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Tiffany vs. Blue Nile vs. Harry Winston Engagement Rings: Which is The Most Worth It?

Tiffany vs. Blue Nile vs. Harry Winston Engagement Rings: Which is The Most Worth It?

    A diamond engagement ring is usually a must-buy whenever there’s a marriage.So how can you buy the right engagement ring for your significant other?There are so many jewelry brands on the market to choose.Today we'll take a look at the top online and brick-and-mortar retailers. Blue Nile,Tiffany & Co. and Harry Winston are upscale, preeminent, jewelry retailers known for their diamond engagement rings.However, there are some significant differences among the three brands,such as price,style etc.When choosing the right engagement ring,we will facing many questions.Is Blue Nile a good place to buy engagement rings?Why is Blue Nile cheaper than Tiffany and Harry Winston? Keep reading and find out how online jewelers like Blue Nile,compare to Harry Winston and Tiffany & Co.

Cover Photo: Joshua Rodriguez on unsplash.com

The History of Tiffany & Co.

Founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young, Tiffany was originally named Tiffany & Young. They were the first company to bring gemstones to the USA, after buying jewellery from French aristocrats fleeing France in 1848 during the revolution. By 1853, Charles Tiffany assumed control of the company and renamed it Tiffany & Co.And it is one of the internationally-recognized brands for fine and luxury jewelry. Having been on the market for a number of decades, you can find pretty much any kind of wedding band or other kinds of fine jewelry from Tiffany’s.

Now, while Cartier dates back to 1847, Tiffany is a few years younger than Cartier, and the Tiffany Setting dates back to 1886 when Tiffany &Co. founder Charles Lewis Tiffany had the vision to create a ring that would highlight the beauty of the brilliant-cut diamonds by Tiffany’s. Thanks to his vision, and after 130+ years, Tiffany Setting engagement rings remain the company’s and also the world’s most desirable and popular engagement ring.

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Source:tiffany.com

Tiffany is known for its wide range of superior-quality wedding bands that luxuriate and boast a superior level of craftsmanship.Tiffany’s engagement rings often stand out because of Tiffany’s proprietary Tiffany Setting, which is considered the most famous type of engagement rings designs in the world. 

In addition to jewelry, Tiffany & Co. offers:

  • Watches

  • Fragrances

  • Furniture

  • Décor

  • Eyewear

  • Handbags

In elegant display, Tiffany & Co.’s website details the stories of their diamonds and the rigorous five-step, year-long process they endure to become a Tiffany diamond.Click here to read more.

Pros Cons
  • Tiffany & Co. has extremely strict standards for their diamonds – they only accept 0.04% of the world’s gem-grade diamonds and only near colorless and higher.

  • Tiffany & Co. procures their diamonds crude and through direct sourcing. 

  • Since every Tiffany diamond is original, each one of their settings is custom- built to exalt the diamond. 

  • Tiffany diamonds are cut in Tiffany & Co.’s own studio, where highly experienced Tiffany cutters follow a precise process.

  • Unique Tiffany Setting。

  • Excellent packaging with in-house ring certificate and two jewelry pouches.

  • Tiffany boasts a huge foreign influence, and it’s doing really well in markets across the Asia Pacific, as well as a large part of Europe, and North America, hence more affordable prices.

  • You avoid sales tax when you buy online.

  • The Tiffany Experience is breathtaking, and second-to-none.


  • Expensive, and you often pay for marketing.

  • The rings could be cheaper.

  • Not GIA-certified.

  • Limited selection.

>>Click here to buy Tiffany & Co.

The History of Blue Nile

Blue Nile,one of the world’s largest online diamond reseller,is known for historically low prices and a vast selection of products.The company was founded by Mark Vadon back in 1999 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Blue Nile went public in 2004. In 2017, the company was acquired by Bain Capital and Bow Street, LLC.

Vadon had been trying to find an engagement ring for his girlfriend, and had been sick and tired of the lack of options available. He ended up buying his ring online, and went on to strike a deal with the retailer which led to him founding his own online diamond-selling business.

Blue Nile wants to ensure that they have the reputation of providing the best customer experience when it comes to looking for a diamond. The diamonds they sell are graded by AGSL (American Gem Society Laboratories) or GIA (Gemological Institute of America), two leading labs in the country.You can trust that whatever diamond you choose, it has been carefully graded and inspected by a geologist. Take a look a some of their best diamonds.

Blue Nile has conflict-free sourcing. They use the Kimberly Process which is a world-known tracking method of diamonds. They know exactly what mine the diamond comes from before it goes to market. You can be sure the history of your diamond is carefully monitored.

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Source:bluenile.com

Blue Nile has literally thousands of loose white and color diamonds available on their website, and you can search, browse and compare diamonds based on price and shape as well as the 4 C’s. Blue Nile also has extensive information on each diamond, in addition to the 4 C’s, under their Summary tab, including:

  • Symmetry

  • Polish

  • Girdle

  • Cutlet

  • Depth

  • Fluorescence

  • Table

  • Measurements

What is also nice is if you are looking at a comparable diamond on another website, Blue Nile will match with a lower price guaranteed. 

Making a purchase from Blue Nile comes with many benefits, including:

  • Free returns

  • Insurance

  • International shipping

  • Diamond Price Guarantee

  • Professional Jewelry appraisal

  • Diamond buy-back option

  • Diamond upgrade program

  • Product warranty

  • All major credit card providers accepted

ProsCons
  • Blue Nile delivers exceptional craftsmanship on their pieces and you get excellent value for the money.

  • Blue Nile has exclusive contracts with diamond wholesalers all over the world, so it has a wide selection of loose diamonds.

  • Most diamonds come with a magnified 360-degree video. 

  • All diamonds are certified by GIA, which is the most reputable lab in the world.

  • You can pick your own diamond and setting to create a custom ring.

  • Their website is beautifully designed and easy to use.

  • It offers 30-day full refund returns, one free resizing, and lifetime warranty.

  • Lower price than competitors.

  • Blue Nile supports the Kimberley process and their diamonds are warranted to be conflict free.

  • Diamond education: exhaustive supply of diamond related information.

  • Not everyone is comfortable with buying such an important purchase online.

  • Some setting styles aren't offered.

  • It also doesn't have as many choices for yellow gold or rose gold rings.

  • Lack of quality photographs: difficult to assess the clarity and cut of the diamond.

  • Nondescript and cheap-looking packaging.

  • Returns: customer pays for insurance/shipping; returning items over $500 can be a lengthy process

  • Charges $25 for engraving.


>>Click here to buy Blue Nile

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The History of Harry Winston

Harry Winston, Inc. is an American luxury jeweler and producer of Swiss timepieces. The company was founded in 1932 as Harry H. Winston Jewels, Inc. and changed its name to Harry Winston Inc. in January 1936. The company is named after its founder, Harry Winston, who was called by many as the "King of Diamonds".In fact, Harry Winston was both made and born. At just 12 years old he spotted a valuable emerald and sold it on for a hefty profit. Perhaps the pricing strategy of the modern-day Harry Winston stems back to that original mark up!

Harry Winston’s name has been synonymous with luxury.Following his father’s, Jacob, footsteps who opened a jewelry business when immigrated from Ukraine, Harry opened his own business in 1920 with his first store opening up in New York City in 1932.

Harry Winston’s jewelry is beyond exquisite. There isn’t a piece of jewelry that leaves their shop being less than awe-inspiring. The pieces they have created have matched the world leaders in refinement and quality. The diamonds have been exactingly cut and match the most rigorous parameters.

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Source:harrywinston.com

Harry Winston pieces are certainly favored amongst many celebrities. As far back as Liz Taylor, celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Madonna, Helen Mirren, and Amal Clooney have donned Harry Winston pieces.

ProsCons
  • Harry Winston is a brand that has an illustrious history and their products come with a hefty premium. 

  • The pieces they have created have matched the world leaders in refinement and quality.

  • The diamonds have been exactingly cut and match the most rigorous parameters.

  • Harry Winston state that they only carry D, E and F colorless diamonds because “they are the rarest and the most valuable”. they only select eyeclean VS2 or better diamonds.

  • Their diamonds all come with a GIA grading report and have either faint or no fluorescence.

  • More Expensive.For those spending more than $1,000,000, you’ll end up with a beautiful ring. 

  • They only use platinum for their settings which does restrict things somewhat.

  • The imagery on the website is really very basic and poor for such an exclusive brand.Harry Winston is, overall, an ‘in-person’ shopping experience, not an online one.


>>Click here to buy Harry Winston

Differences Between Tiffany, Blue Nile & Harry Winston

1.Price

Harry Winston  > Tiffany > Blue Nile

Tiffany - The cost of a brand new Tiffany engagement rings can start at $1,500 with extravagant rings costing well over $15,000. The exact cost of a Tiffany engagement ring depends on size and quality of the ring’s center stone as well as the complexity of the setting.

Blue Nile - Starting from a few hundred dollars, there are diamonds to suit every budget. There are diamonds that you can find from as low as $270 and jewelry that begin at $35 while the most expensive diamond currently listed (a 22 carat white round diamond) is close to 3 million dollars! In fact, they can be up to 40% lower than other stores.

Blue Nile diamonds are so affordable is because they operate their business with lower margins. They don’t have brick and mortar stores. They are completely web-based. This allows them to market their diamonds at a lower price point and in turn they sell more.

Harry Winston - It goes without saying that the diamonds and jewelry on offer by Harry Winston are of some of the best quality found anywhere, but you really will be paying a hefty price tag.Harry Winston jewelry and diamonds are exclusive, high-class, and high-quality, but the price tags are simply unaffordable for most.

2.Quality

Tiffany -  Although the company boasts the production of high-quality engagement rings,Tiffany uses more of sterling silver.But Tiffany engagement rings can feature an array of gemstones such as diamonds, sapphires and tanzanite. Using only the highest quality gemstones in their creations, these are sourced from exceptional raw materials. Diamonds, for instance, are always Excellent cuts, have great color and clarity grades and never have strong fluorescence. All engagement rings come with either a Tiffany Diamond certificate or GIA certificate, to illustrate the exceptional quality of their engagement rings. 

Blue Nile - Blue Nile adheres to high ethical standards when it comes to their diamonds, thus they do not buy diamonds from Zimbabwe, and they have a zero-tolerance policy in place regarding conflict diamonds.

All diamonds are certified by GIA, which is the most reputable lab in the world. Blue Nile supports the Kimberley process and their diamonds are warranted to be conflict free.

Harry Winston - Harry Winston only carries diamonds that are of D, E, or F color and greater than VS2 clarity. These high quality standards ensure that every ring you see in Harry Winston's Salon will feature a diamond of truly excellent beauty and brilliance. Rigorous standards for diamond grading and decades of expertise ensure that every aspect of a Harry Winston diamond engagement ring is the absolute finest available in both quality and craftsmanship.

3.Service

Tiffany -  Tiffany offers a range of lifetime services with the purchase of your Tiffany diamond engagement ring, including ring sizing, polishing and routinely checking the security of your setting. And the Ring Upgrade Program offers the opportunity to upgrade your Tiffany engagement ring. From designing unique engagement rings with custom Blue Boxes to personalizing engravable wedding bands, Diamond Experts will work with you to create a unique symbol of your love.

Blue Nile - Blue Nile also has excellent after-purchase policies. It offers 30-day full refund returns, one free resizing, and lifetime warranty.

Harry Winston - Harry Winston offers a return policy on engagement rings within 30 days, as long as the ring has not been worn. A return will be met with an exchange, and not a monetary refund.

Harry Winston can rightly pride them on outstanding customer service. Online and in store, as a customer you are made to feel as though you have stepped into a world of luxury and elegance, with staff being ready to help you with any request.

Tiffany vs. Blue Nile vs. Harry Winston: Which is Better?

When it comes to online shopping Blue Nile definitely has an advantage over the popular Tiffany & Co. This is just because of the sheer amount of choice and inventory you have to choose from.

However, if you like the brick and mortar store feel then Tiffany & Co. will have Blue Nile outranked. Tiffany also has rare items and sells only the utmost quality gems. With Tiffany, you will pay more and some say you also pay for the brand name as well.

It really boils down to personal choice but you can’t go wrong with either company. They are both reputable and sell quality dazzling brilliant diamonds.

The 2 Most Popular Engagement Rings Settings

1.HW Logo Round Brilliant Diamond Engagement Ring

HW Logo, a unique engagement ring and symbolic piece of fine jewelry, features a round brilliant diamond center stone in a signature HW platinum setting. A quintessential symbol of love, this refined and modern engagement ring features two logotypes, “H” and “W”, representing the initials of the House of Winston, as well as the titles “husband” and “wife,” and securely supports the round brilliant-cut diamond center stone.


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Source:harrywinston.com

2.Tiffany Setting Engagement Rings

In 1886, Tiffany introduced the engagement ring as we know it today. it was a complete paradigm shift in engagement ring styles. Tiffany’s breakthrough setting held the diamond up above the band and effectively maximized the amount of light that could pass through it and, in turn, the diamond’s brilliance.

Since then, the Tiffany Setting remains the quintessential modern engagement ring and perhaps the most popular engagement ring style overall.

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Source:tiffany.com

Tiffany vs. Cartier vs. Bvlgari Engagement Rings: Which Brand is the Best? (History, Quality, Design & Price)

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2021-09-10 18:566853