Light path scopes, GemEx reports - Marketing gimmicks?

[atiaofthejulii]

One of the diamond dealers we meet with is advocating the use of a light path scope and basically saying that any dealer or retailer who doesn’t offer you a light path scope or a GemEx report isn’t giving you all the information and could be selling you a diamond that will lose its brilliance rapidly over time. Is the light path scope a legitimate tool that all professionals use or is it a marketing gimmick?

 

[Octo2005]

Not an expert, but certainly sounds like a scam to me! I have been on the forum for awhile now and have not seen either of those mentioned. Are you sure they didn't say Idealscope?

And FYI - diamonds do not loose brilliance - ever! Unless of course the diamond were damaged significantly in someway. Even a small chip in the girdle, while it will affect the value, shouldn't impact performance.

 

[ChristineRose]

Okay, first of all don't buy from anyone who tells you that competitor's stones lose brilliance over time. That's silly.

GemEx is legit in the sense that they are reporting actual numbers instead of making up weird qualities like "AAAA" or "chocolate," but it's hard to connect the dots between GemEx and other widely accepted light performance grades, like AGS 000. Some have suggested that GemEx certificates make mediocre diamonds look good, either by overgrading, or by giving equal weight to "Brilliance, fire, and sparkle," without making it clear what that means.

 

[WinkHPD]

I just googled Light Path Scope and recognized an old friend, the Firescope that was originally used with the EightStar diamonds. It was designed to show if, and where, a diamond leaked light. This tool was eventually replaced with the Ideal-Scope which shows most of the same information comes in a much more convenient hand held version from Garry Holloway. Garry also produces a handheld version of the ASET scope which provides not only the information about light leakage, but also a visual map of where the light you are seeing returned to your eye is coming from.You can get them from Dave Atlas, who is Old Miner here on Pricescope.

I put my firescope away so many years ago that I no longer have any idea where it is. The Ideal-Scope and the ASET scope give me much more information when used together, and are convenient to actually provide to clients who do not already have them.

In my opinion, the Firescope was the early version that evolved into tools that are much more convenient and informational. First came the Gilbertson Scope that was further developed into the ASET scope, but that is another story about an amazing man and for another time.

Wink

 

[bmfang]

My understanding is that it is a legit tool but one which has been superseded by Idealscope and the ASET scope.

 

[Bron357]

Any diamond dealer suggesting that diamonds “lose their brilliance over time” is full of BS and if advocating the use of older, less detailed “technology” probably trying to sell crap diamonds as something better to the unsuspecting and less informed.
Find another diamond dealer.

 

[Karl_K]

Like many things there is some kernel of truth but it gets blown out of proportion or not fully explained.

Lets start with "“lose their brilliance over time”
All diamonds “lose their brilliance over time” when they get dirty which can be restored by cleaning.
That applies to all diamonds, dirty diamonds return less light.
How much so can depend on the diamonds cut up to a point.
Some are more sensitive to dirt than others.

"light path scope" can be used to reject a subset of badly cut diamonds but the ideal-scope and ASET are better at it.
It is better than nothing in many ways.

Gem-ex - My opinion is it can tell you something about a diamonds behavior under a very very limited range of lighting conditions.
It tells you nothing about the other lighting conditions and just exactly what it is telling you is very debatable.
I dont find them compelling to have.
However it can like the ""light path scope" debatably eliminate some percentage of poorly cut diamonds.

Then marketing steps in and these become the "competitive advantage" that is used to push people towards their diamonds and it goes off the rails sometimes.

 

[atiaofthejulii]

Thank you all for your thoughtful comments!