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 » RockyTalky
»  » Tools for diamond shopping
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Tools for diamond shopping |
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| P: 1/22/2003 12:40:11 AM | |
carbon lover Rough Rock Total Posts: 37 Last Post: 3/18/2004 Member Since: 1/20/2003 |
My boyfriend and I are looking for diamond engagement rings. I'm excited! We've been reading everything we can find about purchasing the right diamond. Can anyone tell me whether it's worth buying the Ideal Scope, a loupe (which magnification) and any other tool to help us pick the right diamond? Does anyone know what a spectrascope is? 
carbon lover |
| Posted: 1/22/2003 12:40:11 AM | |
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There are 12 replies to this message. There are 12 replies on this page. |
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| P: 1/22/2003 2:10:49 AM | |
Garry H (Cut Nut) Ideal Rock Total Posts: 11,577 Last Post: 11/22/2009 Member Since: 8/16/2000 |
Forget the spectrascope, far too technical. Be careful with a loupe about trying to become a clarity grader overnight - go with the cert and or use an appraiser if in doubt. I am biased about the Ideal-scope but i have not bought a diamond for years without first checking it that way. We find 95% of non trade people pick it up real quick - but get the CZ!!!! Garry Holloway FGAA DipDT |
| Posted: 1/22/2003 2:10:49 AM | |
| P: 1/22/2003 2:19:34 AM | |
dymonite Rough Rock Total Posts: 49 Last Post: 12/17/2003 Member Since: 10/7/2002 |
The five essential components that I used: Ideal-scope Your own eyes (after looking at lots of diamonds) Sarin report/Diamond Certificate HCA Reliable appraiser If you do this you will get a better diamond than >95% of the population. |
| Posted: 1/22/2003 2:19:34 AM | |
| P: 1/22/2003 2:22:48 AM | |
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dymonite Rough Rock Total Posts: 49 Last Post: 12/17/2003 Member Since: 10/7/2002 |
Oh, I never learnt to use the loupe properly and the ideal-scope is heaps more easy and provides more useful info. I think an inclusion map from a reliable certificate is enough for practical purposes. Email me and I will send a summary of the process that I went through to choose a diamond. |
| Posted: 1/22/2003 2:22:48 AM | |
| P: 1/22/2003 5:04:43 AM | |
Richard Sherwood Ideal Rock Total Posts: 4,876 Last Post: 11/21/2009 Member Since: 9/25/2002 |
Dymo's dead on the money.
Rich, Independent GG Appraiser |
| Posted: 1/22/2003 5:04:43 AM | |
| P: 1/22/2003 5:08:07 AM | |
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Richard Sherwood Ideal Rock Total Posts: 4,876 Last Post: 11/21/2009 Member Since: 9/25/2002 |
"Dead on the money" is American slang for "dead right". In other words, correct. I keep forgetting that these boards get international attention. Sometimes I'm sure people from other countries scratch their heads and say "huh?" when they read some of the slang expressions which come so naturally to the tongue. Rich, Independent GG Appraiser |
| Posted: 1/22/2003 5:08:07 AM | |
| P: 1/22/2003 12:07:21 PM | |
JayTee Rough Rock Total Posts: 62 Last Post: 10/28/2003 Member Since: 12/6/2002 |
Also be sure to read some of the tutorials that are linked off of this website. Garry Holloway's tutorial was of great help to me. Dymonite is right, that you need to look at a lot of diamonds, along with their associated certificates/inclusion maps. If anything, it will help you develop an opinion about what you like/don't like and what you absolutely don't want. You'll be able to correlate what inclusions look like in real life as opposed to the 2D drawings on an inclusion map. Also, it will help you establish the baselines of what you are looking for in terms of size/cut/clarity. Don't forget to post some possible candidates for your choice back onto this newsgroup. . . I got great advice from many of the stalwarts here about the stones I was looking at, as well as diagrams and explanations whenever I didn't get what people were telling me.  good luck! |
| Posted: 1/22/2003 12:07:21 PM | |
| P: 1/23/2003 12:26:00 AM | |
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carbon lover Rough Rock Total Posts: 37 Last Post: 3/18/2004 Member Since: 1/20/2003 |
Thanks guys!
carbon lover |
| Posted: 1/23/2003 12:26:00 AM | |
| P: 1/23/2003 1:17:34 AM | |
Mara Ideal Rock Total Posts: 27,901 Last Post: 11/22/2009 Member Since: 10/30/2002 |
Comment on the loupe..it's fun to have but I can almost guarantee you won't be able to detect anything with it unless you are looking at an SI stone. With our VS1 I just stare blankly at the stone and eventually get a headache. We have a nice little 10x loupe. Loupe would also be fun if you want to see the hearts and/or arrows if you end up with a branded stone. But I agree..the other elements mentioned by Dym are great to have. We didn't get an IdealScope but I wish we had..it would have been nice to whip that puppy out at the stores.
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| Posted: 1/23/2003 1:17:34 AM | |
| P: 1/23/2003 1:41:28 AM | |
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Garry H (Cut Nut) Ideal Rock Total Posts: 11,577 Last Post: 11/22/2009 Member Since: 8/16/2000 |
Mara you need my great Zeiss rip off which is a bit higher power than 10x and has a much wider feild of view. Get it from ideal-scope.com We hear some funny stories of sales staff who never heard of an ideal-scope - it is kind of hard to ignore - a very bright color, and makes a generous shot glass too 
Garry Holloway FGAA DipDT |
| Posted: 1/23/2003 1:41:28 AM | |
| P: 1/23/2003 2:46:46 AM | |
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dymonite Rough Rock Total Posts: 49 Last Post: 12/17/2003 Member Since: 10/7/2002 |
FYI, If you want examples of as transparent marketing as you can get - check out sites such as goodoldgold.com or usacerteddiamonds.com. I am sure there are others but sites such as these are rare amongst most internet based diamonds sellers. I particularly like the dark-field illumination model under high power magnification to show inclusions. - they just magically light up compared to the normal lighting model. I wonder how many jewellers would let you get access to their high-power micoscopes when you want to verify the quality of yourr VS/VVS diamond??? I was insulted quite badly either by an ignorant, unscrupulous or just plainly condescending shopkeeper who did not even give me a proper loupe to look at the diamond -- she insisted that it was as good as this dinner plate sized plastic magnifier in the store. The image was so poorly distorted, I could not see anything. I do not think high-grade German optics can be replaced by a kid's toy. |
| Posted: 1/23/2003 2:46:46 AM | |
| P: 1/23/2003 12:06:27 PM | |
Ceillie Rough Rock Total Posts: 19 Last Post: 3/26/2003 Member Since: 3/27/2002 |
Funny, My jeweler took a lot of time letting me look at my stone. We compared to other stones, we looked through a loop, we looked through my mocked up ideal scope (did not have time to order one), she borrowed a hearts and arrows viewer, and we looked through her dark light microscope. It was all great fun. She offered to do most of these things, and I really did not have to ask. Only option she could not provide was the Sarin analysis, but I bought an AGS certified stone, so I got all the numbers anyway. Any jeweler who would balk at showing off your stone I would not spend money with. AND the few hours she spent with me while I agonized over my purchase have gotten her a lifelong customer. I will make all my "large" purchases with her. Ceillie |
| Posted: 1/23/2003 12:06:27 PM | |
| P: 1/23/2003 9:52:28 PM | |
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JayTee Rough Rock Total Posts: 62 Last Post: 10/28/2003 Member Since: 12/6/2002 |
It really depends on the jeweler or sometimes even the different salespeople in the jewelery stores. I went to one jeweler who couldn't even get a Sarin or Ogi report for me on a GIA stone, and when I asked, was told, "Oh, it sounds like you want an AGS stone" and then proceeded to try to show me those (along with the associated price increase)  At a different jewelry store, the first salesman couldn't even be bothered to give me the explanation of the 4C's (I was playing dumb to check the place out), instead, without a word, just reaches over, hands me a brochure and then walks away to talk to another customer. Bad impression for me.  However, I did return there after getting a recommendation to work with a specific saleslady. This lady got Sarin reports on all the stones I was looking at, got comparison stones for me to compare color and cut with, and when I asked if she could get a darkfield microscope for me to look at the stones with, she responded with, "Sure, no problem." Although I didn't purchase my diamond from her, I made sure that I got the setting from her.I personally think that there is no such thing as too much information before you make a purchase, especially one as important/expensive as this one. |
| Posted: 1/23/2003 9:52:28 PM | |
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