How does Whiteflash take such great shots of ACA?

Garry Holloway FGAA DipDT

HCA and Ideal-scope developer

http://www.ideal-scope.com and
http://www.HollowayDiamonds.com.au

SuperbCert's stone pictures look similar...very crisp and clear--visible H&A

Interesting about WF's stones (ACA) is that sometimes the color appears off in the picture. For example a D diamond may have a picture that has a tinge of yellow, and then if I see an I stone, it may be icy white. Obviously this seems a little backwards...and I know it's just the picture itself. But it could be a little misleading to some newbie buying a stone.

So if anyone from WF is reading this, pay a little bit closer attn when you take and/or edit the pictures...it sometimes looks a little odd if one happens to compare the stones together!

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"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

-Albert Einstein

Pussy Cat

Just a Newbie

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On 7/9/2003 2:20:55 AM Cut Nut wrote:

Nikon Cool pix and image dome I believe
www.imagedome.com I think is the website.
We use it too and it is cool
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heyjud "It Could Be Verse"

Director of Sales at Whiteflash from 2000-2008

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On 7/9/2003 10:43:11 AM LesleyH wrote:

Thanks for the compliment but I assure you that those diamond pictures are not enhanced. They are a result of Brian the Cutter's obsession with perfection both with the ACA cutting process and the photography thereafter. He is glued to that photographic system and often spends far longer than we would like perfecting the shots.

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Most gemstone photographers are inveterate perfectionists, but then they kind of have to be, since getting it right is so darned hard.

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On 7/9/2003 83:32 AM NewbieHere wrote:

Further to the posts above, I agree that the color on some of WhiteFlash's pics make it hard to compare a G to an I, however, having viewed 7 of these H&A's in person AND under a microscope at their offices, I can assure you the pictures of those stones were accurate.

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Actually what I was saying was that a D diamond picture should be crisp and colorless as opposed to having a tint of yellow (could just be lighting as the picture is taken)--while the I colored diamond may not be so crisp and colorless in real life. I'm sure in person the D is colorless and I may have a small tinge of yellow--which is not always accurately reflected in the WF pictures. In taking pictures of stones, IMO its very important to look for these small nuances as a newbie about to buy a stone with no research may be confused.

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"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

-Albert Einstein

Pussy Cat

Since we're laying out our wish list, one other thing that I think is lacking from SC, GOG, WF sites is a picture of the actual stone not under magnification, set against something like a mm ruler. This may sound cheesy, but faycullen.com does it, and IMO it really gives you an idea of the impact a stone can make in size, esp in the larger ctw. When you look at the stones under mag or with the special photography, they all tend to look the same--you can't tell big from small or anything. I also think the real stone set against a ruler or something will give people an idea of what the stone looks like in person, and the ruler comparison is VERY effective when you are talking something like a 2 or 3c stone! Sometimes I float onto fay's site just to see the big 3c rocks she has set against a ruler! Also she does hand pictures which also gives you an idea of what the rings look like on hands but that's because almost all of her items are set.

Rhino did this with a few of his pears (not against the ruler)...he took real pictures of the stone and it really showed off the 'sparkle' of the stone without all the added Bscope and mag pictures. Yes those speak to the customer in one way, but I think seeing the stone by itself in great lighting will also help the buyer/consumer really see if they can imagine that stone on their hand/being presented to their fiance. Those pear pix that I think Rook was looking at back a few months ago really were beautiful, and added to all the other items on the GOG page--I couldn't choose between one or the other, they all looked so sparkly and amazing.

My two cents anyway!

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"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

-Albert Einstein

Dr. Know Little Diamond

Pussy Cat

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On 7/9/2003 11:31:26 PM Mara wrote:

Since we're laying out our wish list, one other thing that I think is lacking from SC, GOG, WF sites is a picture of the actual stone not under magnification
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Pussy Cat

Ooh pictures. Well to further backup what I was saying (because my rambling posts tend to confuse even me sometimes), here is a picture I snagged from Rhino's site on a Pear he has for sale. This is what I mean. Having the Bscope, the mag pictures, Sarin results, cert copy, etc etc etc AND this picture of the sparkle of the pear in real life to me is the entire package. To me a picture like this will only reinforce the Bscope results, which are still just a 'simulation' of the sparkle in real life.

The other sites don't do this either...and Rhino's pix are far and few between. I want more sparkle!!

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"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

-Albert Einstein

Pussy Cat

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~ Mexi ~

Mexi--Since that is something that is not likely to be possible (e.g. gauging color correctly on a computer monitor) unless you view the loose stone from top, bottom, side in pictures similar to the one I posted etc...and even then it still is a huge variable depending on your monitor settings.

So my suggestion is to go into a B&M store and familiarize yourself with the different colors of stones. That way even if you are looking at purchasing online, you have an offline education that is 'hands-on' as well. Go into a store that has a good rep (e.g. not a maul store!) and see what their stones look like in person...look at a D or E, an F or G, an H or I and then for fun something like a J. Or even just something like a E, G and I. You will be able to tell the color differences, or maybe not. It's a great way to figure out how sensitive your eyes are to 'color', some people have no gauge for color (I am one of them) until you get to something like the J color category. Obviously it depends on the cut of the stone as well , as well cut stones show less color than non-well cut.

Have fun!

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"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

-Albert Einstein

Rhino
Good Old Gold

Rhino--the picture is amazing, but to me it still looks a little artificial and also magnified. The pear shot I posted from your site to me looks very real as how you would see the stone in person with no magnification. (e.g. on someone's hand) But of course YES on a ruler!!

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"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

-Albert Einstein

Pussy Cat

Rhino
Good Old Gold

Pussy Cat

Pussy Cat