Just because diamonds can last a lifetime, doesn’t mean any diamond engagement ring will do. There are good ones and bad ones. For folks looking to buy something special for their proposal, Tiffany engagement rings have become increasingly popular in recent years – but are they worth it?
| Short Answer |
|---|
| Yes, Tiffany engagement rings are worth it. But they’re not for everyone. |
In this tiffany diamond quality review, we’ll dive deep into what makes that iconic blue box so special and if they’re even worth it for you (and your budget).
| Features | Tiffany & Co. |
| Year Founded | 1837 |
| Website | Intuitive, simple to use, comprehensive |
| Support | Call, email, live chat, or book an appointment. Hours of operation: Mon-Fri 8am-12am EST, Sat 9am-9pm EST, Sun 10am-9pm EST |
| Price | 50-60% more expensive than competitors |
| Inventory | Limited selection (only 44 engagement rings found on website) |
| Warranty Policy | Lifetime warranty with premium care, repair, and complimentary ring polishing |
| Return Policy | Credit or exchange is available within 30 days of purchase with original sales receipt |
| Upgrade Policy | Ring Upgrade Program allows customers to upgrade their ring at any time and receive a credit to use towards their next purchase |
History of Tiffany
We’ll briefly explore the history of Tiffany (sometimes referred to as Tiffany & Co, or Tiffany Co.) to help us better understand if they’re worth it or not for us.
It all started in New York City in 1837 when two guys, Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young, began selling fine luxury goods, diamond jewelry, watches, silverware, and more.
As time went on, the company became more notable for their signature blue box. If you had seen that blue box, you would instantly recognize Tiffany. At the same time, Tiffany became synonymous with luxury and quality craftsmanship.
Celebrities began working with the likes of Tiffany and endorsed the brand by wearing their expensive and luxurious jewelry, which only helped bring Tiffany further into the public’s eye.
Read also: Best Cartier Ring Alternatives Under $1000
Fast forward to today and Tiffany along with their signature blue color are world-renowned for quality, luxury, and a successful multi-decade branding strategy.
If you’re ever in the area, we strongly recommend you check out their iconic boutique showroom in New York City on Fifth Avenue which showcases extraordinary designs and unique jewelry.
What Makes Tiffany Rings So Special?
Now that we understand the history behind Tiffany, this will help us better understand what makes them so special?
Another way to help us understand why Tiffany diamond rings are so special is to also understand why many people love to purchase antique art pieces. If you ever ask anyone why they purchase art, it’s typically to do with the story behind the art. Similarly, most people that purchase a Tiffany ring will tell you they love the history and story behind the brand.
Over the course of almost two hundred years, Tiffany has positioned themselves as the pioneer of luxurious diamond rings and quality craftsmanship with a strong heritage. Their iconic Tiffany blue box is symbolic to the strong branding the company has.
The understanding that many shoppers have is if a company has been around for a long time, it must mean they’re good. After all, they would’ve gone out of business long ago if they weren’t good! While that’s technically true to some extent, there’s more to Tiffany than meets the eye which we’ll discuss further in this article.
So at a high-level, when you purchase a diamond engagement ring in a Tiffany blue box, you’re essentially purchasing a piece of their two-hundred-year history and contributing to their story which makes Tiffany rings so special.
Now that we understand what makes Tiffany diamonds worth more and why they’re so special, let’s dive into their pros and cons.
Pros and Cons of Buying a Tiffany Engagement Ring
Pros
Many view purchasing a diamond ring from Tiffany Co to be a great investment especially since Tiffany diamond rings are known for their longevity, superior quality, and timeless designs.
As mentioned before, when you purchase your diamond ring from Tiffany, you’re also purchasing a piece of their history.
Furthermore, buying a Tiffany engagement ring comes with their tiffany diamond certificate and access to their trademarked registry service, designed to preserve the uniqueness and beauty of each ring by cataloguing its details (not to be confused with GIA and IGI).
To recap the advantages of buying from Tiffany:
Tiffany is known for their longevity, quality, and timeless designs
When you purchase a diamond ring from them, you’re buying a piece of their history
They grade their own diamonds and provide certification to verify authenticity
Cons
Here is where things get interesting. Many shoppers don’t actually know the things that make Tiffany’s diamonds a poor choice.
For starters, we did mention earlier that Tiffany has their own trademarked registry service. But did you also know they have their grading service too? This is a terrible fact. Diamonds should be graded by a reputable and unbiased third-party inspector in the diamond industry like the GIA, IGI, or AGS.
Since Tiffany diamonds are internally graded by their own first-party team, they can easily change numbers up and markup the price on many of their diamonds. Basically, Tiffany just expects you to believe that their diamonds are always high-quality, even if they’re not.
This takes us to our next point. Tiffany is way too expensive for the quality of diamonds they provide. Tiffany is able to jack up the prices on diamonds because of their branding and first-party grading system.
To be completely fair, Tiffany’s diamonds are decent for the most part. We say decent because for the price you’re paying, you would expect the highest quality, correct? Unfortunately, that was not what we observed when shopping at Tiffany. We’ll dive more into the pricing and comparisons in the next section of this article.
The last thing we want to mention about the disadvantages of Tiffany is their selection. If you have a large budget for an engagement ring, you’ll have no problem finding a great ring from their collection. On the other hand, if you have a smaller budget like most grooms we’ve worked with in the past (under $10,000), then Tiffany has a very limiting selection.
In fact, when we made our article for the Best Tiffany Engagement Rings Under $5000, we had to get in contact with their support team and had difficulties finding at least 10 to add to the list. It was quite evident at that point that Tiffany is not for people with smaller budgets.
To recap the disadvantages of buying from Tiffany:
First-party grading system involves conflict-of-interest
They markup their prices using their grading system and branding
The quality is severely lacking for the price you pay
Their selection under $10,000 is very limited
Are Tiffany Rings Worth The Price?
Short answer: If we’re looking specifically at price, then no.
Long answer: A diamond engagement ring from Tiffany in a tiny blue box is without a doubt luxurious and fashionable. But they’re not worth the price by a longshot when compared to other retail stores offering similar diamond engagement rings.
But for many shoppers, the benefits of buying a Tiffany ring outweighs the price.
The name “Tiffany” carries weight and sets a certain expectation that many other brands aren’t able to replicate at this point.
While yes, their signature blue box helps them differentiate all the other luxury brands in the industry, it typically isn’t enough to justify their high costs for some shoppers.
Part of their image comes from famous celebrities and figures that can afford the Tiffany style. This gives the brand their appeal but ultimately doesn’t make it a financially smart choice for many shoppers.
Unless you have a high budget, Tiffany rings are not a wise choice given their high price point.
Tiffany vs James Allen – Pricing Comparison
In this section, we’ll compare the prices of two similar diamonds from Tiffany and James Allen with the following qualities:
Carat Weight: 0.33
Color: E
Clarity: VS2
Cut: Excellent
Setting: Platinum
This ring comes from our article for the Best Tiffany Engagement Rings Under $5000. While we had to get in touch with Tiffany’s customer support team to find this ring, the price wasn’t explicitly stated. But from our conversation with their team, we were safely able to assume this ring costs somewhere between $4000 to $5000 USD.
On the flip side, here is that exact same ring in the exact same style from James Allen. With the exact same platinum six prong setting, and even the same knife-edge ring design — this ring is a fraction of the price! At $1360 USD, not only would you have the same quality and timeless design as an engagement ring from Tiffany, you’d also be saving well over 70%.
Read also: How To Use James Allen’s Virtual Ring Try On Feature
Tiffany vs Clean Origin – Pricing Comparison
Here, we’ll compare the prices between two diamonds from Tiffany and Clean Origin with the following qualities:
Carat Weight: 0.45
Color: H
Clarity: VS1
Cut: Excellent
Setting: Platinum
This ring from Tiffany is just under $5000 USD. As mentioned before, while the prices are not explicitly stated on their website, this price was confirmed by their customer support team.
On the other hand, this lab created diamond ring from Clean Origin has the exact same features as the ring from Tiffany. The only exception here is that this ring is 0.70 carats instead of 0.45 carats because Clean Origin did not have a 0.45 carat round diamond in stock. Now, you would think that more carats = more expensive, and you’d be right in most cases. But when you compare Tiffany diamonds to Clean Origin, you’ll always be saving more with Clean Origin for the exact same ring. This ring from Clean Origin only costs about $1917 USD.
Who Should Buy From Tiffany & Co?
From the last section, we concluded that if you’re on a tighter budget, Tiffany is not recommended. On the other hand, let’s find out who should buy from Tiffany Co.
For couples on a larger budget (greater than $10,000), Tiffany is a great option. You can still get better quality for the price you pay from places like James Allen and Clean Origin, so if you’re planning to purchase from Tiffany, it’s more than likely you’re looking to purchase the history behind the brand.
Aside from the heritage and history of the brand, couples opt for Tiffany if it’s an inheritance or a family tradition. In many weddings, we’ve seen previous generations pass on their diamond Tiffany ring to the next generation, and the next, and so on.
Alternatively, couples will purchase rings from Tiffany because their parents had one for their engagement and/or marriage.
So unless you have a large budget, or love the Tiffany history, or belong to a family tradition of owning Tiffany jewelry, it wouldn’t make sense for anyone else to purchase from there.
Alternatives To Tiffany Diamond Engagement Rings
Alright, so you don’t have a large budget, you don’t really care for the history of Tiffany, or there’s no family tradition of owning Tiffany jewelry. But you still want the same luxurious, timeless designs, and quality craftsmanship at an affordable price. What are the best options on the market right now?
James Allen
In our many years of planning weddings and helping couples find once-in-a-lifetime engagement rings, James Allen has not disappointed.
Being a completely digital vendor (with the exception of two physical showrooms), they’re able to offer many more quality diamonds at affordable price points for any budget.
To take things a step further, James Allen lets you view diamonds in high-definition with up to 40x magnification, and you can even virtually try on their engagement rings from the comfort of your home.
This way, shoppers are able to spot any inclusions and flaws in their diamonds beforehand and have full confidence in the engagement ring they’re purchasing.
With over 250,000 GIA and IGI certified loose diamonds to choose from, many of our readers have told us James Allen is a wonderful place if you’re in the market for a quality diamond engagement ring.
Check out our full in-depth review of James Allen here.
Related: Best Tiffany & Co. Alternatives
Clean Origin
One thing we don’t really like about Tiffany is their lack of lab grown diamonds. In fact, they don’t carry any! While they do mention that their diamonds are ethically sourced, there are still some risks to consider when mined diamonds are removed from their local ecosystem.
This is where Clean Origin shines (pun intended). Clean Origin has an extensive collection of 100% lab grown diamonds. The amazing thing about lab grown diamonds is that they look nearly identical to natural diamonds while being much more affordable and better for the environment.
In recent years, we’ve seen couples opt for lab grown diamonds as a responsible choice for the environment and financially. You can check out our guide here on the differences between lab grown diamonds and naturally mined diamonds.
Similar to James Allen, Clean Origin is an excellent alternative to Tiffany jewellery if you’re in the market for a diamond engagement ring.
Take a look out our detailed review of Clean Origin here.
Related: James Allen vs Clean Origin: Head-to-Head Comparison
Expert Tips For Shopping For a Tiffany Engagement Ring
Shopping for an engagement ring is quite possibly one of the most important decisions one can make in their entire life. If you’re considering to shop at Tiffany, we have some expert tips to help you with your decision.
First off, do your research. Make sure you know what the 4 C’s are (cut, clarity, color, carat) and why they’re important. You want to have a good idea about the grading standards and how they can affect the quality of your diamond ring.
Secondly, make a budget and stick to it. Tiffany engagement rings can get quite pricey. Make sure you explore affordable options beforehand. But if you’ve made your mind with Tiffany, we recommend speaking with their customer support team to work out the details.
And finally, consider your partner’s lifestyle and preferences. Avoid multi-pronged designs that push the center stone up if your partner has an active lifestyle as this can easily damage the ring since it sticks out. If your partner likes something more sleek, find something that matches their preferences.
To recap, here are some great starting points if you’re shopping for a Tiffany engagement ring:
Caring For Your Diamond Tiffany Engagement Ring
Taking care of your diamond Tiffany engagement ring is crucial to its longevity. To extend the life of your ring, we recommend taking a look at getting insurance and warranty as soon as possible after purchasing. In the rare possibility that those options are not available, we recommend regular cleanings from a qualified jeweller.
However in most cases, warranty and insurance don’t cover for day-to-day wear and tear. This means protecting and caring for your ring from dirt and bacteria on your own is essential. This can be done with regular soap water and a soft bristle toothbrush. You can check out our detailed guide here to cleaning your engagement ring at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Tiffany rings do hold their value. They’re a well-known and reputable luxury jeweller with a long history of quality craftsmanship. Gifting a loved one a Tiffany diamond ring is a great way to show them your love and commitment to the relationship. Even financially speaking, Tiffany rings are always hot on the market. So you’ll have no problem recouping your initial investment if you choose to sell them.
According to the official Tiffany website, approximately 60% of their jewellery is made in their facilities in New York, Kentucky, and Rhode Island. Polishing and select assembly work is done in the Dominican Republic.
Tiffany prioritizes quality over quantity. So while you may not find a large selection of wedding rings on their site or in store, you can certain the rings you do find are made from high quality materials. As a result, you can find a few rings under $5000, but a large majority of them are well above $10,000. In fact, some can even go as high as $100,000!
