GIA cert says "Very Good" cut but HCA rates it a 1.2 (??)

[newbie124]

I found a stone whose dimensions are:

Table: 57
Depth: 60.4
Crown: 34.5
Pavilion: 40.8

HCA results are 1.2 (ex-ex-ex-vg), however the GIA cert rated this only a "Very Good" cut. Any idea why the discrepancy?? Which one should I trust? On the HCA graph, the specs put this diamond in the middle of the AGS and GIA "Excellent" cut area, so not sure why the cert doesn''t rate it as an "Excellent"...

Also, the cert inclusion map shows that there is a cavity (although I can''t tell from the markings where it is). How bad is that? This is an SI1 stone.

Thanks!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

It probably has too thin a girdle in a spot or two, or the sym or polish might be Good.
enter the report # and Carat weight here and let us know
http://www.gia.edu/reportcheck/

 

[newbie124]

Thanks for replying, Garry.

The polish and symmetry are both Excellent. Girdle is Very Thin-Medium...so could that be the issue? In which case, should I pass on this one?

 

[strmrdr]

might be downgraded for painting or digging also.
An ideal-scope image would answer that question.
There might be nothing wrong with the stone but caution is warranted.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 1/28/2008 10:57:36 PM
Author: newbie124
Thanks for replying, Garry.

The polish and symmetry are both Excellent. Girdle is Very Thin-Medium...so could that be the issue? In which case, should I pass on this one?

very thin girdle can knock it down.
If the the very thin is anything more than a very tiny spot id pass.
This stone really needs an in person evaluation by an expert too sort it out.

 

[newbie124]

Thanks, Storm.

I think I''ll probably pass on this one then, as since it''s a virtual stone, the vendor would have to call it in to take a look at it and the whole process just seems a bit lengthy for a stone that has a good probability of not being great b/c of the girdle...

Sigh...guess that means the search continues!

 

[oldminer]

Just to play the devil's advocate for a moment

, such a diamond may be a very good financial deal and not a poor one to buy. It has a "fault", but few things in this world don't have faults. At least, you can buy insurance just in case of unlikely breakage or damage anyway. Insurance companies don't charge for this form of extra risk, so you may be getting a deal on the diamond and a deal on the insurance, too.

I know we often see folks looking for "perfection" and we respect it, but remember, a diamond that ends of being chosen need not be perfect in clarity, color, or cut , but only "perfect" in the combination of beauty and price for an individual to give as a meaningful gift to someone. In this sense, most well shopped and carefully bought diamonds are "perfect", but only in this unique way.

The HCA does a very good job of appearance beauty estimation. Someone else will find everyone's rejected stones perfect for their individual budget and purchase. Some of the nicest looking diamonds get pushed away in this quest for physical perfection of symmetry. At some point, such a hyper-quest becomes a non-productive process. You may not be at this point yet, but don't center on perfection so much as on beauty.

 

[newbie124]

Date: 1/29/2008 11:01:07 AM
Author: oldminer
Just to play the devil''s advocate for a moment

, such a diamond may be a very good financial deal and not a poor one to buy. It has a ''fault'', but few things in this world don''t have faults. At least, you can buy insurance just in case of unlikely breakage or damage anyway. Insurance companies don''t charge for this form of extra risk, so you may be getting a deal on the diamond and a deal on the insurance, too.


I know we often see folks looking for ''perfection'' and we respect it, but remember, a diamond that ends of being chosen need not be perfect in clarity, color, or cut , but only ''perfect'' in the combination of beauty and price for an individual to give as a meaningful gift to someone. In this sense, most well shopped and carefully bought diamonds are ''perfect'', but only in this unique way.


The HCA does a very good job of appearance beauty estimation. Someone else will find everyone''s rejected stones perfect for their individual budget and purchase. Some of the nicest looking diamonds get pushed away in this quest for physical perfection of symmetry. At some point, such a hyper-quest becomes a non-productive process. You may not be at this point yet, but don''t center on perfection so much as on beauty.

Thanks for the alternative perspective

I guess it is all relative...After doing a Cut Search, I have an initial 3-4 strong contenders w/ better overall specs at about the same price or less; 3 moderate contenders (ones like this one that have pretty good specs but fall just short in a couple areas); and 3 other "high reaching" contenders that have good specs but cost a bit more than we''d like to spend.

So my "strategy" is to weed out the top contenders first then go to the moderate ones if it turns out the first set of stones don''t work out...