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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 1988)
" PAID ADVERTISEMENT HOW TO BUY DIAMONDS WITH CONFIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE By John Tavlin President Nebraska Diamond Sales Company, Inc. For the average consumer buying i diamond can be one of the most con fusing and frustrating experiencej imaginable. The consumer is often con fronted with a barrage of conflicting claims from various jewelers intent or 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 (GIA) and its diamond grading system. The GIA is a non-profit organization dedi cated primarily to the pursuit of gemo logical education. It ownsand 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 system for diamonds is, by far, the dominant grading system used by dia 'mond cutting firms and jewelry manu facturers in this country today r\riuwieuyt? ui mcuiM y i auiriy ayaicrm is a pre-requisite 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 foreach grade within each size category. At Nebraska Diamond we give all custom ersa thorough explanation and demon stration of the GIA diamond gradinc system using actual examples, so tha the customer can see with his or he own eyes the characteristics anc appearance of the various grades. The two principal reasons why customer? need this special instruction and knowi edge to survive in the jewelry market place are: ^ 1. Manyjewelersinventtheirown per sonal grading system because b^ doing so they make it difficult o impossible for the consumer tc 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 (lawlessness (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 noticeo 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 forexamination of diamonds For these reasons, among others, the loupe is by far the dominant diamond grading instrument used by diamonc dealers. At Nebraska Diamond yoi 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 the 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 different diamond proportions avail 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 main 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.). uv/immanuM is aummimco icicmcu 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 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 accented 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 is demanded is produced and _— —————- fcA -- __ Nebraska Diamond Shapes GIA* CUrity Wright Brilliant Heart Shape Jo awi rc* £ 1 ct. = 90 to 110 pts. COLORLESS ^ FLAWLESS F ?/g ct = g0 to g9 pts. NEAR H VERY wsl., 3/4 ct. = 70 to 79 pts. COLORLESS _ SLIGHT WSI-? 1/2 Ct. = 45 to 55 pts. _ I p .. rtl# FAINTIMPERFECTION _ 7/16 Ct. = 40 to 44 pts. Oval Emerald C yellow „ very vsi-i 3/8 ct. = 36 to 39 pts. VERY o SL,GHT , 1/3 ct. = 29 to 35 pts. LIGHT ° IMPERFECTION VSI-2 J/4 cf = 33 fo 2p pts. I YELLOW O 1/5 Ct. = 18 to 22 pts. S SLIGHT SI-1 1/6 Ct. = 15 to 17 pts. ; imperfection si 2 x'/g ct = 12 to 14 pts marquise light ,v ^ 1/10 ct. = 9 to 11 pts. //y YELLOW w * IMPERFECT 1.2 1 Exact Carat = 100 Points \A /y 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“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. 1 he 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 within the same Gl A 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 vaiue and relatively undesirable in the marketplace. Of the hundreds of diamond cutters worldwide, only a handful claim to : PAID ADVCRT1*£MENT, 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 toactually deliverthat 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 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 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 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 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 to examine 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. When any 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 MONDAYS DAILY NEBRASKAN ENTITLED “HOW TO SPOT DECEP TIVE TRADE PRACTICES WHEN SHOPPING FOR FINE JEWELRY” •Copyright 198? Nebraska Diamond Sales Company, Inc All Rights Reserved NEBRASKA DIAMOND 865 NBC Center 13th & O 474-6400 Member Firm GEMGROl IP