tiffany & co = hands down impeccable service.
when my bf and i strolled into tiffany's on a whim to look at engagement rings, we met andrea, the most friendly, bubbly, and knowledgeable sales professional in the store. she not only walked us through the different cuts and styles, but also explained to us the different certification and grading aspects of diamonds, as well as the specific standards that tiffany's uses to select the diamonds they buy. given that we were both in gym gear and were only really at la cantera to grub kona happy hour, we were surprised at how professional she was and how she treated us as serious customers even though we were really just looking around for fun.
little did i know, a few months later, my sneaky bf went in again -- this time to pick out a ring for real. andrea was there again to answer all of his questions and help him choose the perfect ring. since my bf wanted to propose during our vacation to nyc, the manager suggested that he have the ring shipped to the flagship store on 5th avenue and pick it up there, rather than trying to travel with it and hide it in our luggage. it turned out to be the most perfect plan. long story short, we were visiting the flagship store for the first time when my bf left me to go "use the restroom." he actually went up to the top floor to pick up the ring. he then hid it till after dinner that night and proposed in times square, paparazzi photographer and the whole shebang! :) needless to say, i was completely surprised. okk tangent -- but picking the ring up at the flagship store was a genius idea because otherwise, he would have had to constantly keep it on his person during the first few days of our vacation and it might have even come up while going through airport security, etc. so props to mr. t&co manager! and to top it off, the overnight, insured shipping was complimentary!
andrea notified us of an upcoming private event at the store for newly-engaged couples. it was a fun night complete with champagne, the cutest little tiffany blue cupcakes, and free portrait photography. as an added bonus, they were offering free hand engraving for any rings purchased that night. we went ahead and picked out my wedding band, but were slightly disappointed to find out that since it had diamonds going all around the band, there was only room on the inside for a few letters. after we left the store with the blue bag in tow, we decided while window shopping to go back and check out rings for my fiance. he hadn't had much luck finding a wedding band he liked anywhere else, so we decided to slip back into the store, with only a couple min left till the end of the event. his ring ended up being a complete impulse buy but he still loves it so it worked out! and it had tons and tons of space in it for engraving. since it was unlimited, we went all out and put my fingerprint (which i ink stamped at home and scanned for them to replicate) and a bunch of other text. the total cost for engraving would have been $2000+ but it was completely complimentary! :) now we both have rings we love that contain unique aspects that are personal and meaningful to us. andrea also threw in free engraving on my engagement ring, even though it wasn't purchased during the event (it fit 3 letters haha). btw, the hand engraving is done only by a small number of trained professionals in nyc and it's insane how small they can engrave. and of course, aside from a selection of fonts and ridiculously intricate monograms/seals, they can do any image you send in!
aside from the amazing sales service here, ring cleanings are complimentary at any location, as is buffing (which they send the rings off to nyc to do). if you ever decide to upgrade, rings can also be "traded in" any number of years later, and you get back the full value of what you originally paid (aka no depreciation). the catch is that you have to then spend double the amount of what you originally paid, but it's nice to have that option for the future, especially given that we're still students right now. a couple other pluses were that t&co certifies their own diamonds, so you run no risk of dealing with a sketchy middleman or not getting what you're paying for. additionally, since they adhere to very strict standards (only diamonds "I" or better are accepted and superior standards for clarity are used -- http://www.tiffany.com/Expertise/Diamond/brilliance/clarity.aspx#) you can be assured that even if you are on a budget, your diamond quality will not be compromised.
even though tiffany's might be a bit more expensive than your typical jeweler (surprisingly though, not that much more for equal carat size/cut/clarity/color), the pieces uphold their worth in their exceptional and unmatched value, quality, and lifetime service! read more