HCA values

[manogah]

How good of an indicator is the HCA value of a diamond with regards to how shiny/sparkly it is?

As I am shopping online, I am using the HCA calculator from this website to only find stones that have values of less than 2, but I noticed that sometimes stones with lower carat and higher HCA value are priced higher than one with higher carat and lower HCA value (clarity and colour are the same).

 

[hawk25]

The HCA is useful in weeding out bad performing stones, especially GIA Ex cut stones. A GIA Ex cut that has an HCA score of less than 2.0 has a better likelihood of performing as well as AGS 0 Ideal stones.

You might be seeing how cut quality has an effect on price. Are you comparing in house diamonds or virtual stones?

 

[kenny]

Reject rounds with HCA scores over 2.0.
Get Idealscope pics on HCAs under 2.0.
Compare pics to this.



This simple 2-step process is a bulletproof way to a well-cut round.
It may omit a few rounds that pros with years of experience would have accepted ... but you and I are not pros with years of experience.

 

[manogah]

Thanks everyone!

 

[sakari_8]

HCA only helps to filter the best performing stone, however not the accurate method, it is possible to get the score less than 2 on a stone but stone is still hazy. However it does help to narrow down the best stones.