Little diamond shopping experience today

[stitch]

I went to two local stores to look at their GIA H&A stones at VVS2. They all look beautiful under the H&A scope. However they all have HCA above 3. I told them that I don''t want those diamonds and tell them about the HCA analysis.

They all look pissed off and claimed that HCA analysis is not developed by GIA. They have never heard of the HCA analysis. They told me that the results should be my buying decision.

I told them that I use HCA as a rejection tool and I told them that I am not feeling confident with H&A diamond with such high HCA. Therefore I have to reject their stones

Has anyone been in situation like I did?

 

[denverappraiser]

It’s true that HCA isn’t a product of GIA but then neither is H&A. So what? There’s lots of sales people and even store owners who have never heard of it because this is largely an Internet thing but I’ll bet they looked it up after you left the store.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Neil is correct...they probably DID look it up.
And many retailers are still unaware of Pricescope.
Too bad..they could probably learn alot!

www.metrojewelryappraisers.com

 

[MissGotRocks]

If you mention anything to a jeweler that they''ve not heard of before, they will blow it off as silly. All they have to stand on is what they know; too bad more of them don''t try to educate themselves on what is known.

 

[stitch]

These store owners are GIA graduates, and they argue that those depth, table, crown, and pav number have nothing to do with the fire, light, and scintillation. They say that polish and cut grading are what determine the fire, light. Being novice, I just told them that HCA is my rejection tool

Their H&A diamonds look beautiful under H&A scope though. Here are what their price tag

F VVS2 1.04 GIA H&A (needle point) = 10,545
F VVS2 1.03 GIA H&A (needle point) = 9,850
G VVS2 1.01 GIA H&A (needle point) = 8,700

They all score 3.1 on HCA scale. I think the prices are too high for them. When I told them that I found a 1.15 F VVS2 with 0.9 HCA score and pinpoint and cloud, they all advise me against the cloud and told me it is not good for buy back

 

[stone-cold11]

Load of crap. At VVS2 you will see nothing without equipment and be hard press to find it with a loupe. H&A scope just let you see the optical symm of the stone, nothing on light return. Maybe buy your own handheld Idealscope and visit them again. Some HCA scoring 3 can still be good with good optical symm and longer lower facets.

 

[stitch]

I think I will buy the beginner kit

The diamond study are very interesting to me now

 

[denverappraiser]

GIA procedures and lessons have changed over the last decade or two but their current cut grading system uses exactly those measurements (and a few more) to evaluate the cut of a round brilliant cut diamond. I’m curious about one thing though, did they produce the H&A viewer and use it in the sales presentation as evidence of a good stone or did you bring it up? Did they also protest this as a non-GIA methodology?

This tool is the 'official' GIA method for estimating the cut grade using their system. Notice the variables it asks for.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 10/25/2009 12:46:00 PM
Author: MissGotRocks
If you mention anything to a jeweler that they''ve not heard of before, they will blow it off as silly. All they have to stand on is what they know; too bad more of them don''t try to educate themselves on what is known.

Big ditto!!

 

[stone-cold11]

Date: 10/25/2009 3:26:58 PM
Author: stitch
I think I will buy the beginner kit

The diamond study are very interesting to me now

Welcome to the club.

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 10/25/2009 3:59:05 PM
Author: denverappraiser
GIA procedures and lessons have changed over the last decade or two but their current cut grading system uses exactly those measurements (and a few more) to evaluate the cut of a round brilliant cut diamond. ...

This tool is the ''official'' GIA method for estimating the cut grade using their system. Notice the variables it asks for.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

Big ditto, this. If you''re not of a mind to think you''re wasting your time here, it''s logical to look at this with them, step by step.

Or...see the pattern of comments here. Sometimes...it''s not worth the effort to use methodologies straightforward here, but not understood there. It''s just too much work, and it''s not your job. It may be easiest to find a vendor that talks the language you have come to understand. It is good if such a vendor is local, but they may not be...

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 10/25/2009 3:08:35 PM
Author: Stone-cold11
Load of crap. At VVS2 you will see nothing without equipment and be hard press to find it with a loupe. H&A scope just let you see the optical symm of the stone, nothing on light return. Maybe buy your own handheld Idealscope and visit them again. Some HCA scoring 3 can still be good with good optical symm and longer lower facets.

These diamonds normally need top symmetry according to Garry.