HCA with PDA?

[Regular Guy]

Gary or others who may be able to assist...I haven''t see that this question has been asked before, but the idea seems to be attractive...

Can the HCA score be calculated more readily on the fly, such that the cut advisor utility that calculates the HCA would be...in some way...made more portable, and usable while "out in the field.?"

Many of us would certainly consider paying for this, I''m sure, if the utility were available. Although I should probably consider investing in an idealscope, I am imagining that I can be less of the nuisance customer, asking for angles when they are available (or having been made available, because a sarin machine is in the store), and doing this math in the store, than if I...as it''s been suggested here elsewhere...whipped out that pink thingy, and did the examination that way.

Oh what the heck, hopefully someone will take my order, and I''ll go ahead and get an idealscope after all. But, it''s that holiday season, it would still be nice to evaluate with both resources (HCA and idealscope), and for those more modest purchases, that you might like to do more quickly than the purchase of an e-ring would suggest, being able to do an HCA calculation on the fly would be an attractive option.

Has this been considered?

Many thanks,

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Ira you answered your own question - if there is a diamond in front of you - you do not need HCA if you have an ideal-scope.

But the question has been asked before - personally I would not use it in my own buying, the Ideal-scope makes it unneccessary because any diamond with a great HCa has a great Idealscope image, but not alll diamonds with great HCA have great idealscope images (because of girdle cheating, weird minor facets and lousy symmetry etc).

HCA is for selection to narrow down sight unseen.

paper scissors rock

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 11/19/2004 4:53:33 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)

(because of girdle cheating...

(time-out)

...still hoping to fix misuse of that term

(game-on)

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

When it makes the stone look worse it is cheating.
Whe it makes it look better it is ''tricked''

Gouging can improve a stone - but more often than not it worsens a stone.
Painting the facets on a shallow stone makes it look worse, but improves a deep stone.

So Sir J, I think cheating and tricking are adequate terms

 

[Regular Guy]

Garry, Leonid,

Thanks for taking the time to get back. Your problem (and therefore, mine) is that you have something better to do.

Though not sure it's worth going there again, now that I see what you've indicated...that this has been before, I'll just share what is plain to me:

- despite the limits of what HCA tries to do, it's no worse, and provisionally rather better, than what AGS and AGA systems do when they do all that they can do.
- when provided with two, or even a dozen diamonds you could choose between, when you have rather somewhat comparable idealscope images next to each other (yes, I've just ordered mine), given the subtleties the HCA system purports to pick up, by which I mean notations of variance ranging from excellent to very good to fair and poor for factors of light return, fire, scintillation & spread...when you would be shopping yourself, would you really deprive yourself of the benefit of the work you've amassed in this area, and trust your eye on this?

Like I said, you're both busy guys. And speaking for myself, I use a paper calendar, and would have to both find the spare PDA we do have (I upgraded my wife's to get her color and a camera) and learn how to use it. But...given the recent effort to engage local jewelers here on Pricescope, and the possible assist you could get here from others, even on Pricescope (maybe you could still enlist jkruer01 even, Leonid)...well, I've thought it worth taking one more shot.

Other readers write with questions about what tools to get here, and where to go shopping. Of course, my perceptions may change once I'm experienced with the idealscope, but, frankly, getting skilled in its use really goes against my armchair shopping methods I've come to enjoy, and not to mention the reasons I've mentioned above. I find myself now motivated to tell shoppers to go where they can get crown & angle pavilion data...but since many of your comments elsewhere here reflect the same, I can only say that when you needn't be making Sophie's choice....don't. You're better off saying I don't have time, than denying your creative self, admitting of two great creations, and encouraging your readers to work with what they've got. Which, I've now done on your behalf.

With best wishes,