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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 1986)
Friday, January 24, 1986 Wedding Supplement Page 2 PAID ADVERTISEMENT PAID ADVERTISEMENT PAID ADVERTISEMENT WD L" -J TJ If U DO Dy John Tavlin Prctldtnl Nttoratka Diamond Salts Company, Inc. For the average consumer buying a diamond can be one of the most confus ing and frustrating experiences imagin able. The consumer is often confronted with a barrage of conflicting claims from various jewelers intent on selling their product. If the consumer is not armed with adequate product know ledge, he stands little chance for suc cess in the jewelry marketplace. The Gemological Institute of America Serious shopping for diamonds be gins with an understanding of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and its diamond grading system. The GIA is a non-profit organization dedi cated primarily to the pursuit of gemo logical education. It owns and operates the most prestigious trade laboratory for the identification and classification of gem stones in this country. The GIA is considered by the diamond industry to be the final and most authoritative word on diamond grading standards in the United States and its grading sys tem for diamonds is, by far, the domi nant grading system used by diamond cutting firms and jewelry manu facturers in this country today. Knowledge of the GIA grading system is a pre requisite for informed buying of diamonds, and knowledge of that system without an actual "hands on" demon stration is virtually impossible. At Nebraska Diamond we give all custo mers a thorough explanation and dem onstration of the GIA diamond grading system using actual examples, so that the customer can see with his or her own eyes the characteristics and appear ance of the various grades. As the accompanying chart shows,, there are a total of 353 separate and distinct com binations of GIA grades, and each has its own price list. The two principal reasons why consumers need this spe cial instruction and knowledge to sur vive in the jewelry marketplace are: 1. Many jewelers invent their own per sonal grading system because by doing so they make it difficult or impossible for the consumer to comparison shop. The GIA system gives the consumer a standard of comparison. 2. Jewelers who do represent diamonds to consumers in GIA terms often "puff' the grade up to whatever level is necessary to make the sale. A diamond which is assigned a GIA grade by one of these jewelers may actually be inferior to a diamond offered, with a seemingly lower GIA grade, by a jeweler who adheres to the strict grading standards we use at Nebraska Diamond. The unfortu nate result is frequently a customer who is duped into purchasing a low quality diamond. At Nebraska Dia mond we will show you how to iden tify the various grades by yourself, and we will guarantee the quality of your diamond in GIA terms in writ ing. You do not get the Nebraska Diamond guarantee at any other jewelry store. The Relationship of Color, Clarity and Cut Color, clarity and xut all have an important impact on the ultimate value of your diamond, The order of impor tance of these characteristics and the relative value of each is: 1. Color: Represents 50 of the value 2. Clarity: Represents 35 of the value 3. Cut: Represents 15 of the value Color refers to the hue present in the body of the diamond. Color is observed by placing the diamond upside down on a white color grading through and viewing through the side of the gem. Among color, clarity and cut, color is the characteristic most easily noticed by the human eye and it has the most impact on the appearance of the gem, hence, color carries the most value. --v Nrbraska Diamond Shapes Brilliant Heart Shape GIA Color D COLORLESS I F H Oval Emerald Cut Pear Marquise NEAR COLORLESS FAINT , YELLOW VERY LIGHT YELLOW LIGHT YELLOW FANCY YELLOW J "k I , M N O P 0 R S T U V W X V .z GIA Clarity FLAWLESS F i VERY ws,.! VERY; SLIGHT wsi-2 IMPERFECTION VERY VSI-1 SLIGHT IMPERFECTION VSI-2 SLIGHT sl1 IMPERFECTION SI-2 I - 1 IMPERFECT .2 1-3 Carat Weight 1 ct. 78 ct. 34 ct. 58 ct. 12 ct. 716 ct. 38 ct. 13 ct. 14 ct. 15 ct. 16 ct. 18 ct. 110 ct. 90 to 80 to 70 to 56 to 45 to 40 to 36 to 29 to 23 to 18 to 15 to 12 to 9 to 110 pts. 89 pts. 79 pts. 69 pts. 55 pts. 44 pts. 39 pts. 35 pts. 28 pts. 22 pts. 17 pts. 14 pts. 11 pts. Nebraska Diamond O Wholesale Prices O Midwest's Largest Selection O All Diamonds Appraisal-Backed and Guaranteed in Writing O Your BEST Diamond Deal 1 Exact Carat 100 Points Nebraska Diamond Sales Company, Inc. (402)474-6400 1 3lh & O 865 NBC Center Lincoln, Nebraska 68508 THE GIA GRADING SYSTEM Clarity refers to a measurement of the internal flaws and surface blem ishes present in or on a diamond. Sometimes internal flaws and surface blemishes can be observed with the naked eye but sometimes these flaws and blemishes can be seen only under magnification. To magnify the diamond a jeweler's loupe or a microscope is used. The microscope, however, is a cumbersome piece of equipment and is less flexible than the loupe for exami nation of diamonds. For these reasons, among others, the loupe is by far the dominant diamond grading instrument in use by diamond dealers. Among color, clarity and cut, clarity is the second most observable characteristic and has the second most impact on the appearance of the gem, hence, clarity carries the second most value. Cut: The Misunderstood "C" Among the "4 C's" (Carat Weight, Color, Clarity and Cut), the subject of diamond proportioning (Cut) is easily the most misunderstood. An examina tion of the GIA Proportion Chart quickly reveals that a diamond may be cut to any one of at least 126 different propor tions and still be considered in total conformity with GIA specifications for a properly cut diamond. Some jewelers carry a limited selection of diamonds cut to only one proportion. Of course they often represent to the uneducated consumer that their cut is the "best" cut. Sometimes they give their cut a title, such as "A" cut and represent that other cuts are "B" cuts or "C" cuts or even lower. Such titles are abso lutely meaningless, tor ail practical purposes they do not even exist in the diamond industry, and they are gener ally in-house inventions intended pri marily to create a certain calculated impression in the consumer, an im pression which the jeweler hopes will lead to a sale. In fact there is no agree ment in the diamond industry on what constitutes the "best" cut. This is because the main factors affected by cut (dispersion, scintillation and bril liance) cannot all be maximized in the same gem. "Dispersion" is sometimes referred to as "Fire." Dispersion means the abil ity of the diamond to break down light into the spectral colors (blues, reds, yellows, etc). "Scintillation" is sometimes referred to as "Sparkle." Scintillation refers to the play of the light between and as reflected off of the diamond facets. "Brilliance" refers to the ability of the diamond to return colorless light to the viewer. There is no such thing as a diamond cut to maximum dispersion, maximum scintillation and maximum brilliance all at the same time. By cutting to maximize one of these factors, the other two are compromised, and since all three are of equal importance, it is impossible to authoritatively classify one type of cut as the "best." The Misnomer of The "Ideal Cut" One cutting proportion which is sometimes touted as the "best" is called the "Ideal Cut." The Ideal Cut is a very specific cutting proportion but, in fact, it is only one of the 126 so called "perfect cuts" shown on the GIA Pro portion Chart, and it gets no higher rating from GIA than the other 125. The title "Ideal Cut" should be considered by the consumer to be more of a trade name than a descriptive term. The title itself is misleading because it can create an inaccurate impression in the mind of the consumer. The controversy present in the diamond industry re garding the subject of cut can well be illustrated by a discussion of the advantages, disadvantages and misun derstandings related to the Ideal Cut. The theory of the Ideal Cut is to cut a diamond to its maximum brilliamce. The key work in the preceding sent ence is the word "its." Brilliance is a measure of efficiency. If 100 of the colorless light going into a diamond is reflected back to the viewer, then that diamond can be said to be totally effi cient. While cutting parameters can affect this measure of efficiency, other factors can affect it even more. For example, the lower the color of the diamond the more light loss occurs due to the filtration of the light through the yellow body color of the diamond (more light will pass through a colorless win dow than a yellow one). Additionally, the lower the clarity of the diamond the more substantial the imperfections which are present to block the return of the light. An Ideal Cut diamond of inferior color and clarity may be cut to "its" maximum brilliance, but it will not be as brilliant as a diamond of superior color and clarity cut to any of the other 125 proportions. Consumers are rarely told all of the facts concerning the Ideal Cut. The sole advantage of the Ideal Cut dia mond is that it is cut to its maximum brilliance. The disadvantages are many and should also be disclosed to and considered by the consumer: 1. While an Ideal Cut diamond may be cut to "its" maximum brilliance, the difference between an Ideal Cut diamond of a particular color and clarity and a diamond of the same color and clarity cut to one of the other 125 proportions may be so slight that it is measurable only with sensitive laboratory instru ments and is impossible to see with the naked eye. 2. An Ideal Cut diamond sacrifices dispersion (fire) and scintillation (sparkle) and will be inferior to diamonds cut to many other propor tions in one or both of these re spects. Brilliance involves colorless light. Fire and sparkle do not. There fore, a loss of dispersion and scintil lation tends to be more easily observed by the naked eye than an imperceptable increase in techni cal brilliance, and may result in a visably less beautiful diamond. 3. An Ideal Cut, when compared side by side with a diamond of equal carat weight cut to many other pro portions, will appear noticeably smaller. 4. The Ideal Cut generally carries a premium price tag which can amount to 15 or more over other cuts which are recognized under the GIA Proportion Chart as being of equal value in every respect. The reason for the price difference, in fact, has nothing to do with value, but results instead from the inefficiency inher ent in producing the Ideal Cut. Pro ducing the Ideal Cut will result in a diamond which weighs less than the diamond which would have resulted if the rough diamond crystal had been cut to one of many other pro portions. In other words, there is more dust on the cutting room floor when an Ideal Cut is produced as compared to many other propor tions. The consumer pays for that dust. 5. The premium price tag of the Ideal Cut does not tend to carry over into the secondary market. Few diamond dealers will pay a premium for the Ideal Cut. Many will actually offer and pay less, or will refuse to buy it at all because of its deficiencies. The Ideal Cut has had a very poor track record of public acceptance Of the hundreds of diamond cutters worldwide, only a handful regularly produce the Ideal Cut. It is outsold worldwide by other proportions by an astronomical margin. b. lne consumer who desires an in crease in brilliance can often pur chase it in greater quantities and more economically by investing in higher color, and an investment in higher color always translates to higher value in the secondary market. The controversy surrounding cut is best resolved by explaining the facts to the consumer, by presenting the op tions, and by making every effort to assist the consumer in making an informed and educated decision. A decision is not informed or educated if it omits consideration of any pertinent fact. At Nebraska Diamond our custo mers are assured of getting all of the facts and every alternate viewpoint presented without bias and in an organized manner. The Consumer's Right to Know The ultimate purpose for the con sumer to acquire product knowledge is to enable him or her to separate "fact" from "sales pitch." Your right as a con sumer to know the facts is unequivocal, and should include nothing less than the following: 1. You have the right to demand that the jeweler accurately grade your diamond in conformity with the GIA diamond grading system, that he fully disclose that grade to you, and that he provide you with a written warranty guaranteeing the authen ticity of that grade. Never purchase a diamond without such a disclo sure and warranty. 2. You have the right to examine your diamond loose before making your purchase. You cannot fully observe the color and clarity of a diamond which is set into a ring. Never pur chase a diamond that you have not examined loose. 3. You have the right to examine your diamond under basic florescent lights and under natural sunlight before making your purchase. Basic florescent lights will generally allow you the best opportunity to accu rately observe the color of your dia mond. Natural sunlight can provide the fairest environment for observa tion of the clarity of your diamond. Generally, the lighting conditions found in jewelry stores are designed to make diamonds look artificially brilliant and tend to artificially enhance both dispersion and scien tillation. The consumer has virtu ally no chance whatsoever to accu rately observe the color and clarity of a diamond under such lights. Never purchase a diamond that you have not examined under basic flo rescent lights and under natural sunlight. PAID ADVERTISEMENT PAID ADVERTISEMENT PAID ADVERTISEMENT