How much do you rely on the HCA (holloway cut advisor)?

[sushi]

Hello,

So to recap anyone who i havent bugged about this yet, im looking to buy a pair of rounds. I dont want to buy online as I live in Hong Kong and there are thousands of dealers here, which I can see, and the price is quite good here.

I have 10 dealers sending me their lists, (and thousands more I can contact) so i can narrow down which stones I want to visit, As i cant visually compares, I have been using the HCA to check them all, but Im totally lost.

Almost all of them are coming back bad. But im not sure if i am being too fussy with my budget, or if i am rejecting good stones! I have realised that even stones that have triple ex dont always perform well on the HCA, and stones that might be just a good cut on GIA, can be really good on the HCA. So im lost.

Another thing, I just had 2 F-SI's triple EX GIA, both same price, but one came back with an excellent HCA, one came with a terrible one...

How much do you rely on the HCA? If stones are coming out 3+ does that mean dont buy? Out of everthing Im looking for, I want the most sparkle, and as I cant look at them side by side, i have been relying on the HCA to tell me, but im not sure if im doing the wrong thing.

Any advise?

Thanks!

Sushi

 

[Ravinmad]

I think the small print on the HCA tool says if a stone comes in under or at a 2 that it eliminates 95% of the inferior diamonds out there. As most folks say what you like in a stone can make you love a 3 or 4 more then a .5, but I try to keep the stones I look at equal to or below about 2.5 to give some wiggle room. Thats just me, but each persons personal idea is different.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would definitely stick to GIA Excellent only. There are sometimes stones that score in the 2 range that are fine. You want your two stones to be well matched, however, so I would be wary about a stone that scores between 1 and 2 being paired with a stone that scored a 3 on the HCA. Your best bet is to post some here if they fall into the 2 range to see what people say. It is just an easier purchase when they both fall under 2. But there are great stones that will fall into the 2 range, also.

 

[sushi]

ok, great thanks.. so it seems i have been right to decline them then. I was thinking that i was doing something wrong as nothing has come up with a -2. Or a -3 in fact!

I was worried the dealers would be getting annoyed as i keep declining...

Once i get a pair sub 2, ill post them for you all to look at. In the meantime if anyone has any other advice its much appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Rockdiamond]

Sushi- are you looking at these diamonds in person?
There's a lot of sentiment that for those buying blind the HCA is a good tool to use- but for those looking at stones in person, your own eyes should be the determining factor

In terms of matching- having identical HCA scores does not mean diamonds will match- conversely, different HCA scores does not necessarily mean they won't match.

 

[sushi]

Hi rock diamond.

No I haven't seen any yet. I've got the details of a load of dealers and they have emailed me lists. I thought I would narrow them down by hca before I visited them, plus as I can't compare different stones from different dealers visually I thought it would be a good starting point, but I'm yet to find any pair that score well on hca. I have noticed that even if I see a pair that look ok, once a much better pair is side by side I only then notice how bad the first one was, so I don't trust my eye!

Thanks for the input.

sushi

 

[kenny]

I relied on the HCA for 100% of the rounds I've bought.
I'd never consider buying a round white diamond without using the HCA.
(GIA does not measure angles of colored diamonds.)

I reject diamonds with HCA scores over 2.0 and get Idealscope pics on those under 2.

The Crown and Pavilion angles we enter into the HCA are each an average of 8 angles around the diamond. (10 on a Solasfera.)
Just because the average is groovy does not mean each of the 16 angles are also groovy, and an Idealscope pic will reveal wonky cutting.

I don't trust a vendor who argues against the HCA or Idealscope.
It makes me suspect they may be selling poorly cut diamonds.

 

[Rockdiamond]

I see Sushi- I understand what you mean about the comparison- many people find this to be true.
With color grades for example- a J may look very white till we compare next to a D- then the difference is obvious, and the J looks tinted.
It is the same with cut, sparkle and light performance.
In person comparison is hands down, the best way to judge.
There's a lot of great things about HCA, and IdealScope.
I would not go as far as saying that any dealer not using, or agreeing with the tools is not selling really well cut diamonds.
Remember, most dealers do not read this forum- and probably have never even heard of these tools- that in and of itself is not proof they don't have other means for selecting really well cut diamonds.

Although I don't feel it's true in every case, to a large extent I agree with Kenny.
The truth today is that most sellers are not experts on cut. If you want the very best cut, you do need to find a seller that specializes in fine cut.
Again, if you're looking in person, hopefully you can see stones in person to see if you can see the difference, and prefer the "super ideal" cuts available today. Many people do.

 

[sushi]

If you want the very best cut, you do need to find a seller that specializes in fine cut.
Again, if you're looking in person, hopefully you can see stones in person to see if you can see the difference, and prefer the "super ideal" cuts available today. Many people do.

Hi Rockdiamond,

MMM ok i totally understand, but im not sure how to ask for someone who is a cut specialist. As you are in the trade, im sure you know what Hong Kong is like, its a smorgasboard of dealers. And dont forget English isnt usually the first language. (it is fine though...) What should I be asking for? At the moment this is the blurb: 1.8 tcw+, G/F vs2/s1 (eyeclean), Ex cut, certified. I have mentioned that fire and scintillation is very important too.

But from what i can see, they just pull the information off a spread sheet and send it over. Of course they say they can bring the stones to my office, or i can go to theirs, but as i said im scared to do that as i dont trust my eye at all! And after checking the bad HCA's of the stones im glad i didnt as I probably would have bought them, and i would have done the wrong thing.

I seem to be just lucky if i find one that is good. I am in no particular hurry, so I will wait until i get what i want, as long as I know what i am looking for and i know that it will come!

My initial question really was that the 25 or so pairs that i have been sent though on paper, that I have all rejected, did i do the right thing, well it seems that as the HCA was all 3+ for all of them, i did. As i said i think i need to be clearer on what im looking for,

Im surprised it is so hard to find a pair of diamond studs! PLease let me know if i am doing anything wrong, or if i should be asking better questions! A girl is waiting for some sparkle for her ears over here!



PS Kenny, thank you for your input, its really helped!