Idealscope: Did you use it to buy your diamond?

[jewelryjunkie]

Short story: Will an Idealscope show me if a diamond has a good cut without knowing all the angles of the diamond? And how many of you out there actually used one to buy your diamond?

Long story: I just went to my jeweler''s yesterday after months of reading posts and I was really disappointed.

I was looking for a good conversation about cut and didn''t get it. She just kept pointing to polish and symmetry on the GIA reports and said that that was proof of the diamond''s good quality.

Now I know from my pricescope education that polish and symmetry do play roles in a diamond''s beauty, but they''re not the main players.

The last diamond I bought from her was three years ago. I had it appraised by a independant gemologist to confirm that it was a good cut diamond, and it was.

I trust that the diamond I buy from her will be good. But I want to know that it is good not just trust that it is good.

I really like this jeweler, the customer service is amazing and I have a long history with her. She''s never given me a reason not to trust her. I''ve bought many smaller diamonds from her in the past but now that I''m buying my dream diamond, a 1ct, I want know know it''s good on paper as well as to my eye.

I know that y''all may think I should just change jewelers, but I really don''t want to. I''m beginning to think that her husband is really the one who knows about diamonds (he''s the one who owns the business but isn''t as customer friendly) and she knows a good diamond when she sees one but doesn''t know all the technical stuff behind it. So I''m wondering if an Idealscope will really tell me that the cut on a diamond is good without having to know all the angles.

The current diamond I''m looking at is 1.04 F SI1 price $5500

GIA stats are 6.44 - 6.49 X 4.03mm Depth 62.3% Table 57%, polish and symmetry Excellent

Thanks in advance for your imput!

 

[suzannecallison]

Hi jewelryjunkie

I used my idealscope to buy my diamond. I went to a lot of stores with my copy of the color chart, and looked at quite a few diamonds. I eventually bought from Billy Smith in the diamond district who sent me a few stones with sarin reports. He faxed the sarins and GIA''s in advance, with his opinions. Plugging into the HCA, I could say send me these, not those. Then eyes on and the idealscope helped me decide.

I understand being hesitant to whip out your little plastic pink thing with a nice lady who has done well in the past. BUT, you are spending waay more money now, and, anyway, she may think it''s cool. Plus, YOU will be wearing the diamond, not her, and if she can''t get you a sarin, then by all means use your cool plastic thingy.

Anyway, you can still have an independant appraisal

Just my opinion. Oh, and have fun and good luck!

Suzanne

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Can you give me the girdle thickness and culet size?

Unless this diamond has a slightly thick or thick girdle it will show a fair bit of leakage under the table.

 

[diamondlil]

Unfortunately, I purchased my diamond before I knew about Idealscope. Since getting the scope, I have used it to view many, many diamonds and think it is a very useful tool in evaluating cut. It takes some practice though. You are right about vendors pointing to the polish and symmetry on GIA reports and insisting that this is the information that proves it''s an "ideal cut." When it becomes obvious to me that a vendor has a different interpretation of what ideal cut really means, I have learned to keep my mouth shut rather than antagonize a vendor over what makes a diamond truly "ideal." I''ve also decided that there is no reason not to whip out the IS. If it will help a customer make a decision on which diamond is "the one," then no vender should frown upon it''s use. If they do, I recommend finding another jeweler.

Just my 2 cents.

DiamondLil