The Tiffany Ring — And Why You’re Worth More

She drinks Starbucks on the regular. She studied psychology and marketing at university. She wears Pandora on the daily. And she did her O.E in New York. You know the girl. It might be your best friend. Hell, it may even be you. And there is only one engagement ring that will fit the bill — and that is a Tiffany ring in a yellow gold band. But “Tiffany setting” is now used by every jeweller and is used to describe any prong-setting solitaire (typically a Round) style diamond ring. So why the hype? And is it worth it?

Where did the Tiffany setting even come from?

Tiffany & Co are one of the United States oldest jewellers. And when it comes to engagement rings, Charles Lewis Tiffany did something radical for his time. Prior to 1886, diamond engagement rings were set with solid bezels, with the diamond sitting low on the finger, like the ring below.

Now don’t get me wrong, this ring is beautiful and this style is becoming so hot right now. But at the time, the Tiffany setting was the complete opposite. It was a high setting with six prongs to give the diamond as much light as possible, holding a Round cut diamond. This meant that the Tiffany ring was the shiniest diamond ring at the time (Round cut diamonds are the shiniest diamond cuts — even today).

But isn’t the Tiffany setting pretty standard now?

The Tiffany ring has evolved since the Tiffany setting first came out. The signature Tiffany ring has additional details to give it that distinctive look. This includes a knife edge band and the triple excellent diamond standard.

But it is true, most jewellers can do this for you. So what are you paying for? It is the blue box and and homage to a bygone era.

But What About A Tiffany Diamond?

Before you get your knickers into a twist about a Tiffany Diamond, it is something that you can buy from most jewellers too.

In fact, a Tiffany Diamond is more of a standard, rather than anything special that Tiffany & Co do in particular.

So yes, it’s essentially a brand play. A Tiffany Diamond is a Round cut diamond that is triple excellent. And triple excellence is specifically about cut; and as you can imagine there are three parts to it:

1. Cut

2. Polish

3. Symmetry

There is no denying that Tiffany & Co use high quality diamonds for their signature engagement ring. Their round diamonds are the highest standard of a Round cut diamond that you can get. But if you really want the best possible Round cut diamond, you may also be interested in a hearts and arrow Round cut diamond which was invented in the late 1980s by a Japanese jeweller epitomising an even higher standard.

So How Much Does A Tiffany Engagement Ring Cost?

Well that depends on a lot of things, but mostly the size of the diamond. For example, a 1 carat diamond solitaire in a simple gold band from Tiffany will cost $30,500. And a 1.5 carat equivalent will cost $70,000. Essentially you are buying the brand more so than the ring itself. Also, Tiffany use Earth mined diamonds.

As of September, At Four Words, a 1 carat lab grown diamond equivalent ring with a will cost around $4,000, and a 1.5 carat equivalent, in a gold ring for $6,000.

Is it worth it to buy a Tiffany & Co Ring?

It depends on what you value. If you are looking for a simple solitaire Round cut diamond engagement ring at a triple excellent standard on a simple yellow gold band, then no, it’s not worth buying a Tiffany ring. You can get this from most jewellers.

However, if you want to say that your engagement ring is from Tiffany, then it might be worth buying a Tiffany engagement ring.

Is The Tiffany Ring Still Fashionable?

Classic never goes out of fashion. But the simple Round Solitaire has been done millions of times. And if you go for this ring, you may end up with the same ring as your bestie. And what is it really that people talk about? Is it where you got your ring from? Or is it about the story behind your ring?

Classic But Unique is the new girl in town

Don’t get us wrong — we love the Tiffany setting. But we think there’s a new school of thought in town. And that is to pay homage to the past, and have a view on the future. We call it 'Classic but Unique’.

It is where you take a very traditional design (we’re looking at you Tiffany setting), and use different diamond shapes or add little personal touches such as pave diamonds along the band, use prongs in an interesting way, or go for a hidden halo. You could even consider a different coloured band (i.e., white gold, rose gold or platinum).

Not only will this ring be…well…unique, it will be your design. And working with a designer is the best way you can achieve this look.

What Does A Classic But Unique Ring look like?

Below are three rings we believe are beautiful alternatives to the Tiffany diamond solitaire engagement ring.

Example 1

If you love the idea of a Round cut Diamond but want to spice up your ring, a hidden halo or tapered band with diamonds might just be the way to do it.

Example 2

Love the simplicity of a simple yellow gold band but not the shape? Why not try an oval solitaire diamond engagement ring instead. Add in a hidden halo and you’re definitely onto a winner.

Example 3

Go on. Be a little bit naughty. And yes coloured diamonds are a thing. Check out this beautiful 1.5 carat pink diamond solitaire with a white diamond halo in a yellow gold band

How Do Classic But Unique Engagement Rings work with wedding bands?

At Four Words we can design a full bridal collection so that your wedding ring, engagement ring and even an eternity ring all sit flush next to each other. Below are three bridal sets from our portfolio.

Example 1

Let’s start with the basics. Below is a 1 carat round diamond solitaire engagement ring with six prongs set in 14k yellow gold. But what is interesting about the wedding band is that it features diamonds all around it (often termed an infinity band). It features marquise diamonds right around the band held together by prongs.

Example 2

We love using curves to ensure that the wedding ring sits flush with the engagement ring. In this instance, our client wanted to design all three of her rings (engagement ring, wedding ring and infinity band). All the rings sit flush together to make a set.

Example 3

If you love the idea of a rose gold band, you can still make it timeless by using an oval solitaire and a simple band for your engagement ring and spice it up with a curved wedding band so it sits flush. This is a beautiful example of a classic but unique design.