Tuesday, March 11, 1906
Daily Nebraskan
PageS
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
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By John Tavlin
President
Nebraska Diamond Sales Company, Inc.
For the average consumer buying a
diamond can be one of the most con
fusing and frustrating experiences
imaginable. The consumer is often
confronted with a barrage of conflict
ing claims from various jewelers in
tent on selling their product. If the
consumer is not armed with adequate
product knowledge, he stands little
chance for success in the jewelry
marketplace.
The Gemological
Institute of America
Serious shopping fordiamonds be
gins with an understanding of the
Gemological Institute of America
(Gl A) and its diamond grading system.
The GIA is a non-profit organization
dedicated primarily to the pursuit of
gemological 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 dia
mond grading standards in the United
States and its grading system for
diamonds is. by far, the dominant
grading system used by diamond
cutting firms and jewelry manu
facturers in this country today.
Knowledge of the GIA grading
system is a p re-requisite for informed
buying of diamonds, and knowledge
of that system without an actual
"hands on" demonstration is virtually
impossible. At Nebraska Diamond we
give all customers a thorough ex
planation and demonstration of the
GIA diamond grading system using
actual examples, so that the customer
can see with his or her own eyes the
characteristics and appearance of the
various grades. As the accompanying
chart shows, there are a total of 253
separate and distinct combinations
of GIA grades, and each has its own
price list. The two principal reasons
why consumers need this special in
struction and knowledge to survive in
the jewelry marketplace are:
1. Many jewelers invent their own
personal 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 dia
monds to consumers in G I A terms
often "puff" the grade up to what
ever 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 unfortunate result is fre
quently a customer who is duped
into purchasing a low quality
diamond. At Nebraska Diamond
we will show you how to identify
the various grades by yourself,
and we will guarantee the quality
of your diamond in GIA terms in
writing. You do not get the Ne
braska Diamond guarantee at
any other jewelry store.
The Relationship of
Color, Clarity and Cut
Color, clarity and cut all have an
important impact on the ultimate value
of your diamond. The order of import
ance 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 in a white color grading
trough 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 appear
ance of the gem, hence, color carries
the most value.
Clarity refers to a measurement of
the internal flaws and surface blemish
es present in or on a diamond. Some
times internal flaws and surface blem
ishes can be seen only under magni
fication. To magnify the diamond a
jeweler's loup or a microscope is
used. The miscoscope is often used
more as a sales tool than a gem
instrument because its "laboratory"
appearance can be impressive to con
sumers. The microscope, however, is
a cumbersome piece of equipment
and is less flexible than the loupe for
examination of diamonds. For these
reasons, among others, the loupe is
by farthe dominant diamond grading
instrument used by diamond dealers.
Among color, clarity and cut, clarity
is the second most observable char
acteristic and has the second most
Impact on the appearance of the gem,
hence, clarity carries the second most
value.
Cut refers to the proportions of the
diamond. A diamond can be cut to
any one of an Infinite number of pro
portions depending on the angles of
the facets. These angles can vary
from diamond to diamond. As ex
plained below, proportion analysis is
extremely subjective and the effect of
differing proportions on the appear
ance and value of the diamond is
often a matter of opinion. Generally,
however, cut is the least observable
characteristic from a quantitative
standpoint and, hence, cut carries
the least value.
Cut: The
Misunderstood "C"
Among the "4 C's" (Carat Weight,
Color, Clarity and Cut), the subject of
diamond proportioning (Cut) is eas
ily the most misunderstood. An exam
ination of the GIA Proportion Chart
quickly reveals that a round diamond
may be cut to any one of at least 126
different proportionsand still becon
sidered in total conformity with GIA
specifications for a properly cut dia
mond. Some jewelers carry a limited
selection of diamonds cut to only one
proportion. Of course they often
represent to the uneducated consu
mer 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 absolutely
meaningless, they do not even exist
in thediamond industry forany prac
tical purpose and they are generally
in-house inventions intended primar
ily to create a certain calculated im
pression in the consumer, an impres
sion which the jeweler hopes will lead
to a sale. In fact there is no agreement
in the diamond industry on what con
stitutes the "best" cut. This is because
the main factors affected by cut (dis
persion, scintillation and brilliance)
cannot all be maximized in the same
gem.
"Dispersion" is sometimes referred
to as "Fire." Dispersion means the
ability 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 dia
mond cut to maximum dispersion,
maximum scintillation and maximum
brilliance all at the same time. By cut
ting to maximize one of these factors,
the other two are compromised, and
since all three are of equal impor
tance, it is impossible to authorita
tively classify one type of cut as the
"best."
Sometimes jewelers refer to the
diamonds they sell as "precision cut"
or "cut to maximum beauty." Such
terms have no uniform definition and,
as such, are meaningless. Often they
are used to impress uneducated con
sumers and sidestep the jeweler's
obligation to fully inform his custo
mer regarding the technical aspects
of cut. Seldom is the subject of cut
properly and fairly explained to the
consumer. You should suspect any
jeweler who engages in the practice
of using meaningless terms or the
practice of "pushing" a particular cut
without fully explaining your options
to be serving his own interests at the
expense of yours.
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 1 26 so
called "perfect cuts" shown on the
GIA Proportion 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
morr! of a trade name than a descrip
tive term. The title itself is misleading
because it can create an inaccurate
impression in the mind of the consu
mer. The controversy present in the
diamond industry regarding the sub
ject of cut can well be illustrated by a
discussion of the advantages, disad
vantages and misunderstandings re
lated to the Ideal Cut.
The theory of the Ideal Cut is to cut
a diamond to its maximum brilliance.
The key word 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
efficient. While cutting parameters
can affect this measure of efficiency,
O Nebraska Diamond
V- : ;
Shapes
Brilliant Heart Shape
Oval
Emerald Cut
Pear
Marquise
GIA
Color
COLORLESS t
NEAR h
COLORLESS L
FAINT A
YELLOW
VERY o
LIGHT P
YELLOW O
R
S
T
u
v
LIGHT
YELLOW w
x
FANCY
YELLOW
GIA
Clarity
r
FLAWLESS F
-
VERY WS.,
VERY
SLIGHT ;ws.2
IMPERFECTION,
VERY VSM
SLIGHT
IMPERFECTION VSI-2
SLIGHT SI-1
IMPERFECTION
SI-2
i -
1
IMPERFECT 1-2
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.
1 Exact Carat 100 Points
THE GIA GRADING SYSTEM
other factors can af lact 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 window than a yellow
one). Additionally, the lowertheclar
ity of the diamond the more substan
tial the imperfections which are pres
ent to block the return of the light. An
Ideal Cut diamond of inferior color
and clarity may be cut to "its" maxi
mum 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 larely 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 "it's" maximum bril
liance, the difference in brilliance
between an Ideal Cut diamond
of a particular color and clarity
andadiamondof thesamecolor
and clarity cut to one of the
other 1 26 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 pro
portions in one or both of these
respects. Brilliance involves color
less light. Fire and sparkle do
not. Therefore, a loss of disper
sion and scintillation tends to be
more easily observed by the
naked eye than an impercepta
ble increase in technical bril
liance, and may result in a visa
bly less beautiful diamond. Many
people feel that the Ideal Cut
appears "dead" when it is re
moved from the special jewelry
store lighting used to enhance
its appearance and is viewed
instead under the more usual
natural and normal lighting con
ditions. 3. An Ideal Cut, when compared
side by side with a diamond of
equal carat weight cut to many
other proportions, 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 in
stead from the inefficiency in
herent in producing the Ideal
Cut. Producing 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 proportions.
In other words, there is more
dust on the cutting room floor
when an Ideal Cut is produced
as compared to many other pro
portions. 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 forthe Ideal Cut. Many
will actually offer and pay less,
or will refuse to buy it at all
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
because of its deficiencies. The
Ideal Cut has had a very poor
track record of public accept
ance. Of the hundreds of dia
mond cutters worldwide, only a
handful regularly produce the
Ideal Cut. It is outsold world
wide by other proportions by an
astronomical margin.
6. The consumer who desires an
increase in brilliance can often
purchase it in greater quantities
and more economically by in
vesting in higher color, and an
investment in higher color al
ways 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
options, 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 perti
nent fact. At Nebraska Diamond our
customers are assured of getting all
of the facts and every alternate view
point 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 consumer to know the facts is
unequivocal, and should include noth
ing less than the following:
1. You have the right to demand
thatthejeweleraccurately grade
your diamond in conformity with
the GIA diamond grading sys
tem, that he fully disclose that
grade to you, and that he pro
vide you with a written warranty
guaranteeing the authenticity of
that grade. Never purchase a
diamond without such a disclo
sure and warranty.
2. You have the right to examine
yourdiamond loose before mak
ing your purchase. You cannot
fully observe the color and clar
ity of a diamond which is set into
a ring. Never purchase a dia
mond that you have not exam
ined loose.
3. You have the right to examine .
your diamond under basic flo
rescent lights and under natural
sunlight before making your pur
chase. Basic f lorescent lights will
generally allow you the best
opportunity to accurately ob
serve the color of yourdiamond.
Natural sunlight can provide the
fairest environment for observa
tion of the clarity of your dia
mond. Generally, the lighting con
ditions found in jewelry stores
are designed to make diamonds
look artificially brilliant and tend
to artificially enhance both dis
persion and scintillation. The con
sumer has virtually no chance
whatsoever to accurately ob
serve the color and clarity of a
diamond under such lights. Never
purchase a diamond that you
have not examined under basic
florescent lights and under nat
ural sunlight.
4. You have the right to examine
the color of your diamond in a
white color grading trough and
to examine the clarity of your
diamond under a loupe or mic
roscope before making your pur
chase. Never purchase a dia
mond that you have not examin
ed in this manner.
5. You have the right to ask any
question pertinent to your pur
chase and you have a right to
expect a courteous, informed,
accurate and complete answer.
When a jeweler refuses to dis
close the GIA grade of a dia
mond, or when he refuses to
give you the make, style number
or karat gold content of any ring
you are considering, or when he
otherwise fails in performing his
obligation to give you informa
tion which you reasonably re
quest, he is impairing your abil
ity to comparison shop, an im
pairment which costs consumers
money. When anyjeweler shows
disrespect for your right as a
consumer to know, reward him
by taking your business else
where. A Final Word
At Nebraska Diamond we believe
that earning your trust is the most
important thing we do and that trust
is earned with quality, value and ser
vice. Our flawless reputation is our
most valuable asset and our uncom
promising commitment to our cus
tomers has made us the dominant
force in Lincoln's fine jewelry market.
We look forward to serving you.
NEBRASKA
DIAMOND
865 NBC Center 13th & O
474-6400
Member Firm GEMGROUP