Aset images

[sparklyforever]

Just a general question....

the experienced folks on this board like to see the Aset images along with the other details before reviewing a diamond... is it because this is done online that the Aset image comes into importance so much?

if you were looking at the actual stones - would you still be requesting Asets to make your decision?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/13/2010 10:41:09 AM
Author:sparklyforever
Just a general question....

the experienced folks on this board like to see the Aset images along with the other details before reviewing a diamond... is it because this is done online that the Aset image comes into importance so much?

if you were looking at the actual stones - would you still be requesting Asets to make your decision?

Hi sparkly

ASET images are very useful for fancy shapes and as we are working online there is really no way to get a feel for a stone without images. If I was working with the diamonds in front of me I would still use ASET but the results would be secondary to what my eyes were telling me.

 

[sparklyforever]

so when viewing stones in person... do you let your visual impressions guide you or do you you default to the "numbers"... ?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Are we talking RBs or fancy shapes? Are we talking about a viewer who is very familiar with the appearance of well cut diamonds and knows how they should perform, or a novice?

For RBs I let the numbers guide my contenders and then let me eyes tell me what I like... though if it is GIA Ex or AGS0 and the numbers pass the HCA, in my personal experience it will look great to the eyes

But I know what a well cut diamond should look like, and can recognize when a diamond is performing less than optimally. For a novice, I think "trust your eyes" is almost meaningless advice because you really need to train your eyes before you can let them guide you. Especially because jewelry store lighting tends to make any diamond looks its best.

Good old gold has some great videos that show what a well cut diamond can do. It can really help when you are looking at them in person and give you a benchmark. http://www.vimeo.com/diamondinfo/videos

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 2/13/2010 11:00:46 AM
Author: sparklyforever
so when viewing stones in person... do you let your visual impressions guide you or do you you default to the ''numbers''... ?

When looking in person I would prefer not to be biased by what I see on the paper. I would prefer to see the stone with my eyes and then check my observations with the certificate and/or an ASET afterwards.
However I think far too often I am biased by the paper and my eyes usually confirm or disprove my initial assumptions made by the cert.

If I were looking at stones in person I wouldn''t want the vendor to tell me anything, just show me a lineup of stones and then let me look at the certificates afterwards, the ASET I would use last and this would be mostly to confirm that the stone would look good in all lighting environments not just the one I was viewing the stone in(usually the jewelry store lights).

 

[sparklyforever]

i am talking about a novice... that has done research but whose profession isnt the diamond industry...
in regards to fancies.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/13/2010 11:16:10 AM
Author: sparklyforever
i am talking about a novice... that has done research but whose profession isnt the diamond industry...
in regards to fancies.

Sparkly, I am still just a consumer although I carry the Prosumer title, Dreamer and CCL are also just consumers.

When viewing diamonds I like an ASET scope or image as a supplement to my eyes to confirm what I am seeing. But the final choice for me always comes down to my own visual preferences, not what an image says. I would then make a final selection by viewing my contenders in different lighting conditions. With diamonds, the more you see and compare - the better you get at knowing what your own preferences are so I urge anyone that is interested to spend some time viewing as many types and shapes as possible.

Beauty is also so subjective; what one person finds beautiful and even if the stone has great images, another person might not like so it is crucial to learn your own tastes if possible.

 

[sparklyforever]

thanks for the feedback.....
i didn''t'' want the decision to come down to just what was best in numbers....

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

When buying from a distance I never ever bother looking at the #''s on fancy shapes.
EVER
ask me what the #''s are on the best cushion I ever saw?
No idea and even less interest in looking it up - waste of 15 seconds.

I use ASET as the primary selection process along with DiamCalc / Gem adviser ''Cut Quality'' Light Return Stereo rocking, DarkZones and consider Contrast and other data.
And ALWAYS Spread.
Cushions for example can have Tolkowsky Round spread down to -30% less.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Another thought based on experience. Most diamonds look beauitful in a store setting to an average consumer (reason why sometimes ignorance is bliss). You reall need to see an outstanding diamond first before you can start judging diamonds with your eyes. So .. go to a vendor with a great rep and get them to show you the best .. it''s so much easier because they won''t sell you a dud.

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 2/13/2010 11:00:46 AM
Author: sparklyforever
so when viewing stones in person... do you let your visual impressions guide you or do you you default to the ''numbers''... ?

I always try to encourage my clients to know about all of the tools, Sarin, ASET, Idealscope, etc, but after using those tools to reject stones that are obviously poorly cut, then it is up to their eyes to be the final arbiter of what THEY like.

I also like to take them from one room to another, from fluorescent lighting to incandescent lighting to out of doors if it is nice weather so that they can see the diamond in many different lighting environments.

I like to think of experiencing a diamond with your eyes as akin to watching a sunset with someone you love. It''s just BETTER than looking at the picture of a sunset as you are now experiencing it.

The tools will help you select a diamond with potential, but it is up to your eyes to confirm or deny that you made a good choice.

Wink

 

[gemofnj]

How do you get ASET images??? and the other tests that everyone needs to assess the quality of a diamond?? Do you have to ask your jeweler?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/28/2010 10:40:13 AM
Author: gemofnj
How do you get ASET images??? and the other tests that everyone needs to assess the quality of a diamond?? Do you have to ask your jeweler?

Just ask the vendor, normally it can be easier to get such images from some online vendors rather than store jewellers.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 2/13/2010 9:14:57 PM
Author: CharmyPoo
Another thought based on experience. Most diamonds look beauitful in a store setting to an average consumer (reason why sometimes ignorance is bliss). You reall need to see an outstanding diamond first before you can start judging diamonds with your eyes. So .. go to a vendor with a great rep and get them to show you the best .. it''s so much easier because they won''t sell you a dud.

This is the best advice for a novice, that way you can sort of train your eyes a little! Look at the diamonds in many different lighting environments and see what they can do!

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 2/13/2010 8:25:47 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
When buying from a distance I never ever bother looking at the #''s on fancy shapes.
EVER
ask me what the #''s are on the best cushion I ever saw?
No idea and even less interest in looking it up - waste of 15 seconds.

I use ASET as the primary selection process along with DiamCalc / Gem adviser ''Cut Quality'' Light Return Stereo rocking, DarkZones and consider Contrast and other data.
And ALWAYS Spread.
Cushions for example can have Tolkowsky Round spread down to -30% less.

Hey Garry,

Glad to read your input. I''ve been computing some numbers on the spread of a Near Tolkowsky Round Cut versus Cushions and using surface area and precisely the same weight examples.

Some of the deepest cushions like the Square Cushion Hearts and Arrows (depths in the 72%+ range) have only 10% or less different in surface than a near tolkowsky cut with 61.5% depth.

I use for round SA=((L +W)/4)*((L+W)/4)*3.14159 (Pie*Radius Square)
For Cushion SA=(L*W) (a reasonable assumption which may overestimate the SA of a cushion by 5% or less due to rounded edges and corners)

I''m interested to know how you calculated -30% and it what type of cushions.

Regards,
CCL

 

[sv77vs]

ASET images are for just a general idea of what is going on with a stone, kind of gives you an idea if it will be a good one or a not so good one. But it is based on assumptions that aren''t necessarily true (e.g. green/indirect light is always less intense than red/overhead light, the blue area will be "obstructed" in normal viewing, etc. These things just aren''t always true in real viewing conditions. This might be a scandalous thing to say here, but it is true.)

But when buying online an ASET image can prove valuable. Even more valuable is the opinion of someone who knows what they are doing. Your seeing the stone is also very important, which is why it is a good thing that most online vendors have return policies.

Don''t rule out a stone that performs very well when viewed by a person just because it has a so-so (or not ideal for that matter) ASET image.