It's all about diamonds,
diamond grading and diamond prices

What should you pay for your diamonds?

| tutorial | cut adviser | ideal-scope | price stats | forum | appraisers | vendors | tips | faq | about 

HCA - Defining the Beauty and Desirability of Round Brilliant Diamonds

Garry Holloway
Abstract
Introduction
Inverse Relationship
Previous Research
DiamCalc
Fire- & Ideal-Scopes
GilbertsonScope
Developing HCA
Brill, fire, scint., spread
Method
Brilliance
Fire or Dispersion
Scintillation
Spread
Summary
Table size
Girdle thickness
Fisheye
Culet
Adjustment to HCA
No Go Zone
Flawed cut grading
BIC and FIC
Seeing is believing?
Accuracy
Market values
Links & References
Holloway Cut Adviser

Brilliance

Brilliance is generally considered to be the most important feature when considering a diamonds beauty. If brilliance is compromised then the effectiveness of a diamonds fire and scintillation is also reduced. Hence brilliance is given twice the weighting.
 
My experience buying and selling diamonds with a Firescope™ , and later the hand held Ideal-Scope showed that consumers prefer diamonds with a strong red light return and a black eight pointed star pattern. Diamonds with combinations of slightly steeper and deeper crown and pavilion angles than Tolkowskys' have more white leakage. Shallow combinations display increased amounts of blackness (Harding’s head obstruction).
 
The table shown here is the original raw data. Minor modifications have subsequently been made to smooth the chart based on observations with actual diamonds and their Sarin reported proportions. However the essential data is only very slightly modified. Mr. Pike has subsequently reproduced similar results using the same format.
 
Note the area of poor performance that we define as a No Go Zone (NGZ).


Figure 13. Comparative brilliance scores estimated for each diamond on grids for crown and pavilion angles shown and for table sizes of 53% to 65% in 1% increments.
 

<< Method  |  Fire or Dispersion >>
 


Search & Compare | Diamond Tutorial | Holloway Cut Adviser | Diamond Q&A Forum | Price Stats | Buying Tips | What to Buy
Ideal-Scope | Engagement rings | DiamondCatcher | Featured Vendors | Sellers Facet | F A Q | About | Disclaimer | Contact Us

LEGAL NOTICE: Copyright © 2000-2008 Pricescope Inc. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.
Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimer

Archived Old Forum | Message board index