Using IdealScope

[katrina_33]

I just got an idealscope and calibration CZ. I also had several interlaps laying around the house, which are fun to check out, and a really really poorly cut 1.25 ct or so diamond in my belly button ring that is great to view as an example of what an IS image shouldn''t look like!

The thing is tricky to use though! Even when you get the hang of good light sources and how far away from the lens to hold the stone, it''s really hard for me to get the stone perfectly squared off. The same stone looks perfect from one quick angle (hard to hold it totally still) and then looks like it''s leaking light all around the table the next second.

Should I just look for and trust the best version of each stone''s IS image? The arrows don''t come into view until the stone is virtually facing the IS head on, but tiny tiny variations will make the image look just a little off, or like it''s leaking light.

It''s harder to use than I thought!

I wanted my BF to be able to use it, because he''ll be buying a stone locally without my direct input, and I''m nervous and wanted an easy way for him to make a selection. He had a great intuitive sense of what would be a good IS image vs not in a blind test where I just showed him the images and asked which was best, so that''s great. But, he tinkered with the IS and calibration stone for about 10 minutes straight last night, and couldn''t ever see black arrows he says.

Are we doing something wrong? I don''t really want to plunk down the extra $ for their light at this point, because I don''t know that we''ll be using the IS in the search and don''t want to invest any more $. I don''t doubt that the thing works, don''t get me wrong, it just seems more difficult for beginners to use than I''d expected.

You could take 10 different pictures of the same stone under there, and it would look like 10 different diamond, I swear! Just based on really tiny angle changes. Obviously that''s not a huge problem - vendors will always photo their stone in the way it looks the best, and that''s fine, so it''s fair and consistent. But, for us looking in person, should we just look for a while and go with the best view we got for each stone?

Like I said, on the interlap, sometimes it looks perfect, and one degree off it looks like it''s leaking a huge halo of light around the table. Should this concern me if I encounter something like ths in person?

 

[oldminer]

A diamond leaks less light off the perpendicular than a CZ. Therefore aiming correctly with a CZ is more difficult than with a well cut diamond. Leakage is a relative thing and the I-S will absolutely help you to compare diamonds and eliminate poor light performing ones.

The Ideal-Light is useful because it aims the stone to face perpendicular and has correct lighting, but it is NOT necessary for using this tool I use an I-S in regular lighting and it is a good indicator of performance or lack of performance. Also, one must be very sure to put the stone in the best focus right at the end of the I-S tube. Getting a clear image is all about having a focused image of the stone from the correct distance from the lens.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 5/11/2005 10:56:9 AM
Author:katrina_33

should we just look for a while and go with the best view we got for each stone?

I think so... the arrows will only show straight down, but it should take allot of tilt to really get more pink than red in a well cut round.

If you are looking for the hair splitting details of the arrow pattern with the IS, than it should be hard because even a tiny bit of tilt hides it. Light return should still look good at a slight tilt.

However, if you do get to see those diamonds in person and side by side, why use the IS ? That may be helpful to judge when side by side comparisons are not feasible (say, the diamonds come from different sellers)... because it allows some comparison with a standard. Otherwise, with two diamonds side by side and no further choice, I can''t quite tell what is the use of the IS.

 

[Lord Summerisle]

well in response to Val.

only thing i can think of is again to bring it back to a standard. if in a jewel store... your gonna have all those lights which can mask a bad stone... so putting the pair under the scope brings it back to a viewable standard.

 

[Lord Summerisle]

oh forgot to add...

yeah i found initally it was a little tricky to get used to viewing... but a couple of everning playing around and looking at the calibration CZ and the rest of Caroline''s jewellery collection we soon got the hang of it to try it out in the real world.

 

[katrina_33]

Thanks guys. The reason I want him to use the IS is because he''s picking out and purchasing a stone locally all by himself, and he basically thinks all diamonds look the same at this point. Maybe that will change when we shop together at first and I see that he is taking the time to really compare stones and can pick the most brilliant one out of a line up with his naked eyes, but I am skeptical and would like for him to have some kind of backup. Also, as LS mentioned, everything does kind of look good under jewelry store lighting, so it''s a good way to cut through that and see the symmetry.

After some more practice, I am getting OK at using it now. I think he just needs to practice more and have some faith!

I''ve found that those $7 temp stone holders work great to hold a stone square & flush - I have two of them, and I''m now putting two round CZ''s in them on the same finger, and just moving the IS from one to the other to compare.

We''ll get the hang of it, the BF just finds it all very intimidating for now.

He laments the day I ever discovered PS, and wishes I weren''t so over educated / picky because he feels it''s a lot of pressure! I tell him, if you would have just proposed when I was first ready, I wouldn''t have had 2 YEARS to research diamonds and rings in the meantime! LOL!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 5/11/2005 1:53:12 PM
Author: katrina_33

Thanks guys. The reason I want him to use the IS is because he''s picking out and purchasing a stone locally all by himself, and he basically thinks all diamonds look the same at this point.

Yeah... that''s a good reason to use it. And I surely agree about store ligting: it is not always possible to go out of the range of those lights so IS is better.

With all the "preassure" perhaps he would just relent and let you do the shopping after all !

 

[Mara]

i usually just wait until the arrows are perfectly lined up and then that is the image i use as the ''true''...lighting is very important, in a store he may be able to put the IS and stone closer to ''under'' the table than on top with the lighting beaming down, I find in indirect or dim lighting it''s easier for me to use than really bright lighting.

 

[katrina_33]

We''ll see - I suspect that when we do the exploratory shopping trip together he will see how picky I really am

and want to give me more input. I think it''s sweet that he wants to surprise me, but if he wants to surprise me and please me, he''ll have to learn a lot, and it might be more than he''s willing to learn!

If I had my druthers, I''d have some input into the stone (like narrow it down to a few options from PS vendors) and I''d give him 5 or 6 business cards from jewelry stores in town that we''ve visited, with specific settings I liked noted on them for him to choose from. I love the idea of not knowing exactly what I''m getting or when I''m getting it, but I also love the idea of knowing for sure that I''ll love what I get!

 

[katrina_33]

yep, I''ve definitely found bright lighting messes you up! It says to use diffuse light from a lamp or whatever, but I''ve found diffuse general room light to be fine too. We''ll just ask for a piece of paper to kind of sheild the stone if the store lighting is too bright.

Another ? - do people think it''s really obnoxious or strange when you bring one of these into their store and want to use it on their stones? I''ve read things to that effect here, but I just want to be prepared for any negative reactions I might get. I don''t really care what people think, but am just curious what kind of attitudes I might encounter.

Will each vendor have locking tweezers and loupes for me to use? I didn''t buy them with the IS.

Thanks!

 

[Rock Music]

katrina_33 said, "If I had my druthers. . . ."

Katrina, why did you give your druthers away?
Retrieve them.
It sounds like you're going to need them now to guarantee you get the diamond you can live with.
You sound like you have more expertise, and patience and a mind for the technical side.
Plus, you are gonna be the one wearing it.

As a compromise maybe let him pick out the setting?
Or the wedding ring?

Marriage IS all about compromise.

 

[katrina_33]

yeah, good point. If it doesn''t happen naturally, I will definitely ask for more input at some point and explain why it''s important to me. I thought it was very sweet that he even wanted to do it himself, I just assumed he would want as little to do with it as possible. I think it''s much more romantic to be surprised. I don''t really like the idea of just saying "this is what I want, go buy it". But, I think it could be romantic to shop together locally and have the experience of picking something out together, or narrowing it down and letting him pick the final thing. We just have to find a happy medium, I know there''s one out there. I bet this is how it will shape up anyhow, I just don''t want to start out being really controlling from the get go. I think when we go shopping, he''ll realize that I need to have more input than he''d thought. If not, I''ll help him realize it!!!

 

[oldminer]

Please give your BF some credit for being smarter than really thinking all diamonds look the same. He picked you didn''t he? Or did you pick him out of the crowd saying, "He''s the one for me." Guys can be shy about shopping in general. If you work with him a little he will come to realize how the I-S works and what diamond shopping entails. Tell him he really must read some of the tutorials on Pricescope. He''ll gain a lot from seeing how involved and complex all of this can be.

If he is like most men, he picks out new clothes in a few minutes and that''s it. No regrets. Women professional shoppers work it for hours, days and weeks. My wife used to be in the upper ranks of the professional shoppers. She has lightened up a bit, but her shopping, when compared to mine, is very different, to put it mildly.

Don''t get me wrong. When my wife says she is going to help me shop I have grown to appreciate her degree of expertise. I used to be sort of put out with her suggesting I was somehow incompetent to clothe myself. In time, we learn to appreciate other people''s talents. She sees things I would never see. She knows brand names, quality stitching, better grade materials, how colors go together or clash. I admit it. Her expertise will never be mine. I use her as a resource if I need some nicer things. Black jeans, those I can pick out just fine.

Work with the BF to help him learn the ropes of diamond buying. All diamonds do not look alike except in a dark room. I would still suggest letting him do the majority of the shopping and the picking, but make sure you love the final stones left before the last decision is made. A little encouragement is called for.

 

[katrina_33]

Here''s what I''m hoping will happen - we go together to the LA jewlery district and meet with some good vendors to compare stones in person. Even if they''re not my exact specs, hopefully we get to see some AGS 000''s and/or branded H&A cuts in person down there and compare them to non ideal cut diamonds. Hopefully he can easily pick them out and we agree on which diamonds are better looking. If that''s the case, I will just trust him to pick which vendor he''d like to work with and pick out a great one. If he does end up having the attitude that they are all basically the same, then I''ll step in and offer up some stricter parameters. I''ve already told him that I would love an AGS 000 stone, I think that should be pretty safe and specific! But maybe if he seems to get into it and be able to judge them well, I''ll tell him a GIA diamond would be fine too if he sees it in person and under the IS and thinks it''s a good one.

 

[Maxine]

Katrina, i can understand how you feel....this is a big purchase and you want him to make the best choice in terms of value for his$$$ and getting something you are going to love to wear every day....Hope you can work out a happy medium situation....Is he willing to be patient enough to learn how to use the IS??????? Will he be assertive enough to use it in a store????

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 5/11/2005 10:56

9 AM
Author:katrina_33
The thing is tricky to use though! Even when you get the hang of good light sources and how far away from the lens to hold the stone, it''s really hard for me to get the stone perfectly squared off. The same stone looks perfect from one quick angle (hard to hold it totally still) and then looks like it''s leaking light all around the table the next second.

Should I just look for and trust the best version of each stone''s IS image? The arrows don''t come into view until the stone is virtually facing the IS head on, but tiny tiny variations will make the image look just a little off, or like it''s leaking light.

It''s harder to use than I thought!

i usually look for the culet as a reference point,if i see it in the center of the circle,that''s when the stone is line up straight.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

There is a simple guide to lighting on the box and also on the website.

Also there is a not very expensive portable light for $30 which doesn not need tweezers etc.