Monday, March 16, 1987
Daily Nebraskan
Page 3
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
HOW TO BUY IO)lMflOe w
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By John Tavlin
President
Nebraska Diamond Sales Company, tnc.
For the average consumer buying a
diamond can be one of the most con
fusing and frustrating experiences
imaginable. The consumer is often con
fronted with a barrage of conflicting
claims from various jewelers intent on
selling their product. If the consumer is
not armed with adequate product knowl
edge, he stands little chance for suc
cess in the jewelry marketplace.
A Uniform System of
Diamond Grading
Serious shopping for diamonds be
gins with an understanding of the
Gemological Institute of America (Gl A)
and its diamond grading system. The
G I A is a non-profit organization dedicat
ed primarily to the pursuit of gemol
ogical 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 manufactur
ers in this country today.
Knowledge of the GIA grading sys
tem is a prerequisite for informed buy
ing of diamonds, and knowledge of
that system without an actual "hands
on" demonstration is virtually impos
sible. The accompanying chart shows
a total of 240 separate and distinct
combinations of GIA grades and there
is a separate and distinct price list for
each grade within each size category.
At Nebraska Diamond we give all cus
tomers a thorough explanation 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. The
two principal reasons why consumers
need this special instruction and knowl
edge to survive in the jewelry market
place are:
1. Many jewelers inventtheirown per
sonal grading system because by
doing so they make it difficult or
impossible for the consumer to
comparison shop. The GIA system
is a uniform system of diamond
grading and gives the consumer a
standard of comparison.
2. Jewelers who do represent dia
monds to consumers in GIA 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 dia
mond offered, with a seemingly
lower GIA grade, by a jeweler who
adheres to the strict grading stand
ards we use at Nebraska Diamond.
The unfortunate result is frequently
a customer who is duped into pur
chasing a low quality diamond. In
our opinion, fraudulent misrepres
entation of diamond grades by
jewelers is the most serious and
widespread problem present in the
jewelry industry today. Your only
real protection as a consumer is to
educate yourself about the product
and demand a written guarantee. At
Nebraska Diamond we will show
you how to identify the various GIA
grades by yourself, and we will gua
rantee the quality of your diamond
in GIA terms in writing. You do not
get the Nebraska Diamond guaran
tee 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. In "The Complete
Guide to Buying Gems" (Copyright
1984, Crown Publishers, Inc., New
York), diamond authorities Antoinette
Leonard Matlins and Antonio C. Bon
anno, F.G.A., P.G. state, "If we were to
identify the factors that determine the
value of a diamond in order of their
Importance, we would list them as
follows:
1. Body Color (color grade)
2. Degree of flawlessness (clarity
grade)
3. Cut and proportion"
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 vi aw
ing through the side of the gem. Among,
color, clarity and cut, color is the char
acteristic 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.
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 seen only under
magnification. To magnify a diamond a
jeweler's loupe or a microscope is used.
The microscope is often used more as
a sales tool than a gem instrument
because its "laboratory" appearance
"can be impressive to consumers. The
microscope, however, is a cumbersome
piece of equipment and is less flexible
than the loupe for examination of dia
monds. For these reasons, among oth
ers, the loupe is by far the dominant
diamond grading instrument used by
diamond dealers. At Nebraska Diamond
you may view your diamond under
both a jeweler's loupe and under a
microscope designed for professional
diamond examination. Among color,
clarity and cut, clarity is the second
most observable characteristic and has
the second most impact on the appear
ance 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 propor
tions depending on the angles of the
facets. These angles can vary from
diamond to diamond. As explained
below, proportion analysis is extremely
subjective and the effect of differing
proportions on the appearance 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 easily
the most misunderstood. Until recently
the GIA published a Proportion Chart
which notated percentage point deduc
tions for various possible cutting and
proportion errors. This chart showed
at least 126 different proportions to
which a round diamond may be cut and
still be considered in total conformity
with GIA specifications for a properly
cut diamond, each receiving a zero
percentage deduction in grading. Al
though G I A no longer uses the percen
tage deduction format their former
chart illustrates what every diamond
expert in this business knows: that
there are literally hundreds of different
diamond proportions available which
create beautiful and highly desirable
gems.
Some jewelers carry a limited selec
tion of diamonds cut to only one pro
portion. Of course they often.repres
ent to the uneducated consumer that
their cut is the "best" cut. Sometimes
they even give their cut a title, such as
"A" cut and represent that other cuts
are "B" cuts or "C" cuts or even lower.
Other jewelers refer to the diamonds
they sell as "precision cut" or "cut to
maximum beauty." Such titles have no
uniform definition and, as such, are
absolutely meaningless. They are gen
erally in-house inventions intended
primarily to create a certain calculated
impression 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 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 light between and as re
flected off 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 and maxi
mum scintillation and maximum bril
liance 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.
In buying a diamond it has been our
experience that the consumer desires
the most beautiful gem his or her bud
get can afford. Precisely how disper
sion, scintillation and brilliance trans
late to beauty, however, is a matter of
personal opinion. In their chapter on
"The Importance of Cut and Propor
tion" the authors of "The Complete
Guide to Buying Gems" state, with ref
erence to the percentage measure
ments of various diamond cutting pro
portions, "No one has come to an
agreement, however, on what the per
centages should be, since some peo
ple prefer fire to brilliance, and vice
versa. This is why there are several
accepted types of proportioning found
in diamond cut, and "best" is a matter
of personal preference." In actuality,
the difference in dispersion, scintilla
tion and brilliance between some dif
fering diamond proportions is so slight
that it is measurable only with sensitive
laboratory Instruments and is impossi
ble to see with the naked eye.
While it is impossible to identify the
"hest" cut, it is not impossible to iden
tify the "most desirable" cut. The laws
Nebraska Diamond
Shapes
Brilliant Heart Shape
Oval
Emerald Cut
Pear
Marquise
GIA
Color
COLORLESS
NEAR
COLORLESS
FAINT
YELLOW
VERY
LIGHT
YELLOW
UGHT
YELLOW
FANCY
YELLOW
o
la
l
J
K
L
M
N
O
P.
o
R
S
f
u
V
w
x
Y
z
GIA
Clarity
FLAWLESS
VERY
VERY
SLIGHT
IMPERFECTION
VERY
SLIGHT
IMPERFECTION
SLIGHT
IMPERFECTION
IMPERFECT
WSI-1
WSI-2
VS1-1
VSI-2
SI-1
SI-2
1-1
1 Ct
78 ct
34 ct
53 ct:
12 ct
716 ct
38 ct :
13 ct
14 ct
15 ct
16 ct
18 ct
110 ct
Carat
Weight
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.
1-2
1-3
1 Exact Carat 100 Points
GIA DIAMOND COLOR AND CLARITY TERMINOLOGY
of economics, and particularly the law
of supply and demand, apply to the
jewelry business just as they apply to
all industries. What is desired is de
manded and what is demanded is pro
duced and supplied. In the diamond
business jewelers and consumers de
sire beauty and value. The cut which
best provides that beauty and value will
be the cut most often produced, sup
plied and purchased. Thus, it is jeweler
and consumer acceptance and the
actual track record of a particular cut
that determines its true value and desir
ability in the marketplace.
The Truth About
The "Ideal Cut"
One cutting proportion that has had
a poor record of jeweler and consumer
acceptance is called the Ideal Cut. The
Ideal Cut is a very specif ic cutting pro
portion. In spite of its poor track record
the Ideal Cut is often pushed hard by
some jewelers, and no wonder: the
Ideal Cut carries a premium price tag
which makes it potentially, size for
size, the most profitable diamond a
jeweler can carry.
There are many misunderstandings
surrounding the Ideal Cut and it has
many shortcomings and disadvantages
Of which consumers are rarely told:
1 . The title "Ideal Cut" is not a descrip
tive term. It should be considered
by the consumer to be more like a
type of trade name. The title is mis
leading and can create an inaccu
rate impression in the mind of the
consumer.
2. The Ideal Cut is often improperly
represented to consumers as being
the "most dispersive" or "most scin
tillative" or "most brilliant." Such
representations are false because it
is none of these. The Ideal Cut is a
compromise cut. There are other'
proportions which create greater
dispersion or greater scintillation or
greater brilliance or some combina
tion of these.
3. The 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. Many people feel that the Ideal Cut
has an unattractive "lumpy" appear
ance and that it appears "dead" or
two-dimensional when it is removed
from the special jewelry store light
ing used to enhance its appearance.
5. The premium price tag of the Ideal
Cut can amount to 20 or more
over other cuts considered in total
conformity with GIA specifications
for a properly cut diamond, each
receiving the same zero percentage
deduction in grading, in accordance
with the former GIA Proportion
Chart. The reason for the price dif
ference has nothing to do with value
or beauty, but results instead from
the inefficiency inherent in produc
ing 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 propor
tions. In other words, there is more
dust on the cutting room floor when
an Ideal Cut is produced as com
pared to many other proportions.
The consumer pays for that dust.
This means that the consumer has
wasted his money because for the
same price he or she could have
purchased a much larger diamond
of the same color and clarity cut to a
more desirable proportion than the
Ideal Cut.
6. 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
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
at all because of its many deficien
cies. The poor track record of the
Ideal Cut indicates that jewelers
and consumers consider it to be a
relatively poor value and relatively
undesirable in the marketplace. Of
the hundreds of diamond cutters
worldwide, only a handful regularly
produce the Ideal Cut. The ideal
Cut is outsold worldwide by other
proportions by an astronomical margin.
The manner in which the Ideal Cut is
marketed is often deceptive:
1. The Ideal Cut is often displayed by
jewelers next toadiamond which is
so mis-proportioned that anything
would look good by comparison. In
our experience, when the Ideal Cut
is displayed next to a properly cut
diamond of a different proportion,
consumer rejection of the Ideal Cut
is virtually unanimous.
2. The Ideal Cut is often marketed
along with the representation that
Cut has the greatest impact on the
value of a diamond. Not only is
this representation false and at odds
withacceptedindependentauthoritative
texts on the subject such as "The
Complete Guide to Buying Gems,"
but it also tends to divert the con
sumer's attention away from the
absolutely critical and important
aspects of color and clarity. Such
diversionary tactics often leave the
consumer with a particular cut of
diamond having such inferior color
and clarity that the beauty of the
stone is greatly reduced.
3. Jewelers who claim to sell the Ideal
Cut often fail to actually deliver that
proportion to the consumer. The
Ideal Cut is a very specific propor
tion. Among the diamond cutters
who attempt to manufacture the
Ideal Cut, a great deal of deviation
often exists between the true spe
cific Ideal Cut proportion and the
stone which is actually produced.
We have appraised many diamonds
purported by jewelers to be Ideal
Cut and not once have the propor
tions proven to be in exact confor
mity with the precise Ideal Cut pro
portion requirement.
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 mean
ingless terms to describe cut, or who
engages in the practice of "pushing" a
particular cut without fully explaining
your options to be serving his own
interests at the expense of yours. At
Nebraska Diamond our customers are
assured of getting all of the facts and
every alternate, viewpoint presented
without bias and in an organized man
ner. 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 unequivo
cal, 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
diamond. Natural sunlight can pro
vide a critical environment for obser
vation of the clarity of your dia
mond. Generally, the lighting condi
tions found in jewelry stores are
designed to make diamonds look
artificially brilliant and tend to arti
ficially enhance both dispersion and ,
scintillation. The consumer has vir-'
tually no chance whatsoever to
accurately observe 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
natural sunlight.
4. You have the right toexamine the
color of your diamond in a white
color grading trough and to exam
ine the clarity of your diamond
under a loupe o microscope before
making youf purdhase. Never pur
chase a diamond that you have not
examined in this manner
6. You have the right to ask any ques-i
tions pertinent to your purchase'
and you have the right to expect a
courteous, informed, accurate and
complete answer. When a jeweler
refuses to disclose the GIA grade of
a diamond, or when he refuses to
give you the make, style number or
karat gold content of any ring you
are considering, or when he other
wise fails in performing his obliga
tion to give you information which
you reasonably request, he Is im
pairing your ability to comparison
shop. When any jeweler shows dis
respect for your right as a consu
mer to know, reward him by taking
your business elsewhere.
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, service and
honesty. In a January, 1986, consumer
survey, Nebraska Diamond was voted
as having the lowest prices, best selec
tion, best service and best guarantee.
Our reputation is our most valuable
asset and our uncompromising com
mitment to our customers has made us
the dominant force in Lincoln's fine
jewelry market. We look forward to
serving you.
NEBRASKA
DIAMOND
865 NBC Center 13th &0
474-6400
Member Firm GEMGROUP
