder with lots of information and an insurance valuation, adding it to the insurance is just a call.

In the shop standing next to us there was a really young Chinese couple looking at rings - there price band was $25-$30k. There was another woman round the other side of us and she had just bought a ring for $125k needless to say my ring looked puny compared to these ones but I wasn't bothered.

I went back to the states a couple of years later and I got a wedding band to match my ring, it fitted fine but they had to get the ring in from somewhere else in the states but nothing was too much trouble.

Yep they may be more expensive that other jewellers but that didn't matter to me, it's what I wanted but never thought DP would buy me a ring from there - I had no idea he was buying it. The good thing was the sales assistant just kept bringing out champagne to refill our glasses - we were half pissed by the time we left :)

[A1Sharon]

My friend got engaged in NYC, and taken to Tiffany's for engagement ring. Within 18 months of having it the stone fell out!
Luckily, it was as she was paying for something in a shop, and heard something falling on the counter.
Tiffany weren't too great about fixing it either.
I've been given some of their silver jewellery and the bracelet has broken.
Twice.
Just wonder if the quality is as good as it perhaps once was?

[Cellardoor1]

How exciting no e ring experience but I got my wedding ring from a Tiffany in Vegas, but not the one at the Bellagio. I think there are 4 stores here!

The sales assistant was very nice and helpful and sent us a handwritten thank you note in the mail a few weeks later. I'm sure you will have amazing experience picking out your ring. They really go above and beyond.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I have a Tiffany engagement and wedding ring. Bought in Vancouver.

I needed it re-sized YEARS later and it should have cost a lot. They did it free of charge, delivered it and were just lovely.

It is very very sparkly. DH chose clarity over size and I think it shows. My last engagement ring (yes, you read that right) caught on everything. This one, even though it's high, never does.

[shoeaddict83]

wow loving all the experiences ladies!
I definitely am looking at clarity as a factor over size as our budget is only small, but have seen plenty in my budget there and they all are the type of size im after. Im not too 'blingy' so not bothered about large stone, but want something sparkly! As another PP said i never ever thought DP would get me a Tiffany e-ring so bit giddy at the thought of it at moment!
peggy the girl weve been emailing at the Bellagio has said she is checking the inventory across teh USA stores and calling rings in to suit our spec ready for when we get there - i was amazed at this as though i would just get to see what was in store in my budget. Also spoke to insurers who need valuation in GBP, have asked her this and she said she will get onto the NYC office where the certs are sent from and request mine is sent in GBP equivalent. Very very impressed with the service so far and thats only been over email. its good to hear you have all pretty much had amazing experiences too, its making me even more excited!
mrsmillions I actually already bought DP a gorgeous Hugo Boss dress watch i know he'll love (hes a bit of a watch fiend!) so plan to give him that when i get my ring as a sort of 'engagement present'. Liking the idea of the cufflinks for the wedding though!

[Heaveniswaiting]

Not an engagement ring experience to share but my dh took me to Tiffany for our 10th wedding anniversary and bought me a piece of jewellery. They made me feel like a princess, nothing was too much trouble! They offered complimentary engraving as it was an anniversary and we had champagne! I loved every minute of it. Have a wonderful time.

[peggyundercrackers]

Shoesddict we were given a valuation in dollars but we had an updated one recently which was given to us by the Tiffany store in London. The insurance company took the value from our receipt, we paid by CC for protection and they accepted the price we paid.

[TreatYoSelf]

Ah, so I was the only person thinking that an "e-ring" was something like an e-ticket or e-voucher then?

Good luck finding something perfect for you, OP!

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

Treat I was wondering if people were starting to propose with virtual rings...

Good luck OP! Enjoy yourself.

[Longislandicetee]

I have a Tiffanys engagement ring and wedding band. The engagement ring was a surprise so i didn't get involved there, but dh said their service was great at the time. Their after sales service has been brilliant for over a decade. The ring was resized because my hands are v small, and every year I can have my rings cleaned for free. I don't always do it but they always look amazing when they come back. All the best OP. Enjoy!

[shoeaddict83]

peggy i hadn't thought about that - DP is paying on CC for protection too so obviously price will be in GBP on statement, maybe that combined with the USD valuation will be enough. Will speak to insurers and find out before i get Tiffanys to mess about sending a different certificate to us.
Lol to the virtual ring!! Think DP probably wishes this was the case -would be cheaper anyway!!
Thanks all, we head there in less then a month so ill come back on and let you know what my experience was like! As amazing as all yours i hope!!

[Whatthefoxgoingon]

There's a lot of confusion here about clarity, colour and cut.

A great cut is what makes a diamond sparkly.

A high colour makes the diamond white.

A high clarity means there are fewer eye visible inclusions.

A combination of the best of all the above makes the diamond very expensive!

If you are going down to I colour, then it will look yellow against white gold, may not to you, but definitely to people practiced at looking at diamonds. This may be absolutely fine, it's up to you!

Tiffany has good customer service (I have bought lots of jewellery from there) but a big mark up. Lots of people love the whole experience and happy to pay for it and why not.

Congrats on your engagement and enjoy the process!

[EssentialHummus]

Have attached photo as no idea of name, cut etc. Was bought in the States without my knowledge, but I dealt with the Canary Wharf branch for resizing etc and they were delightful.

I wouldn't choose T. again, but I know that's a very personal decision.