Inclusion at corner and Diamond Integrity

[Richard Sherwood]

Although his manner can be blunt at times, I would say Storm's diamond knowledge is probably more extensive than 90 percent of the jewelers out there.

If we would accept their input, then we should accept his. Any consumer, for that matter. If they're out of line, we don't have to worry, plenty of people will put in opposing viewpoints and the person who posed the question will arrive at their own conclusions.

 

[Mara]

my two cents re: the whole thing about consumers and experts...i have many a time said that i would pass on a stone because it didn''t have specs that *I* liked. saying that *I* would pass is perfectly acceptable, it''s one opinion. by all means, an expert can chime in and say that maybe it should be given more consideration or post their own educated opinion. it doesn''t mean that *I* would still consider it, when people come onto this forum and ask questions, they are asking opinions from anyone who participates. that includes both consumers and vendors and appraisers. each one can be considered.

my thought on the comment of the poor unsuspecting vendor losing the sale due to someone saying they don''t like the stone is...in this case maybe if the vendor had more information on the stone and location of the feathers and a note regarding the placement and how they might affect the stone, then the consumer wouldn''t need to come in here and ask for advice. so all of this could be circumvented if the vendor gave more info on the stone. just a thought.

lastly, while appraisers or vendors may not always agree with what the consumers here give as advice, many times the appraisers or vendors are not available to comment on the stone simply becasue they are not around! so the consumer gets what is available at the time, which is educated consumers opinions based on their own knowledge which at times may be limited or based on their own experiences. the hope is that people coming here to ask advice are savvy enough to separate the wheat from the chaff...!

 

[Slykat12]

Wow, I could not have written anything better than Mara and Belle so umm ditto.

Please note this exchange of ideals is very very healthy and I hope it continues to be done in a dignified respectful manner "baseball bats aside". Every single one of you has added your diff perspective which is great.


And doc to add what Belle already said, you would be shocked at the things my patients believe heal them. I never mock them or say they are wrong because if it makes them psychologically feel better it will translate to a better overall outcome which is my goal as well.

Ever heard of the placebo effect? It is real.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 7/30/2005 6:51:23 PM
Author: Richard Sherwood

If we would accept their input, then we should accept his. Any consumer, for that matter. If they're out of line, we don't have to worry, plenty of people will put in opposing viewpoints and the person who posed the question will arrive at their own conclusions.

Richard, well done. Couldn't have said it better.

There are times when people arbitrarily say "Oh, I wouldn't go below G because it will be yellow." There are times when folks dissuade going below VS. Does that make them right? Not necessarily, but it's their opinions. If I think a given opinion unfairly slants someone away from an otherwise reasonable stone, I can counter that by offering an opposing opinion. It's really up to the poster to sift through all the opinions and make his own conclusion.

There are a ton of stones that others would "pass on" given their personal preferences that I would buy. There are stones others would buy that I *personally* would "pass on". Storm was pretty clear--more than once, actually--that it may or may not be a problem. He didn't offer a "gemological evaluation", just his personal opinion that *HE* wouldn't bother with such a stone because there are other stones available where such a question would be moot.

Regarding the appraiser comments about comparing "educated/credentialed" opinions to those of non-educated/non-credentialed opinions......the guy is asking his question on a consumer diamond forum, which tells me he's not expecting only educated/credentialed/GG opinions, right? He's asking other consumers "would YOU spend your hard-earned dollars to find out more about this stone or not?" That question doesn't require credentials to answer. Some will say "yes, I would"; others will say "no, if it were *I*, I wouldn't."

To the appraisers who regard the "peanut gallery" with disdain, I will tell you one thing: putting down others opinions just because they aren't as credentialed as yours doesn't really endear you as a resource to anybody. You can be the most credentialed person in the room, but if you turn people off by dismissing them or talking down to them, your credentials never come into play.

Regarding Rock Doc's comment "Suppose the stone isn't a problem and you unfairly cost the person selling it his sale?" , I'd say this: The whole point of PS is providing a place where consumers can get opinions that AREN'T vested in the sale. It's not the responsibility of posters here to worry about the vendor's sale; that's the vendor's responsibility. Further, if the vendor provided information that made the consumer feel more confident in the first place, there wouldn't be much reason for his sale to be in jeopardy.

and regarding Rhino's comments: ".....if it were my stone and hoped to make the sale I personally would appreciate (if I knew for a fact that the stone was *indeed* a winner) that nobody would make comments that might dissuade the consumer to the stone." ....."you either pay to have this done by an appraiser who has the proper tools or seek out a vendor who provides the information you are looking for up front. NiceIce happens to be one and the consumers here can point you to others as well." If you'd take such exception to folks dissuading a stone in a sale you hoped to make, I can't imagine you'd be much happier for another vendor to start suggesting *other vendors*, either. In fact, I know first hand that you take exception to it; you've been quite vocal about it in the past. Your point was made just fine by saying "a vendor who provides the information you are looking for up front." A little "practice what you preach" might be in order.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Hi Marty. I'm still lovin the SAS. I've left my wife and moved in permanently with it, sending out only for Chinese and pizza. Thanks.

As for Storm, he's about as anonymous as Charles Manson. I could practically give you his life history. He is a private consumer to the bone, works for himself in the computer industry and has become an obsessive-compulsive diamond connoisseur. The kind of customer who is a jeweler's nightmare, as he knows more than most of them.

Heh heh heh... Love ya Storm. (Did I mention he's a gun enthusiast?)

 

[Kaleigh]

Well said Richard.

 

[adamasgem]

Date: 7/30/2005 10:45:33 PM
Author: aljdewey

Date: 7/30/2005 6:51:23 PM
Author: Richard Sherwood

If we would accept their input, then we should accept his. Any consumer, for that matter. If they''re out of line, we don''t have to worry, plenty of people will put in opposing viewpoints and the person who posed the question will arrive at their own conclusions.

Regarding Rock Doc''s comment ''Suppose the stone isn''t a problem and you unfairly cost the person selling it his sale?'' , I''d say this: The whole point of PS is providing a place where consumers can get opinions that AREN''T vested in the sale. It''s not the responsibility of posters here to worry about the vendor''s sale; that''s the vendor''s responsibility. Further, if the vendor provided information that made the consumer feel more confident in the first place, there wouldn''t be much reason for his sale to be in jeopardy.

Just how is RockDoc''s opinion vested in the sale? He is one of the most consumer oriented appraisers out there, and as far as I know, treats all sellers with equal respect. He stated an opinion that, shall I say, outright (what I see as reckless) dismissal of a stone by uninformed non experts, does potential harm, both TO THE CONSUMER who might have gotten a well priced and very nice stone without any problems, but for the ill informed comments made by a non expert, as well as the fact that potentially well intentioned vendor(s) may have lost income because of that.

Well intentioned appraisers may have dissenting opinions on a stone...

Not so well intentioned laboratories will have differing opinions on a stone with well intentioned labs, those who do not give "better" grades and inflated valuations. Walk into a mall and you will see what I mean.

Given the value of the professionals time versus the "entertainment value" of the non professionals time, I would hope that consumers would understand the difference in the "value" of their opinions.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Oops, wrong forum.

 

[adamasgem]

Date: 7/30/2005 6:51:58 PM
Author: Mara
my thought on the comment of the poor unsuspecting vendor losing the sale due to someone saying they don''t like the stone is...in this case maybe if the vendor had more information on the stone and location of the feathers and a note regarding the placement and how they might affect the stone, then the consumer wouldn''t need to come in here and ask for advice. so all of this could be circumvented if the vendor gave more info on the stone. just a thought.

You are right on there Mara,
But unfortunately the prevalence of "virtual" inventory doens''t economically allow most vendors to personally examine every stone they offer for sale, and especially at the deeply discounted prices seen on the internet.

The cutter may or may not get "paper" from a lab, usefull or sometimes unusefull in content, and with varying degrees of information and quality of information, and passes that along to the resellers.

The cutters list their stone on databases which are accessable to resellers, who post their"retail" prices.

If the reseller doesn''t physically have the stone, than the myriad of other information that one might ask of a seller is unavailable. The consumer can''t have ALL the information he or she wants without paying for it in one way or the other, through higher costs passed on, directly born by the consumer or indirectly through higher overall prices becuase of increased costs (exclusive of the whims of DeBeers and those others who control the supply and overall price in the market). The more "services" a consumer wants, the more he or she will have to eventually pay for, in one way or another. Fact of life.

Sort of like buying a car, if you want "extras" tagged on, consumers should expect to pay for them. It is not a foreign concept. There are no free rides. Apparent "deals" may or may not be the "deal" they outwardly seem.

 

[Mara]

Date: 7/31/2005 6:47:00 PM
Author: adamasgem

Date: 7/30/2005 6:51:58 PM
Author: Mara
my thought on the comment of the poor unsuspecting vendor losing the sale due to someone saying they don''t like the stone is...in this case maybe if the vendor had more information on the stone and location of the feathers and a note regarding the placement and how they might affect the stone, then the consumer wouldn''t need to come in here and ask for advice. so all of this could be circumvented if the vendor gave more info on the stone. just a thought.

You are right on there Mara,
But unfortunately the prevalence of ''virtual'' inventory doens''t economically allow most vendors to personally examine every stone they offer for sale, and especially at the deeply discounted prices seen on the internet.

The cutter may or may not get ''paper'' from a lab, usefull or sometimes unusefull in content, and with varying degrees of information and quality of information, and passes that along to the resellers.

The cutters list their stone on databases which are accessable to resellers, who post their''retail'' prices.

If the reseller doesn''t physically have the stone, than the myriad of other information that one might ask of a seller is unavailable. The consumer can''t have ALL the information he or she wants without paying for it in one way or the other, through higher costs passed on, directly born by the consumer or indirectly through higher overall prices becuase of increased costs (exclusive of the whims of DeBeers and those others who control the supply and overall price in the market). The more ''services'' a consumer wants, the more he or she will have to eventually pay for, in one way or another. Fact of life.

Sort of like buying a car, if you want ''extras'' tagged on, consumers should expect to pay for them. It is not a foreign concept. There are no free rides. Apparent ''deals'' may or may not be the ''deal'' they outwardly seem.

This is why I personally would very rarely, if ever, purchase a virtual stone. I prefer to use vendors that have in-house inventory so that they can look at the stone when I ask a question. Or I would work with a vendor who was able to call the stone in at no cost to me so that they could then give me the information I seek. The funny thing is that many times the vendors who own their own inventory are very price competitive with virtual stones.

I like looking at the virtual stones on the PS DB and sometimes have given more than a few moments of thought to them but so far that''s about it. I like knowing that a stone is in-house so that I can just call up the vendor and get specific on details. That''s just me personally.

 

[widget]

I'm with you, Mara...

I can't imagine buying a virtual stone....but I can imagine asking a vendor to call one in for me.

I'd really need to talk to the vendor when it's sitting in front of him/her and get their professional reactions and feedback...preferably with a few comparable stones next to it!

Obviously necessary for colored stones, but diamonds too. All the stats, charts, images in the world can't replace the human eyeball...

widget

 

[Sozekeyserman]

Hi all,

It''s been great to see such discussion on this matter, and I appreciate all your inputs. PS is a blessing, as I''ve heard the most humorous of comments from local jewelers such as one that told me, "All princess cuts have a 100% table." Before I post, I wanted to address a few points I feel relativley pertinent to my point of view.

Rockdoc, I completely understand your position on the matter, and am so happy you have a dissenting opinion to offer along with the other appraisers. Thank you very much for your words of experience. I did want to address your comment about consumer costs of appraisals. I think you''ve underestimated the total cost to the consumer for rejecting a stone. I agree the cost for most appraisals is about $40 +/- $10. If the stone is rejected, it costs about $50 for return shipping and insurance to the vendor. For this particular stone, I have already paid $45 in shipping to return the stone to its originating location should I decline to purchase. Thus, to have one stone analyzed by an independent appraiser of the consumer''s choice, and if the consumer rejects it, they are in for about $150 in fees. Add an extra stone for comparison, and if both are rejected that''s about $300! Sure that may be a small percentage of my budget, but I''d rather have that percentage in my pocket than in the pocket of FedEx and an independent appraiser!

Rhino, the lack of darkfield and 10x images (not to mention other pieces of information) drives me crazy. I''ve brought this point up with Belle in this topic, and no one else has commented. Perhaps I should search the forum more throughly, but is it "normal" for internet vendors to be unable to supply this information? From my experience, I''ve contacted four PS vendors, all of which are unable to provide 10x images.

Mara and Aljdewey, Thanks for your input. I believe you''ve both summarized my particular position well. I have X amount of dollars and want to buy a stone without worry!

Adamasgem, I completely understand your point about consumer''s demand for information coupled with the cost of that information. Your point is well taken, and may explain why 10x images are so difficult to come by. From my standpoint, the 10x images seem like they would cost much less than a thorough Sarin or brilliance scope test. Is this not the case?

Lastly, let me address my current position. I''ve decided to pass on this particular stone, and therefore will not take Leonid on his extremely generous offer. While a large part of me wants to have this stone appraised (for reasons of ending my search for my girlfriend and lesser reasons of pure curiosity), I feel it is a road I do not wish to take. My thoughts are that I am in no particular rush to purchase (which my girlfriend is incredibly understanding about), and there are a multitude of diamonds on the market. If the stone is appraised as excellent, with no stability flaws, I will still have my concerns about its integrity. After all, as adamasgem states, "Well intentioned appraisers may have dissenting opinions on a stone..." If the stone is appraised as vulnerable, I will definitley pass. I would rather call in a stone that doesn''t have such worries from the onset. As Dancing Fire puts it, "It''s harder to find a "MIND CLEAN" stone than a eye clean stone.

Thank you all so much for your opinions on this matter, I personally have learned so much and am greatful for that. Lastly, I thought I''d post a picture of my fiance to be and I that was taken a year and a half ago (shortly after we started dating), but still reflects our general disposition of happiness since finding one another. I feel it best explains why I''ve been going to such great lengths over the past 6 months to find a stone!

Soze

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 7/31/2005 5:14:21 PM
Author: adamasgem

Date: 7/30/2005 10:45:33 PM
Author: aljdewey


Regarding Rock Doc's comment 'Suppose the stone isn't a problem and you unfairly cost the person selling it his sale?' , I'd say this: The whole point of PS is providing a place where consumers can get opinions that AREN'T vested in the sale. It's not the responsibility of posters here to worry about the vendor's sale; that's the vendor's responsibility. Further, if the vendor provided information that made the consumer feel more confident in the first place, there wouldn't be much reason for his sale to be in jeopardy.

Just how is RockDoc's opinion vested in the sale? He is one of the most consumer oriented appraisers out there, and as far as I know, treats all sellers with equal respect. He stated an opinion that, shall I say, outright (what I see as reckless) dismissal of a stone by uninformed non experts, does potential harm, both TO THE CONSUMER who might have gotten a well priced and very nice stone without any problems, but for the ill informed comments made by a non expert, as well as the fact that potentially well intentioned vendor(s) may have lost income because of that.

Marty, if you'd take that chip off your shoulder for five minutes, you'd read my comment differently.

I didn't say RockDoc's opinion was vested in the sale.....at all. My comment above in no way said ANYTHING about an appraiser's opinion. Rock's comment asked "what if a consumer's opinion unfairly costs a vendor the sale?". My reply is "it's not the job of the consumer to help a vendor make a sale. His opinion is being sought because he isn't vested in the outcome.".......meaning he's not the vendor. It's the VENDOR'S job to worry about the sale; no one else's. In other words, a consumer isn't required to worry about the vendor's sale when expressing his opinion.

This bears repeating......this is a consumer diamond forum. As such, people who come here typically do so with the expectation of getting feedback from CONSUMERS. The fact that they happen to also get opinions from appraisers is a bonus, certainly, but the presence of appraisers shouldn't then be interpreted to imply that consumers' opinions are no longer welcome.

Further, anyone coming to a consumer diamond forum isn't (or shouldn't be) expecting the opinions of consumers to be gemologically evaluative or anything like it. If someone wanted that, they'd hire an appraiser, right? What I'm trying to say is: there are several different opinions that could be meaningful to a consumer. One might be a gemological opinion based on education of a stone. Another might be a "common sense" opinion applying logic to eliminate options. Yet another might be just a "does this sound hokey" type of request. All have different purposes, and all have their place.

 

[belle]

soze,
i''m glad you''ve found helpful infomation here. ps really is a great place, due in part to the very divergent population.

it''s good to know that you are taking your time and learning what you can before you jump into a major purchase such a this. it sounds like your fiance is very understanding, i''m sure she won''t mind waiting a little longer for you to find the perfect stone for her. your love and happiness for eachother radiates from the picture, you are a beautiful couple! i wish you the very best in your search. please keep us posted!

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Holy smokes Soze!

You better buy that girl a D Flawless.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI

If there existed only one point of view, a single context, the same situation, a lone source of knowledge, a solitary temperment, and a unilateral expert/authority, well then, we would have no use for an open forum like PS. In fact we would have no reason to communicate to anyone, at all. But there isn''t and so we do. Thank goodness. Vive la difference.

Now where is that D flawless diamond??

cheers--Sharon

 

[mrssalvo]

Soze,
i think you''ve discovered what PS is all about and i''m glad you''ve learned some things that will help arm you with knowledge in you quest for the perfect e-ring. Good luck and you guys are a beautiful couple.

 

[MissAva]

She is stunning and you both look so happy together! Congratulations!

 

[Kaleigh]

Soze,
You two make one gorgeous couple. Keep us posted on your search and good luck!!!!

 

[Rhino]

Date: 7/30/2005 10:45:33 PM
Author: aljdewey

Date: 7/30/2005 6:51:23 PM
Author: Richard Sherwood

If we would accept their input, then we should accept his. Any consumer, for that matter. If they''re out of line, we don''t have to worry, plenty of people will put in opposing viewpoints and the person who posed the question will arrive at their own conclusions.

Richard, well done. Couldn''t have said it better.

Absolutely Al and thanks for your comments. Rich''s comment got me thinking and there''s more to this I have been pondering over the course of the day.

While I am sympathetic to a vendors point of view someone pointed out the fact that this is and always will be, a consumer forum.

While some in the trade can be disturbed or not agree with comments made by consumers regarding *advice given* (and that would include me too at times) the people who post their questions on the forum are looking for any potential pros and cons of the diamond they are considering. Pros and cons will always result in people who are offering different points of view and sometimes, as in the case of this thread, the people offering those opposing views find themselves at odds with each other.

This should not be. We should all be able to offer our perspectives without any opposing viewpoints taken personally.

This all boils down to the issue of free speech when you think about it and that is something I would fight for ... no... give my life for... even if I personally disagree with that speech. Can''t help but think about people of faith who are silenced, put to death, tortured, sold into slavery... where this principal of freedom does not exist.

Whenever I listen to an issue I try, to the best of my ability, to put myself in the other guys shoes. At first I was putting myself in the shoes of the vendor but you know what ... yes I am sympathetic to vendors because I am one however before I was a vendor I was a consumer and when I put myself into the shoes of someone whose opinion I ALSO care about, namely strmrdr, I can see and understand where he is coming from too and God forbid the day we silence (or even try to attempt to) consumer opinion.

So what''s the conclusion?

Rock, Marty, Neil ... we don''t always have to agree with the advice that is given by consumers on the forum. We can however respect their right on this forum to give what is being asked of them ... their opinion.

I can say the same for those of us in the trade as well. I don''t always agree with everything you say Rockhound (we won''t debate the subjects now) but even though I don''t agree with every little detail regarding some of the things you teach or speak about doesn''t mean I don''t respect your opinion and input.

If a consumer is looking for consumer to consumer input they will not find a better place to get it. If a consumer is looking specifically for professional input I note they either state their request in the header of their thread or they can contact, easily enough, any of the professionals that participate on this forum either through pm or email.

Al ... I didn''t quite understand this comment ...

Date: 7/30/2005 10:45:33 PM
Author: aljdewey

and regarding Rhino''s comments: ''.....if it were my stone and hoped to make the sale I personally would appreciate (if I knew for a fact that the stone was *indeed* a winner) that nobody would make comments that might dissuade the consumer to the stone.'' .....''you either pay to have this done by an appraiser who has the proper tools or seek out a vendor who provides the information you are looking for up front. NiceIce happens to be one and the consumers here can point you to others as well.'' If you''d take such exception to folks dissuading a stone in a sale you hoped to make, I can''t imagine you''d be much happier for another vendor to start suggesting *other vendors*, either. In fact, I know first hand that you take exception to it; you''ve been quite vocal about it in the past. Your point was made just fine by saying ''a vendor who provides the information you are looking for up front.'' A little ''practice what you preach'' might be in order.

Yes ... when a client is working with a vendor I don''t appreciate when someone directs them to another vendor HOWEVER Soze made it clear that he is not satisfied with the services he is receiving from whom he is working with. If a consumer is not satisfied with who they are working with and expresses so then I think it is appropriate to recommend someone who does provide the services they are seeking. Do you think it is wrong in that case?

Warm regards,

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 8/1/2005 4:56:58 PM
Author: Rhino


Al ... I didn''t quite understand this comment ...

Date: 7/30/2005 10:45:33 PM
Author: aljdewey

and regarding Rhino''s comments: ''.....if it were my stone and hoped to make the sale I personally would appreciate (if I knew for a fact that the stone was *indeed* a winner) that nobody would make comments that might dissuade the consumer to the stone.'' .....''you either pay to have this done by an appraiser who has the proper tools or seek out a vendor who provides the information you are looking for up front. NiceIce happens to be one and the consumers here can point you to others as well.'' If you''d take such exception to folks dissuading a stone in a sale you hoped to make, I can''t imagine you''d be much happier for another vendor to start suggesting *other vendors*, either. In fact, I know first hand that you take exception to it; you''ve been quite vocal about it in the past. Your point was made just fine by saying ''a vendor who provides the information you are looking for up front.'' A little ''practice what you preach'' might be in order.

Yes ... when a client is working with a vendor I don''t appreciate when someone directs them to another vendor HOWEVER Soze made it clear that he is not satisfied with the services he is receiving from whom he is working with. If a consumer is not satisfied with who they are working with and expresses so then I think it is appropriate to recommend someone who does provide the services they are seeking. Do you think it is wrong in that case?

Warm regards,

Sorry I wasn''t clear enough; let me explain. I think NiceIce is VERY worthy of recommendation, and would do so myself.

My point was this: You said "he (soze) made it clear he wasn''t satisfied with the servies he is receiving....." Not really, Jon......all he really said (up to the point prior to your post) was "I can''t get 10x images from this vendor, and I couldn''t get them from 3 other internet vendors....is this the norm; is this commonplace?" That''s not quite the same as "I''m unhappy with my vendor''s services." That''s more trying to discern if the lack of pictures should be an issue or not. If the responses were "Yeah, that''s pretty normal for most vendors", then it wouldn''t likely be an issue to him.

Just because a consumer wants some individual feature that a vendor doesn''t provide doesn''t mean the consumer is ready to throw out the proverbial baby with the bathwater. How many times have posters asked about getting a PS discount from vendors? If one of your potential clients asked about such discount, should I then assume that he must not want to work with GOG because you don''t give one and refer him to vendors who do? No.....the fact that he is asking doesn''t mean he''s ready to walk away from an otherwise satisfactory relationship with you. It just means he''s trying to learn what the norm is so he can factor it into his decision-making process.

No big deal at all.

Some consumers would likely still recommend even in this instance, but since you''ve been so vocal about the issue from a vendor perspective, I was just surprised.....that''s all.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Date: 8/1/2005 4:56:58 PM
Author: Rhino

This should not be. We should all be able to offer our perspectives without any opposing viewpoints taken personally.

This all boils down to the issue of free speech when you think about it and that is something I would fight for ... no... give my life for... even if I personally disagree with that speech.

Ahhh.....the American Way. I applaud you Rhino.

 

[Rhino]

Thanks for the clarification Al. I guess I interpreted his words in the extreme when I shouldn''t have. I just seemed to me that he was getting frustrated with the lack of info and was trying to point him in a direction where he could get it.

Peace,

 

[Slykat12]

Rhino''s doggy is so cute.

 

[Rhino]

Thanks Rich.

Soze... what a beautiful couple you guys make. I understand your desire to find the most beautiful stone possible for her. We are all here to help in any way we can. It''s also good that you''re not in a rush either. Decisions like this should not be made in haste when possible.

Peace,

 

[Kaleigh]

Well said Rhino. OT, Rhino please check your PM''s.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Soze- You are one lucky guy!!!!!!!


Re the discussion at hand:
Yes- PS is a Consumer diamond forum

I can personally attest to the large amount of misconceptions spread by consumers who had half the story. Even "experienced" consumers. As a matter of fact, it's clear by looking at "experienced" consumers posts that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing"

If Rhino, Richard, Bill or any of the professionals that donates the time to this forum see such misconceptions, they are usually quick to offer the established facts.

Of course opinions are great- and a much needed element in a discussion about diamonds and jewelry.
It's pretty well known that my opinion favors 60/60 diamonds VS H&A- Which is prettier? THIS is an opinion question, and all veiwpoints are welcome, and valid.
Just like I can't prove a 60/60 is better, neither can H&A advocates- we can all share dissenting opinions, in a civil manner to the benfit of all.

BUT a question like: "What proportions do I look for in an Emerald Cut" which gets an answer like- "You need depth below 60% and a table smaller than depth."
Excuse me????
Taking that advice gets you NO diamond.

How about "3 out of 4 diamonds lost came from a 4 prong ring" ( I'm paraphrasing here) - RUBBISH! I mean, maybe you could find some study somewhere , which ignored all the pressing issues- to back up such a statement.
I'm thinking to myself- HOLY COW- there are probably a lot of people reading this who don't know that the statement is not accurate- people with perfectly FINE 4 prong mountings who are now nervous- because a consumer decided to act like an expert. He even pointed to the fact that 3 or 4 PS members lost diamonds from 4 prong mountings- talk about an insignifigant statistic!
Is it good to offer misconception as fact??
Is it better if the professionals who frequent the forum allow such misconceptions to stand?
Does than benfit the consumer???