PAID ADVERTISEMENT
HOW TO BUY DIAMONDS WITH
CONFIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
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 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 Instituteof America (GIA)
and its diamond grading system The
GIA is a non-profit organization dedi
cated primarily to the pursuit of gemo
logical education Itownsandoperates
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
system for diamonds is, by far, the
dominant grading system used by dia
mond ruttina firms and iewelrv manu
facturers in this country today.
Knowledge of theGIAgrading system
is a pre-requisije for informed buying
of diamonds, and knowledge of that
system without an actual “hands on”
demonstration is virtually impossible.
The accompanying chart shows a total
of 240 separate and distinct combina
tions 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 custom
ers a thorough explanation and demon
stration 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 customers
need this special instruction and knowl
edge to survive in the jewelry market
place are:
1. Many jewelers inventtheir own 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 diamonc
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 isassigned 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 isfrequently
a customer who is duped into pur
chasing a low quality diamond. In
our opinion, fraudulent misrepre
sentation 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
guarantee the quality of your dia
mond in GIA terms in writing You
do not get the Nebraska 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. 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
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
Clarity refers to a measurement of
the internal flaws and surface blemishes
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 miscoscope is used. The micro
scope is often used more as a sales tool
than a gem instrument because its
-
"laboratory' appearance can be im
pressive to consumers. The micro
scope, 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 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 observ
able characteristic 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 proportions
depending on the angles of the facets
These angles can vary from diamond
to diamond As explained below, pro
portion 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 quanti
tative standpoint and, hence, cut carries
the least value.
Cut: The
Misunderstood “C”
Among th^ 4 “C’s" (Carat Weight,
Color, Clarity and Cut) the subject of
diamond proportioning (Cut) is easily
the most misunderstood. The GIA has
subdivided proportion analysis into
four Classes based on table diameter,
crown angle, pavilion depth, girdle
thickness, finish and symmetry Each
Class contains wide parameters for
proper porportioning and, therefore,
provides for an infinite variety of differ
ing cutting proportions, all of which
are considered equally appropriate,
within each Class The GIA proportion
evaluation format, thus, illustrates what
every diamond expert in this business
knows: that there are literally hundreds
of differentdiamond proportionsavail
able 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 represent
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 mam factors affected by cut (disper
sion, 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 light between and as re
flected off the diamond facets.
“Brilliance" refers to the ability of the
H i a m /~\ r"» r-i ♦ rnfi i rn /> aI atIapp Ii nFit ♦ a tK a
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
reference 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 people
prefer fire to brilliance, and vice versa.
This is why there are several accepted
types of proportioning found in dia
mond cut, and "best” is a matter of
personal preference." In actuality, the
difference in dispersion, scintillation
and brilliance between some differing
diamond proportions is so slight that it
is measurable only with sensitive lab
oratory instruments and is impossible
to see with the naked eye.
While it is impossible to identify the
"best" cut, it is not impossible to identify
the "most desirable" cut. The laws of
economics, and particularly the law of
supply and demand, apply to the jewelry
business just as they apply to all in
dustries. What is desired is demanded
and what isdemanded isproducedand
r f
___ >Nf.rraska Diamond
Shapes GIA GIA Carat
Color Clarity Weight
Brilliant Heart Shape f FUVWLESS f 1 ct. = 90 to 110 pts.
COLORLESS <£ 7/8 ct = 80 to 89 p(s
NEAR H Y|RY wsi-1 3/4 ct. = 70 to 79 pts.
COLORLESS - SLIGHT WS|.2 1/2 ct. = 45 to 55 pts.
~ . faint — _ 7/16 ct. = 40 to 44 pts.
°vaI YELLOW M VERY VSI-1 3/8 ct. = 36 to 39 pts.
VERY o SLIGHT 1/3 ct _ 29 to 35 pts.
LIGHT P IMPERFECTION VSI-2 ' ^ = 23 |Q 2g pts
YELLOW °n CI1 1/5 ct.= 18 to 22 pts.
ll\V—s SLIGHT 1 /8 ct. = 15 to 17 pts.
T imperfection ' 9
„ u Si-2 1/8 ct. = 12 to 14 pts.
Pear Marqu.se light , v ct = 9 to 11 p.s.
YELLOW w
y IMPERFECT (.2 j Exact Carat = 100 Points
FANCY 1-3
YELLOW
[ GIA DIAMOND COLOR AND CLARITY TERMINOLOGY J
supplied. In the diamond business
jewelers and consumers desire beauty
and value. The cut which best provides
that beauty and value will be the cut
most often produced, supplied and
purchased. Thus, it is jeweler and con
sumer acceptance and the actual track
record of a particular cut that deter
mines its true value and desirability in
the marketplace.
The Truth About
The “Ideal Cut”
One cutting proportion that has had
a poor record of jeweler and consumer
acceptance iscalled the Ideal Cut. The
Ideal Cut is a very specific cutting
proportion. 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
misleading and can create an inac
curate impression in the mind of the
consumer.
2. The Ideal Cut is often improperly
represented to consumers as being
the "most dispersive" or 'mostscin
tillative" or "most brilliant." Such
representations are false because it
is none of these The Ideal Cut is a
compromise it. There are other
proportions *,uch create greater
dispersiom ji 'aterscintillationor
greaterbrillit- aorsomecombina
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 soecial ipwalrv store linht
ing used to enhance its appearance.
5. The premium price tag of the Ideal
Cut can amount to 20% or more
over other cuts within the same GIA
proportion analysis Class. The rea
son for the price difference has
nothing to do with value or beauty,
but results instead from the inef
ficiency inherent 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 proportions. The con
sumer 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
at all because of its many deficien
cies. The Ideal Cut has had a very
poor track record of jeweler and
public acceptance. This poor track
record 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 claim to
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
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 to a diamond which is
so misproportioned 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. 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 spec
ific Ideal Cut proportion and the
stone which is actually produced
We have appraised many diamonds
purported by jewelers to be the
Ideal Cut and not once have the
proportions proven to be in exact
conformity with the precise Ideal
Cut proportion 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
manner.
The Consumer’s
Right to Know
The ultimate purpose for the con
sumerto 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 unequi
vocal, 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 theGIA
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 disclosure
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 flourescent
lights and under natural sunlight
before making your purchase. Basic
flourescent lights will generally
allow you the best opportunity to
accurately observe the color of your
diamond Natural sunlight can pro
vide a critical environment for obser
vation 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 en
hance both dispersion and scintilla
tion. The consumer has virtually 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 floures
cent lights and under natural sun
light
4 You have the right to examine the
color of your diamond in a white
color grading trough and toexamine
the clarity of your diamond under a
loupe or microscope before making
your purchase Never purchase a
diamond that you have not examin
ed in this manner
5. You have the right to ask any ques
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 fails
otherwise in performing his obliga
tion to give you information which
you reasonably request, he is im
pairing your ability to comparison
shop, an impairment which costs
consumers money Whenany jewel
er shows disrespect for your right
as a consumer 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.
BE SURE TO READ OUR
ARTICLE APPEARING IN
NEXT MONDAY’S DAILY
NEBRASKAN ENTITLED
“HOW TO SPOT DECEP
TIVE TRADE PRACTICES
WHEN SHOPPING FOR
FINE JEWELRY”
^Copyright 1987 Nebraska Diamond
Sales Company, Inc
All Rights Reserved
NEBRASKA
DIAMOND
865 NBC Center 13th & O
474-6400
Member Firm GEMGROUP
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