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I am spoiled by my ideal scope

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kitt314159

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
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I just got my ideal scope and ideal light and started to use it to look at diamonds at my local jewlers. So far I like the tool a lot, however I somewhat feel that I have been spoiled by it. So far I have looked at AGS000 diamonds, Lazare diamonds, Hearts on Fire diamonds, etc, yet none of them seem to generate an image as good as the reference CZ I got in my scope package. Compared to the nice and perfect scope images I see on whiteflash and superbcert, the ones I saw really paled in comparison, even though several of the diamonds I saw in the stores were priced much more expensive than the ones on whiteflash and superbcert. The only exception was an eightstar diamond I saw in the local 8* dealer... It generated a beautiful ideal scope image. Unfortunately, they were out of my price range.

The owners of whiteflash and superbcerts, does your diamond get the exact same ideal scope image as the one on the website? I am wondering whether I am searching for a level of perfection that doesn''t really exist...

Thanks,

Yan
 
Do the jewelers say anything about you using it? I am about to order one but im afraid I'll look silly with my little pink scope
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(not that I really care, but just trying to gauge reactions you get)
 
When I used mine the first guy kinda laughed to himself about "the new tool the idiot brought in" but then he tried it himself and saw what I was talking about! He was able to pick out the radiants with bowties much easier...however all his diamonds were crappy so we didnt get to compare it to a good one...till we left and went to our other store and was totally sold on a radiant based on the ideal scope totally blasting the other stones out of the water. The salesperson of this stone was super snotty about it but when you tell me "you can't get a crown height on fancy cut stones" I stop paying attention to you!

(we'll prob get the stone appraised before buying it so that I have peace of mind knowing the crown height)

I love the tool! Dont pay attention to those skeptical B&M dealers!
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Colleen
 
Most of the jewlers I went to had never seen or heard of the ideal scope, but they let me use it. One of them asked for permission from her manager, but other than that they didn't make it uncomfortable for me. I did assure them that I was only using to pick what diamond I would be willing to buy, not as a basis to argue price with them. I also were careful not to pass negative judgement on stones that they felt were good cut but the scope reviewed otherwise. I just said "this stone is good, but I need to see more." Some of them were quite interested in the tool as well.

One of them did know about the ideal scope, however they insisted that firescopes are better so I just used the firescope at their store. I think either tools are fine for judging cut quality.
 
I've had my Idealscope for a few months now and am so happy I purchased it. The local jeweler had never seen it, but was very intrigued and a bit surprised that "somebody came in prepared"! They didn't laugh or anything - they understood what it was for and understood the results it was showing.

I purchased a stone from Whiteflash recently & had it shipped directly to me. I can tell you that the Idealscope image was absolutely fabulous and a direct representation of what was shown on the website. It blew away the reference CZ! It seems (at least to my eyes) that they (Whiteflash) are able to use a whiter light below the diamond than the light included in the Idealscope viewing kit. You may notice that the one in the kit seems a bit yellowish (especially in pictures) and the stones you view in person will be more pink-ish than red.

If you want to see a comparison between Whiteflash's Idealscope posting and a picture I took at home of the same diamond, check out this link to my past posting: Idealscope images, etc.

You will see on the page that I have a little link to the diamond on Whiteflash's site. I just checked & it is still there with the Idealscope image they posted. All the pictures you actually see within my post are ones that I took with my digital camera while secured on a tripod. I also used a Hearts & Arrows viewer for some of the pictures.

Bringing in a loupe and Idealscope and a decent beginning knowledge lets the jeweler know they aren't dealing with another dummy off the street. If they are truly reputable & worth dealing with, I think they will be supportive of your tools and informed purchasing. The jeweler actually told me how they sometimes laugh at people who come in on a whim and just say - "I like that diamond....it's pretty...I'll take it!", without any knowledge whatsoever.

Keep looking and you will find one that fits the bill. There are plenty of good stones out there. The online vendors make it so much easier to make an informed decision, though! Good Luck!!!
 
After looking at the whiteflash diamonds a little closer, I did notice that each image is unique, and not all are the most perfect. For example, does this diamond look like its symmetry could be a little better, and this diamond looks like it is leaking some light in the lighter areas in the table and also between the tips of the stars? Am I interpreting the picture correctly?
 
I think that is a great point - go in to a store armed with some info and knowledge and you are bound to get better attention and help. If you do not then you are probably in the wrong store anyway. And if the store has a firescope then they are an Eight Star dealer and they at least know what a well cut stone is
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. 8* sell the Firescope for $1,200 - so for $25 or $120 - the Ideaal-scope is good value huh?

I am glad the tool has been of help and assistance for you. Please do not be embarrassed to use it.
 
I've received mixed reactions when dealers see my ideal-scope. The majority (amazingly) have no idea what it is but seem interested. One thought it was a H&A viewer. There have been a few who have been a little stand-off-ish about it. I decided that if they were going to be defensive and annoyed by me and my little scope, then I do want to talk to them anyway.




The jeweler I purchased my stone from spent some time talking to me about it and seemed very intrigued. The sales rep. he has working with him had me write down the name of the website where they could get more information. The next time I see him, I'll be anxious to find out if he got himself one.




I have not taken the IS into any of the high-end stores like Tiffany's or BB&B. Has anyone done this, and how did it go over?




DiamondLil
 
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On 4/2/2004 2:34:38 AM kitt314159 wrote:

After looking at the whiteflash diamonds a little closer, I did notice that each image is unique, and not all are the most perfect. For example, does this diamond look like its symmetry could be a little better, and this diamond looks like it is leaking some light in the lighter areas in the table and also between the tips of the stars? Am I interpreting the picture correctly?----------------
Click to expand...


The first diamond is a WF Expert Selection diamond. WF may have cut the diamond or it may have been purchased from an outside source. The IS indicates the diamond will be a great performer.

The second diamond,.......... My guess, from the Ideal Scope image, is a Classic ACA. I don't know for sure. Just looks like it from the limited light leakage around the girdle. Classic ACA's are wonderful performers as well. Different look from the New Line. Beautifully romantic sparklies.
 
I have used my IdealScopes in a number of local stores and the ONLY stones that come close to what you see at GoodOldGold or Whiteflash have been the over-priced hearts-on-fire diamonds. I have not seen any other branded stones. Some Original Radiants looked OK, and I was surprised at some Ascher cut performance when compared to every crappy Princess put in front of me.

I simply take the IdealScope out of my pocket and start using it, say something like its my new toy to judge cut, at one store I said it is an amateur's loupe. LOL! I have no problems or resistance, in fact when I quickly dismiss a stone they are amazed and then intrigued to know what I saw in the stone.

I was at a tradeshow last week and 2 young ladies sharing the booth with us had these massive e-rings. I complimented them on their rings and we talked about my 10 year anniv project. We talked about how the sales people at B&M's suck, one's bf simply went in a got it one day from some store and the other's bf got a stone from Blue Nile. I mentioned how I have not found a decent stone locally and I got some jeweller recommendations from them (which did not pan out of course)... some how the IdealScope got brought up and since I had it with me we looked at the stones. I already knew the Blue Nile stone looked alot better, the B&M stone only had the same amount of sparkle as the platinum band that held it.

The Ideal Scope revealed the (awful) truth about the B&M stone, but I softened the blow enough I think by saying things like, look there are pinks and some reds this is OK - when in fact the entire table and edges looked white and there was just a little bit of light pink. Damn. The Blue Nile stone was better but just the same as the better stones I have seen at the B&M's.

I am still waiting for the right stone and of course I will use the IdealScope to make sure but it has taught me ALOT and confirmed that the B&M's really can not compete on quality.


cheers
Andrew
 
If you are looking at rounds, you will find better light return obviously. WF ACA's have nice IS images to compare to. Some may be better than others. To me, the IS promotional image looks like a FireScope image, I don't know that I've seen anything that perfect.
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Also photography nuances etc tend to sometimes color the picture, literally. When you see a photo that is aLL pinks, but it's something like an ACA, chances are the lighting contributed to the pinks vs reds look. Jonathan on GOG uses a LightScope now which he notes is not as forgiving as he considers the IdealScope to be, you will see what appears to be leakage in his, around the table etc. He has posted some comparisons on the same stone using the LS vs the IS in the past, so you can see how the different tools show different images.




So it's hard to really compare apples to apples. Personally I look for lots of red and pinks mixed together, and blacks. No white. If you see pinks mixed with reds, that's the scintillation. Black is the contrast. So as long as you aren't seeing buckets of whites, honestly...you are probably splitting hairs. Especially if the stone is a branded stone, or on GOG's site etc...99.9% of the stones in the ACA line, SC line, GOG line etc are going to be top top notch performers...though one may sneak in that is not quite up to par with the others at times.
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So don't be TOO hard on your IS images. You aren't JUST buying the IS image. If the numbers are hot, the stone looks amazing in person, and the IS image looks very nice, chances are you have a great stone on your hands. Also I have noticed that when I use my IS in person, I see more pinks than reds, probably because of my lighting.
 
For fun, here is my new stone's IS image. I took this myself, not bad for an amateur. Chances are, I didn't align the stone absolutely perfectly since I am missing some black contrast in a few places and the whole image is 'paler' towards the top half of the image vs the bottom...but this stone is a KNOCKOUT in person and the IS on the vendor's website was top notch. My fiance's stone is an ACA and the IS image was similarly eye popping in person when we got the stone (and the stone is an absolute screamer). Hope this helps!

1.29 H SI IS image.jpeg
 
I didn't use my I-scope in stores because I got it too late
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. (I ordered it late
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)

That said I would DEFINATELY use it in a stare, and never buy a stone without it. Why? I brouth it into work, and my friends superb princess scored major RED on the I-scope, and she was impressed to see that it was lovely indeed.

Sadly, my other coworker's ring which was also princess and not so sparkly...noticed how her performed. We noticed the best performers on it where the sparkliest in person.

It's a great tool, especially for rounds!!! And if the store doesn't know about it, they can learn, and if they are rude or bothered, then it makes you wonder what they are trying to hide, huh?
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Thanks to everyone for replying to my message. Your opinions were very helpful
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We bought our diamond & ring yesterday. It was one of the store diamonds I saw with the scope that didn't generate the perfect image. It didn't have any light leakage (white areas), but the star-pattern wasn't very good (the stone only had GIA "very good" symmetry), but both my fiancee and I loved the way it sparkled. After reading your posts, I decided not to pursue absolute perfection, but to just buy this stone that we love. We are very happy now!
 
That is interesting Yan.
I have a belief that perfect H&A's type symmetry is not always essential.

For instance a stone with 'sweet spot' proportions - like 40.5 pavilion and 34 crown - can get away with more facet angle deviation than one with 41 pavilion and 34.5 crown. This i probably gobbly gook to you - sorry
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Anyway glad to have been of some service.
 
Kitt, Congrats! Did you post specs on this diamond previously? Can't wait to hear about it/see pics!

Colleen
 
The specs on this diamond are:

Shape: Round Brilliant
Meass: 6.60-6.65x3.94mm
Weight: 1.04 carat
Depth: 59.5%
Table: 57%
Girdle: Very thin to medium, faceted
Culet: None
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Clarity: VS2
Color: F
Fluorescence: None
Comments: pinpoints are not shown
Inclusions: Feather, Crystal, Cloud, Indented Natural

The girdle is making me a little bit nervous. When I was looking at the stone, I misremembered the proper girdle thickness.. I thought anywhere between very thin to slightly think was OK, but after I reread some stuff it says very thin can be prone to chipping. And we did have it set in a tiffany style prong-set solitare ring.

Anyway, we are very happy with its brilliance and sparkle. We are going to insure it and try not let the "very thin" girdle bother us...
 
Very very nice! I thought I heard you had to stay away from extremely thin girdles...so maybe you shouldn't worry too much??? Maybe others will clarify.

Can't wait to see it set!

Colleen
 
I am finding that taking pictures of a diamond ring with a Canon Powershot G2 isn't as easy as I thought... Can some of you offer some ideas on how to take pictures of your diamond?
 
Does it have a macro setting?
 
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On 4/5/2004 1:29:25 AM kitt314159 wrote:

I am finding that taking pictures of a diamond ring with a Canon Powershot G2 isn't as easy as I thought... Can some of you offer some ideas on how to take pictures of your diamond?----------------
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Try taking the pink insert out of your ideal-scope and siting it over the top
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And do an ideal-scope version while you are at it. you may need to sit the camera right on top.

The girdle is sometimes only very thin in 1 or 2 tiny spots and if you point this out to your jeweller they can pop them under a prong
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On 4/5/2004 1:31:45 AM cmcwill wrote:

Does it have a macro setting?----------------
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I am afraid I am not sure what "macro setting" you are referring to...

Also, I am wondering why I am not seeing nearly as much fire as I did of this stone while it was at the jewlery store (it was literally lighting up the place with green blue and red) when I look at it in my room. It is still very bright, however. Could it be that the florescent lighting in the room isn't good for showing fire?
 
flood light like flour's kills fire, as does cloudy day lighting.
Under a broad leafed tree is cool. Jewellery shops have very bright small spots, like halogens, and this makes the body of the stone look darker and against that background the fire (which is always less bright than the brightest white areas).

Search for "brilliance is the enemy of fire"
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On 4/5/2004 2:30:38 AM Cut Nut wrote:





Try taking the pink insert out of your ideal-scope and siting it over the top
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And do an ideal-scope version while you are at it. you may need to sit the camera right on top.


----------------
Click to expand...

Thanks, Gary. It never occurred to me to try this before. I was wondering why I could not get in tight enough for a clear shot like I have seen posted here. I'll give it a try on the next decent-weathered day we get.



DiamondLil
 
macro is a setting on some digital cameras for taking shots up close. mine is marked by a little tulip icon. i have no idea what it does to the camera except that the pics come out better!
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colleen
 
You will not need macro if you use the scope as a 'macro' attachment
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'Splain, por favor?
 
I finally got some pictures taken. I am afraid that my photography skills isn't very good :P

b689.jpg


b9c2.jpg


c89b.jpg


There are a few more photos here

BTW, I think what Cut Nut was suggesting earlier is to attach the ideal scope to the front of the lens. That is what I did to take some of the pictures.
 
Sorry Kitt, I can't view the pics!
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Can't wait though!!

Colleen
 
Can you see them via this link?
 
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