Importance of HCA and Ideal/ASET scope for Average Buyer

[justone73]

Hello everyone. I've been lurking around PriceScope for a couple of weeks now and have learned so much. Thanks!

I have a question about how important an HCA score and viewing an Ideal/ASET scope is for the average buyer. Basically, I'm looking for a diamond in the .8-1 ct range. All the diamonds I'm looking at are GIA/AGS excellent cut, G-H color, VS2-Si1, and eye-clean. I'm looking for a diamond that will look beautiful, not necessarily one that is perfect when viewed under high magnification etc. With this in mind:

1. How much of a visual difference does an HCA score make? In other words, all other factors being equal, will the average person be able to tell the difference between an HCA 1.5 diamond and an HCA 3 diamond?

2. For the average buyer, is it important to view a diamond under an Idealscope or ASET scope before making a decision? Obviously these tools reveal a ton of information, but so long as I'm only looking at eye-clean, excellent cut stones with a good HCA score (say under 2.5) are they really helpful or will they just reveal small imperfections the average buyer would never notice otherwise?

Thanks so much for any help. Truly, the knowledge and wisdom on this form is invaluable!

 

[solgen]

ASET is important IMO. Idealscope can help but doesn't show all the light leakage. A diamond can have a great IS but the ASET reveals leakage. You'll notice this more in dimmer light settings IMO. They have better brightness and scintillation.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Any time you become aware of a tool that can help you make the best choice you can make for an expensive purchase, I would say it's important. Do you necessarily need to buy a super ideal cut stone? No, and many choose not to do this. However, there are diamonds and then there are diamonds so you want to maximize your buying potential. Many here can and will help you weed out the first layer of poor performers so feel free to post any stone that you might be interested in or in the alternative, give us your specs and budget and we'll help you find something.

Sticking with AGS0 graded stones will give you a good leg up; GIA XXX stones can be magnificent but their parameters are too broad to assure that all of those stones will be good performers.

For instance, here is a stone that falls in the middle of your size request that is a beautifully cut stone. It might not fall within your budget though but it's a starting place to discuss stones: http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3408349.htm?source=pricescope