Authenticate Tiffany & Co. The Tiffany Setting
The six-prong solitaire that defined the engagement ring, and the most copied setting there is.
Introduced 1886New York
The Tiffany Setting exists to lift a diamond clear of the band so light can enter the stone from beneath — that was the innovation in 1886 and it remains the design's whole purpose. Six prongs of a specific height and taper hold the girdle at a defined point, and the stone sits proud of the metal.
Counterfeits reproduce the count and miss the geometry. The commonest failures are prongs that are too thick, which shadows the stone; prongs that grip too low, which drops the diamond into the setting; and a gallery beneath the stone that is closed rather than open, which defeats the point entirely.
Look inside the band. Genuine work is polished on the interior surface with a crisply struck signature and hallmark. Counterfeits leave casting texture where they expect nobody to look, and it is the single most reliable place to catch one.
For the stone itself, Tiffany supplies its own grading certificate from its own laboratory and will confirm the ring's serial through a store. Use both.
What a The Tiffany Setting does on the secondary market
Tiffany rings carry a premium at retail and lose most of it on resale, as all branded jewellery does — expect a substantial discount to what was paid. The stone's own quality, verifiable independently, does most of the resale pricing.
An orientation for honest, unrestored condition — never an appraisal, and never a quotation.
Questions we are asked
- How can I tell if a Tiffany ring is real?
- Look inside the band under a loupe. The signature and hallmark should be struck crisply and level into polished metal, and the interior should be free of casting texture. Then check the prong geometry: genuine prongs are slim and hold the girdle high enough that the stone sits clear of the band.
- Will Tiffany confirm my ring's serial number?
- Yes — Tiffany will check a serial through a store, which is unusual among jewellery houses and is the strongest documentary check available on a modern piece.
Lovenhall DiamondRead the stone itself
The checks tell you how it was made. The instrument tells you what it appears to be, and roughly what its kind fetches.