Is the Holloway Cut Adviser the be all end all? < 1.3?

[Cheers]

So is the HCA tool the most important?

How rare is it to find diamonds with HCA < 1.5? how about < 1?

I have this in mind for a round diamond. It will be put into a Mark Morell setting. Most likely the "flame" setting.

This particular diamond has a 1.3 rating...

Shape: Round
Carat Weight: 1.42
Cut: Ideal
Color: G
Clarity: VS1
Certificate: AGS
Depth: 61.1%
Table: 57.4%
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Girdle:
Culet: Pointed
Fluorescence: Negligible
Measurements: 7.23*7.26*4.42
Crown Angle: 33.8
Crown %:
Pavilion Angle: 41.0
Pavilion %:

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The HCA is just a screening tool particularly for GIA graded stones since GIA Excellent is a really broad category. You don't even use it for AGS Ideal cut stones because those have been evaluated for light performance. Ideal is a narrower range than GIA Ex.

Also, less than 1.3 is not better than greater than 1.3. Anything below 2 is worth investigating further, and many of us will say that the 2-2.5+ range is potentially good as well.

The stone you have chosen is fine on paper, although I prefer to see pictures of the stone since on very rare occasions there is an odd ideal cut stone that is less desirable. You don't use the HCA for that stone since it is AGS Ideal cut.

 

[Cheers]

For the photos of the diamond, what is one to look for? There is the photo that is on the webpage for this particular diamond... But it captures none of the fire/scintillation etc... From looking at the photo that is available, I think it looks eye clean...

For this engagement ring, I'm pretty much restricted to online buying as I reside in Canada. But I have chosen Mark Morell to do the setting. From my end, it is much better in pricing to source the diamond in the USA, and then have it sent to Mark, get it mounted to his settings and for me to pick it up on a business trip in the USA.

Sourcing the diamond locally in Canada brings an additional 2 steps of customs and logistics to deal with as it will be exported to USA and then have to return to Canada again.

The particular diamond is from James Allen with the attached AGS cert.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1464808.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

 

[tyty333]

Request an aset images to check on light leakage. The stone looks good...an aset would be your
next step.

 

[Cheers]

Question:

I asked James Allen, and they say they can only offer "ASET images for fancy shape diamonds. However, I will be happy to request Idealscope images which are offered only for round cut diamonds."

I thought all round diamonds could be analyzed for AEST imagery. Or am I mistaken?

 

[yssie]

Question:

I asked James Allen, and they say they can only offer "ASET images for fancy shape diamonds. However, I will be happy to request Idealscope images which are offered only for round cut diamonds."

I thought all round diamonds could be analyzed for AEST imagery. Or am I mistaken?

It's a time/cost of photography thing. Sure, you can use an ASET on a RB, but w/ RBs because they are so predictably cut ASET doesn't tell you much that you don't already know from numbers + IS, so you don't need one - in this case you definitely don't need one, the stone is fine, the report is recent, and there are no other flags at all. Other vendors offer more info and pics on their rounds but they also charge more for those services.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

May as well see the idealscope, but the stone is just fine and a very desirable size just under 1.5 cts. You should have it on hold so lurkers can't take it!

 

[Cheers]

So I got the idea lscope imagery back for the 1.42 ct diamond.

Here it is attached.

1.42ct

Looks pretty good to me.

 

[Cheers]

While I was waiting for this diamond to have its ideal scope imagery generated. I also found a 2nd diamond also from James Allen. The specifications are:

Shape: Round
Carat Weight: 1.50
Cut: Excellent
Color: F
Clarity: VS2
Certificate: GIA
Depth: 62.0%
Table: 55.0%
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Girdle: Medium
Culet: None
Fluorescence: Medium blue
Measurements: 7.35*7.32*4.55

I too asked about its idealscope image:

The 1.5 ct diamond has a HCA score of 0.9, which got me quite excited. It is slightly cheaper than the 1.42 because the clarity if VS2 versus the VS1 of the 1.42ct. The 1.42ct one only had a 1.3 HCA score.

When I asked the gemologist at James Allen to do the idealscope, I too asked them to consider this second diamond.

Let me copy and paste the exerpt from the email exchange I have with them...

Both of your diamonds are very beautiful and offer great fire, brilliance, and scintillation. Of your two selections, our gemologist favored diamond 1464808 (1.42crt G VS1) the most because it faces slightly brighter. As you would expect, it is perfectly eye clean and magnification will be needed to locate its inclusions. The girdle thickness is medium for the most part with a few very small areas that are thin. These thin areas pose no durability concern. It has a true "G" color and the average eye will never see a color difference between this diamond and the "F."

Diamond 1516548 (1.50crt F VS2) has comparable light performance and just because the gemologist sees your other option as slightly brighter, it doesn't mean the average eye would pick up on this. This diamond is also perfectly eye clean and the slight over blue affect from the medium blue fluorescence will likely not be noticed by the untrained eye. The medium blue fluorescence also assist its "F" color in appearing slightly whiter.

Both of your diamonds are excellent options but the gemologist preferred diamond 1464808 since it has higher clarity and slightly stronger light performance. If you are more concerned about the size of your diamond, then I'd recommend considering diamond 1516548.

Your thoughts?

 

[JulieN]

.9 is not better than 1.3! HCA is a very good theoretical teaching and learning tool, but there is no be all and end all of HCA scores.

The G will be a bit brighter than the F.