The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, October 06, 1988, Page 3, Image 3
—--------— PAID AD VERTISEMENT HOW TO BUY DIAMONDS WITH CONFIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE By John Tavlin President Nebraska Diamond For the average consumer buying a diamond can be one of the most confus ing and frustrating experiences imagin able The oonsumer 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 knowledge, he stands little chance for sucoess in the jewelry marketplace A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF DIAMOND GRADING Serious shopping for diamonds be gins with an understanding of the Gemo logical Institute of America (GIA) and its diamond grading system The GIA is a non-profit organization dedicated pnmar ily to the pursuit of gernological education Itowns and operates the most prestigious trade laboratory for the identification and classification of gem stones in this coun try The GIA is considered by the diamond industry to be tfie final and most authori tative word on diamond grading stan dards in the United States and its grading system tor diamonds is, by far, the domi nant grading system used by diamond cutting firms arid jewelry manufacturers in this country today Knowledge of the GIA diamond grad ing system is a pre requisite for informed buying of diamonds and knowledge of that system without an actual ' hands on" demonstration is virtually impossible Tfie 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 Dia mond we give all customers a thorough explanation and demonstration of the GrA diamond grading system ustng actual examples, so that the consumer can see with his or her own eyes the character® tics and appearance of the various grades The two principal reasons why customers need this special instruction and knowledge to survive in the jewelry marketDlace are 1 Many jewelers invent their own personal grading system because by doing so they make it difficult or impos sible for the consumer to comparison shop The GIA system is a uniform sys tern of diamond grading and gives the oonsumer a standard of comparison 2 Jewelers who do represent dia monds to consumers in GIA terms often ■putf" the grade up to whatever level is necessary to make the sale A diamond which is assigned a GIA grade by one ot these jewelers may actually be interior to a diamond offered, with a seemingly lower GIA grade, by a jeweler who ad heres 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 In our opinion, fraudulent mis repiaaontation of diamond grades repre sents one of the most serious and wide spread problems in the jewelry industry today Your only real protection as a consumer is to educate yourself about the productand demand a written guaran tee At Nebraska Diamond we will show you how to dentify the various GIA grades by yourself, and we will guarantee the quality of your diamond in GIA terms in writing You do not get the Nebraska Diamond guarantee at any other jewelry store Il-lt ncLA I iUNonlr Uh COLOR, CLARITY, CUT AND CARAT WEIGHT Color, clarity, cut and carat weight 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), dia mono autnoritles Antoinette Leonard rriatlins and Antonio C. Bonanno, F G A , P G state, "If we were to identify the factors that determine the value of a dia mond in order of their importance, we would list them as tollows: 1 Body Color (oolor grade) 2. Degree of flawlessness (clarity grade) 3. Cut and proportion (often referred to as the make) 4. Carat weight" Color refers to the hue present In the body of the diamond. Color is observed by placing the diamond upside down In a white ooktr grading trough and viewing through the side of me gem Among oolor, oiartty. cut and carat weight, oolor is the characteristic most easily noticed by the human eye and it has the most impact on the appearance of the gem, hence, oolor carries the most value Clarity refers to a measurement of the internal flaws and surface blemishes present in or on a diamond Sometimes Internal Raws and surface btemisnes can be s**en 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 ite "laboratory" appeaance can be impressive to con sumers. The microscope, however, is a cumbersome piece of equipment and is less flexible than the loupe for examina tion 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, dar ity, cut and carat weight, clarity is the second most observable characteristic and has the second most impact on the appearance of the gem, hence, danty 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 car. vary from diamond to diamond As explained below, proportion analysis is extremely subjective and the effect a* differing proportions on the ap pearance and value of the diamond is often a matter of opinion. Generally, however, except for the proportion called the “heavy make' discussed below, cut is a less observable characteristic than color or clarity from a quantitative stand point and, hence, cut generally carries less value Carat weight refers to the weight of the diamond and not to its size This is an important distinction because two dia monds which weigh the same can appear drastically different in size and this may result in drastically different values even if color and danty remain constant Sometimes consumers forget that size is a dimensional measurement expressed in millimeters The term “Carat" is only a weight measurement One Carat is equal to 1/5 gram. If a diamond is cut with its weight concentrated in its depth, a pro portion called the "heavy make", it will not appear as large as a diamond of the exact same carat weight cut with its weight con centrated in its width The difference in value between these two diamonds can be substantial often exceeding 40% CUT: THE MISUNDERSTOOD “C" Among the 4 “C's” (Color, Clarity, Cut ana Carat Weight) the subject ot diamond proportioning (Cut) is easily the most misunoerstood 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 tor proper proportioning and, therefore, provides for an infinite variety of differing cutting proportions, all of which are considered equally appropri ate, within each Class The GIA propor tion evaluation format, thus, illustrates what every diamond expert in this busi ness knows that there are literally hun dreds of different diamond proportions available which create beautiful and highly desirable gems Because there are so many accepted types of proportioning in diamond cut. there is no agreement in the diamond industry on what constitutes the “best” cut. This is because the main factors af fected by cut (dispersion, 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). ©cinimaiion is sornenmus ruturieu to as “Sparkle' Scintillation refers to the play ot light between and as reflected off the diamond facets Brilliance" refers to the ability of the diamond to return colorless light to tlie viewer. There is no such thing as a diamond cut to maximum dispersion and maxi mum scintillation and maximum brilliance all at the same time By cutting to maxi mize one of these factors, tlie other two are compromised, and sinoe all three are of equal importance it is impossible to authoritatively classify one type of out as the “best" In buying a diamond it has been our experience mat the consumer desires the most beautiful gem his or her budget can afford. Precisely how dispersion, scintil lation and brilliance translate to beauty, however, Is a matter of personal opinion In their chapter on “The Importance of Cut and Proportion" the authors of “Tlie Com ptete Guide to Buying Gems" state, with reference to the percentage measure ments of various diamond cutting propor tions. "No on# has coins to an agreement, however, on what the percentages should be. sinoe some people prefer tiro to brilliance and vice versa This is why there are several accepted types of pro portioning found In diamond out and "best" is a matter of personal preference." In actuality, the difference in drspersieo, scintillation and brilliance betweer. some differing diamond proportions is so slight that it is measurable only with sensitive laboratory instruments and is impossible to see with the naked eye. As discussed above, one area in which cut makes a big difference in the value of a diamond concerns the ‘heavy _ O Nebraska Diamond i Shapes Brilliant Heart Shape Oval Eassrald Cat GIA Color E COLORLESS'r I NEAR H COLORLESS ' L FAINT YELLOW 4 N VERY o LIGHT r YELLOW p . R S T U UGHT v YELLOW w x V j z FANCY YELLOW G1A Clarity FLAWLESS F VERY WSI-I VERY SUGKr ws,.j IMPERFECTION VERY VS1-1 SLIGHT IMPERFECTION VSF2 SLIGHT SI-1 IMPERFECTION SI-2 FI IMPERFECT j.2 F3 Carat Weight I ct = 90 to 110 pts. 7/8 ct = 80 to 89 pts. 3/4 ct = 70 to 79 pts. 5/8 ct = 56 to 69 pts. 1/2 ct = 45 to 55 pts. 7/16 ct. = 40 to 44 pts. 3/8 ct = 36 to 39 pts. 1/3 ct. = 29 to 35 pts. 1/4 ct. = 23 to 28 pts. 1/5 ct. = 18 to 22 pts. 1/6 ct. = 15 to 17 pts. 1/8 ct = 12 to 14 pts. 1/10 ct = 9 to 11 pts. 1 Exact Carat =100 Points GIA DIAMOND COLOR AND CLARITY TERMINOLOGY J make" The term "heavy make refers to a diamond that has a disproportionate share of its total carat weight concen trated in the depth ot the stone Visually, this means that a "heavy make" diamond actually weighing 1 carat may only face up with (he appearance and diameter of a 3/4 carat diamond cut to proper propor tions Because they face up so much smaller titan they should, “heavy makes* are wcrth suostantiaily less than properly proportioned diamonds Because the “heavy make” is worth less, it costs the jeweler less, so he can sell it for less When the jeweler fails to tell his customer that he is showing a heavy make" and fails to explain that the "heavy rnaks" is priced lower because it is worth less, the effect is to trick the consumer into thinking he has purchased a full size diamond at a bargain price In tact, the problem ot the "heavy make" is virtually never explained to the consumer, so the consumer simply assumes that any diamond shown of a certain carat weight faces up the size that it should, and he purchases the “heavy make” unknowingly We feel that this failure to inform the consumer constitutes deception by omission Seldom is the sub|ect of ait property and fairly explained to the consumer At Nebraska Diamond our customers re ceive all of the facts and an explanation of every Bption HOW TO SPOT DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES i/unbumers snouia uv aware oi vari ous trade practices which are common in the jeweiry industry but which we feel are deceptive, unfair and, in many cases, illegal Deceptive trade.practices cost consumers incalculable sums.of money annually .Awareness of these trade prac tices will assist the consumer in spotting them and avoiding them when shopping for fine jewelry Deceptive trade practices in tiro few elry industry tend to fall generally into two broad categories 1 Practices which lead the con sumer to believe that he is receiving a bargain purchase when, in fact, he is not (fake ’sales’), and 2. Practices which lead the con sumer tc- believe the quality, quantity or description of the article being purchased is more or better than that which is actu ally delivered (active or constructive ' misrepresentation of tire product either by act of omission). The concept of the take sale* is an old one Basically, It plays on the desire of the consumer to obtain a bargain purchase Here's how the scheme works: The jew eler places an exorbitant and purely ficti tious ‘regular price” or ’appraised value* or ’reference price’ on an article of jew elry He then advertises ‘special sale prices’ or ‘drastic reductions* or ’store wide 50% off deardhce sale' or 'certified savings' or something similar, and offers the article to the consumer for less than this fictitious ‘marked’ prtoe The con sumer buys the article believing he has received a bargain. In tact, though, under the scheme, the jeweler has sold the article for the price ns always Intended to sell It for There is no bargain because the article rtwMy wasn't marked down at all, so the consumer actually paid full price. The fake "sale* scheme’ las reached epidemic proportions In our opinion, the fake “sale'is the predominant tool used in advertised ‘price reduction’ promotions in the jewelry industry today Jewelers who conduct fake ‘sales’ are simply betting that thei* customers are too stupid to figure out what Is going on. We think that is a poor bet. Our experience with oor* turners convinces us that they are In telHgent people who are entitled to be treated with honesty and respect Any time you encounter a jewelry “sale' employing any of the above described characteristics, we suggest that you exercise extreme caution Bring a copy of the sale" advertisement to Nebraska Diamond Compare their so called “sale" prices to our regular everyday prices and see for yourself why Nebraska Diamond totally dominates Lincoln's engagement ring and fine jewelry market The jewelry industry customarily em ploys several subtle techniques in an at tempt to convince die consumer that the quality, quantity or description of the ar ticle being purchased is more or better than that which is actually delivered We think that these techniques are deceptive and improper and that consumers should be warned about them First and fore most among these techniques is the im plementation of specialized lighting con ditions designed to enhance the true ap pearance of any gemstone or article of jewelry This usually takes the form of chandeliers, spot lights, flood lamps, and reflector lamps, bath incandescent and fluorescent, plus tubular incandescent display case bulbs and other similar type light sources These light sources are instantly recognizable by their “hot”, “bright” or “intense" appearance Such lights artificially enhance the appear ance, brilliance and dispersion in dia monds and, further, they make it impos sible to accurately determine the GIA color and clarity grade In other words, those lights make the diamond appear better than it is While others may argue that tne use of this specialized lighting is merely a merchandising and display technique, we prefer to think that con sumers are enjkled to see exactly what they jpegettmg. Ajj'a pracfccal matter, the only lighting conditions which-ere non deceptive, that is, which present the true appearance ot gemstones and articles of jewelry, are natural day tight and color corrected tubular fluorescent lighting which simulates natural daylight Even this light, in order to be non deceptive, must be presented in a closed and care fully controlled environment, undiluted and uncontaminated by other light sources These are the lighting condi tions which are used for laboratory grad ing of diamonds, and these are the Tight ina conditions you will find at Nebraska Diamond At Nebraska Diamond we sell quality jewelry, and we adhere to the phi losophy that when you sell quality jewelry you don't need deceptive lighting condi THE CONSUMER S RIGHT TO KNOW The ultimate purpose tor the con sumer to acquire product knowledge is to enable him or her to separate "tad" from “sales pitch" Your right as a consumer to know the facts is unequivocal, and should include nothing less than the fol lowing 1. You have the right io demand that ttie jeweler accurately grade your dia mond in conformity with the QIA diamond grading system, that he fuNy disclose that grads to you and show you now the grade was determined, and that he provide you with a written warranty guaranteeing the authenticity of that grade. Never pur chase 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 accurately ob serve the color or clarity of a diamond which i6 set into a ring Never purchase a diamond that you have not examined loose. 3. You have the right to examine you diamond under the lighting conditions used for laboratory grading of diamonds, that is. under natural daylight and under color corrected tubular fluorescent light ing which simulates natural daylight, in a closed and carefully controlled environ ment undiluted and unoontammated by other light sources Never purchase a diamond that you have not examined under such lights. 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 of micro scope, and you have the nght to expect the jeweter to point out exactly what you should see Never purchase a diamond that you have not examined in this man ner. 5. You have the right to ask any questions pertinent to your purchase and you have trie right to expect a courteous, informed, accurate and complete anj swer Never purchase anything from a jeweier who shows disrespect for your right as a consumer to know A FINAL WORD At Nebraska Diamond we've built our leputation on superb quality, unsur passed personal service, tremendous selection and unbeatable prioes. That's why Nebraska Diamond totally domi nates Lincoln's engagement ring and fine jewelry market. With each engagement ring or wedding band we also include our free Wedding Savings Package which on titles Nebraska Diamond customers to exclusive preferential discounts at 22 other area merchants on everything needed for a perfect wedding We believe that earning your trust is the most impor tant thing we do and that trust is earned with quality, value, service and honesty Our track record speaks tor itseif Our un matched reputation is our most valuable asset pod our uncompromising commit ment to our customer* has madeu* THE PLACE for engagement rings and fine jewelry We look forward to serving you ©Copyright 1988 Nebraska Diamond Sales Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved NEBRASKA DIAMOND 865 NBC Center 13th & O Lincoln, Nebraska 68508 (402) 474-6400 USA 1-800-334-GEMS THE PLACE for Engagement Rings and Fine Jewelry I PAID ADVERTISEMENT I