HCA and Ideal scope at local jeweler

[mike185]

I am new at this so please forgive the potential ignorance of my question. I have been shopping for a diamond for a few weeks, starting to get a idea of what I can get for my money and where I want to buy. I put a diamond on hold at a local jeweler (large store, sophisticated in knowledge and sales). I posted the EGL cert on here and was referred to the HCA tool and idea scope. Things I had no knowledge of prior to this site. Turns out the stone was a dud on HCA (>5).

Anyway, getting to my question. Is the HCA tool known and utilized industry wide? If I go back to the store and refer to the poor HCA score is the sales person going to know what I'm talking about or state that they only go by GIA/EGL certs, ect. If I ask to only see stones with HCA <2 is this something the stores track or will calculate for you or do I need to go armed with my iphone and run the numbers as we go...

My question regarding idealscope is essentially the same. Is this a industry wide practice and do most places have access to this tool?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Rockdiamond]

HI Mike,
although both HCA and IS are commonly used here on PS, they are not commonly used in retail stores.
In most cases, it's due to a lack of understanding of fine cut- or an effort to sell lesser stones.
There is another category- that being, sellers committed to fine cut that don't feel the tools give meaningful data.

If the seller is telling you EGL is somehow equivalent to GIA, that right there is a horrible sign.
If you want an accurately graded diamond, stick with GIA or AGSL - and accept NO substitute.
IMO, any seller of fine diamonds has a responsibility to advise consumers as much.
If you start getting a song and dance about this subject, dance out the door, is my advice.....

 

[kenny]

It is entirely possible they know about the tools but will tell you they don't or even discredit them since they stock poorly cut diamonds, or make more money off them.

 

[malnik]

Jewelers typically don't provide tools for customers since they might inadvertenly make the diamond hardly to sell. Keep in mind that jewelers can make more money from ignorant customers over knowledgable ones.

 

[denverappraiser]

Jewelers typically don't provide tools for customers since they might inadvertenly make the diamond hardly to sell. Keep in mind that jewelers can make more money from ignorant customers over knowledgable ones.

To a certain extent this is true but it's a matter of the jewelers style. 'Educated' customers includes the people who are REALLY into diamonds and who keep on coming back for more. High quality diamonds cost more than otherwise similar crappy ones so the stores that are good at selling them get bigger ticket sales and they get repeat customers. Those are pretty good reasons for certain jewelers to aim for that demographic. It IS a lot more work. Free education isn't free, and hiring and training staff for this is both difficult and expensive. It's not the easiest way to make a buck but it works for those who work it.

 

[Amys Bling]

It is entirely possible they know about the tools but will tell you they don't or even discredit them since they stock poorly cut diamonds, or make more money off them.

very true.

 

[Rockdiamond]

I love this forum as much as anyone- but I think it's really going out on a limb to say that most people working in jewelry stores are as knowledgeable about diamonds, and specifics about cut as many of the regular posters here at PS. Or even know about PS, HCA, IS etc
I say this due to the proliferation of mall jewelry stores- whereas "mom an pop" type operation are harder and harder to find.
In my experience, a family owned business- or at least independently owned- is far better at providing higher quality product, information, and and service than a larger chain operation.
This is exactly the type of operation that might know about Pricescope- and discuss it if it's brought up

But the bottom line is that I think most people working in jewelry stores today are working in malls and might just be working the Godiva store next door.
This is just my impression of the demographics of jewelry store employees today.
I wonder if there's data on this.....

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I definitely agree with David on that! It only takes about 1 question in a chain jewelry store to realize the sales person knows nothing beyond what is written on the price tags! Even in the non-chain, nicer jewelry stores I visited, I never saw an AGS 0 or a GIA XXX when I was looking for my diamond. The sales people did know more, but they just didn't have the quality of diamonds we see here. I'll bet very, very few people in jewelry stores use or even know about the idealscope. Why? Because the average consumer doesn't question the lab report, if they even look at one.

 

[denverappraiser]

The HCA is virtually unheard of outside of this site. Idealscopes have a slightly better market penetration and, with a bit of effort it's well suited to Internet sales but you don't find it much in the stores. MOST jewelers, good and bad alike, have never heard of either one. They're cheap and you can get your own rather easilly but I wouldn't expect the jeweler to be all that helpful in interpreting what you see.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

....and it's been my experience speaking to many retailers over the years that they have never heard of pricescope, HCA, or the Idealscope.

 

[Regular Guy]

....and it's been my experience speaking to many retailers over the years that they have never heard of pricescope, HCA, or the Idealscope.

Though I can both believe, and affirm this...it's still a little hard to understand.

Who hasn't heard of google, and what it does?

Who's not heard of ideal cut diamonds as a good target?

Put ideal cut diamond into google, and Pricecope is among the few non vendors to come up in in the first 10 hits, and front page.


Ira Z.