How technological advancement in grading will happen

[oldminer]

In another thread John Pollard was 100% correct in saying that labs which grade to the soft side will drag their feet in adopting inflexible and object grading of color, clarity and other elements of diamond grading. What is going on quietly is a rising demand in the public secotr ot do the job of diamond grading better, to do it much like other items of a costly nature are graded. It is a real challenge for members of the public to grasp that the diamond industry accepts soft grading and that retailers allow misleading grading to be pushed down the line to their trusting consumers. No one believes how easy this is to be aware of yet retailers excuse the soft grading by saying labs just don't grade the same, and telling consumers that grading is is subjective to the point where any grade is "the grade". They further offer that all the labs are about the same in many cases when it is clearly not the case. Times are changing and information is more and more available for consumers.
I hope to see consumers be able to have complete confidence in diamond grading, just like with so many other things we buy, based on precise grading that we have come to expect.

What we see now are major diamond manufacturers seeking ways to streamline their delivery chain to keep competitive and to make money in a tight profit market. Just imagine how much the diamond industry spends on diamond grading certificates, how much time is wasted waiting for them to be prepared and the enormous expense of shipping back and forth. All of this is borne by the consumer no matter how something is priced. What if a diamond could be properly graded at the source of cutting for 20% of the current cost, without shipping two ways, and without any substantial report preparation time? How about if all this could be done with accuracy, repeatability and precision based on factual data that would match with other diamonds graded this way anywhere in the world using this equipment?

Would consumers prefer such a scenario? Would diamond cutters and large suppliers prefer such efficiency? You know they would. Of course, the traditionalists will feel left out of the loop and be quite unhappy. They won't change overnight and it does take time for big changes to occur. These changes will be driven not only by better informed consumers, but by the biggest players who look at their bottom line profits and understand how to maximize their return on investment. Those two forces are stronger than any of the existing labs and all their strategies for grading diamonds whether they grade them correctly most of the time or rarely. My experience has shown that consumers and large cutters and dealers want consistent and reliable information. As technology allows better grading there will be a large change in how we'll see diamonds graded.

This is not the end of labs or the end of gemologists, but it is a time for higher efficiency and better use of our valuable time. I think we'll see these changes come faster and faster as diamonds enter the retail market with machine based, factual grading. For sure, a technology graded diamond can come with "proof" in facts about its grade. What "proof" in terms of facts can any lab offer a consumer? Showing the ability to prove a grade is going to outweigh an opinion, just like in court where factual proof nearly always defeats an opinion when any factual evidence is available.....

 

[denverappraiser]

Better – faster – cheaper. That’s a pretty strong argument in nearly any industry and I see no exception for grading lab services. This sort of thing catches on pretty fast although, frankly, it’s sometimes harder to make the argument than it seems at first blush. Replacing human graders with robots gains some efficiency to be sure but it also makes you reliant on the robot makers, the robot designers, and the robot techs. It adds a cycle of 'upgrades' that lasts forever and sometimes leads to disaster. A whole new set of problems come up, some of which are actually pretty difficult to address.

Diamonds are graded on some traditional scales that complicate matters. Our definition of ‘flawless’ would be laughable in, for example, the lens or optical industry, and what we mean by the word ‘color’ in describing diamonds is unique in the world. The move to automated grading is inevitable and I think it’s likely to come along sooner than people think but along with it I fully expect a move to change the grading scales as well. It’s not just the soft labs that will oppose THAT. GIA is in the lofty position they enjoy because they invented the current system and they won’t give it up easily.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Alot of valuable time is also spent debating lab vs. lab and constant explanations of why one lab grades
different from another lab. How is the consumer to know the difference unless they stumble upon a site like Pricescope?

CLARITY (a clear message) would do wonders to gain more consumer confidence.

Personally, I don't think our industry does a very good job of sending consistent clear messages to consumers.

I'm all in favor of better technology if it will enhance consistency and reduce the laboratory grading games.

And then get ready for..you guessed it...MORE DEBATES.

 

[oldminer]

Debates will never end. The subject matter will change, but we love to take sides and defend positions.