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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 1989)
PAID ADVERTISEMENT HOW TO BUY DIAMONDS WITH CONFIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE By John Tavlin President Nebtaska Diamond For the average consumer buying a diamond can be one of the most confus ing and frustrating experiences imagin aNe The consumer is often confronted with a barrage of conflicting daims from various jewelers intent on selling their product Iftheoonsumer is notarmed with adequate product knowledge, he stands Htfle chance tor success in the jewelry marketplace. A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF DIAMOND GRADING Serious shopping tor diamonds be gins wifo an understanding of foe Gemo fogksl Institute of America (GIA) and its diamond grating system The GiA is a non-profit organtzaion dedicated primax ly tofoo pursuit of gemotogical education, ttoems and operates the most presigxxjs frade laboratory tor foe identification and classification of gem stones in this coun try The GiA is considered by the diamond industry to be foe final and most author tative word on diamond grading stan dards in foe United States and Hs grading system tor diamonds is, by far. foe domi nant grading system used by diamond cuting Arms and towelry manufacturers in this country today. Knowledge of the GIA diamond grad ing system is a pre-requisite for informed buying of diamonds, and knowledge ot that system without an actual “hands on“ demonstration is virtually impossible. 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 Dia mond we give at! customers a thorough explanation and demonstration of the GIA diamond grading system using actual examples, so that the consumer can see with his or her own eyes the cnaracteris tics and appearance of the various grades The two principal reasons why customers need this special instruction 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 impos sible for the consumer to comparison shop The GIA system is a uniform sys tern of diamond grading and gives the consumer a standard of comparison 2. Jewelers who do represent dia moods to consumers in GIA terms often "puff the grade up to whatever 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 ad heres to the strict grading standaids 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 representation 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 product and demand a written guaran tee At Nebraska Diamond we will show you how to identify 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 THE RELATIONSHIP OF 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 1884, Crown Publishers. Inc. New York), dia mond authorities Antoinette Leonard Matlins 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 follows: 1. Body Color (color grade) 2. Degree of (lawlessness (clarity 3. Su. and proportion (often referred to as the make) 4. Carat weight' Color refers to the hue present in the Sof the diamond. Color is observed ring *he diamond upside down in a oolor grading trough and viewing through the side of toe gem Among color, clarity, cut and carat weight, oolor is the characteristic most easily noticed by the human eye and it has the most impact on the appearanoe 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 flaws and surface blemishes can be seen only under magnification To magnify a diamond a tewoler’s loupe or a microscope Is used The mlcroeoope is often used more as a sales tool than a gem Instrument because Its laboratory" appearance can be impressive to cgn i --— sumers. The microscope, however, is a cumbersome piece of equipment and is less flexible than the loupe for examine 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 tor professional diamond examination. Among oolor, dar ity, cut and carat weight, darity is the second most observable characteristic and has the second most impact on the appearance of the gem, hence, darity carries the second mo6t 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 Vie angles of tie facets. These angles can vary from diamond to diamond As explained below, proportion analysis is exfremely subjective and the oftect of differing proportions on tie ap pearance and value of tie diamond is often a matter of opinion. Generaty, however, except tor tie proportion cafied tie "heavy mate* discussed below, outte a less observable characteristic than color or darity from a quantitative stand point and, hence, cut generaly carries less value. Carat weight refers to tie weight of the diamond and not to its size. This is an important distinction because two dia monds which weigh the samecan appear drastically different in size and this may result in drastically different values even if color and darity remain constant Sometimes consumers forget that size is a dimensional measurement expressed in miHimeters 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 exad 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 and Carat weight) the subject ol 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 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 wnat 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 “Firef Dispersion means the ability of the diamond to break down light into the spectral colors (blues, reds, yellows, 0tc | “Scintillation" is sometimes referred to as “Sparkle* Scintillation refers to the play of light between and as reflected 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 diamona 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, the other two are compromised, and since ail throe 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 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 The Com plete Guide to Buying Gems" state, with reference to the percentage measure ments of various diamond cutting propor tions.'No ona has oome to an agreement, however, on what the percentages should be, since some people prefer fire 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 dispersion, scintillation and brilNanoe between tome differing diamond proportions it to slight that it is measurable only with sensitwe 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 ooncerns the "heavy t ' ' ^1—.— ' ’ 1 O Nebraska Diamond Shapes G1A GIA Carat Color Clarity Weight BHUl... H«.rtSh.p. cou)Ri£ss| F^ssi; l«t- »0,o UOp,. ^ __ 7/8 ct. — 80 to 89 pts. near ^ VERY wsm 3/4 ct. = 70 to 79 pts. cotJJSsT S/S ct. = S6 to 69 pu. FWNI i «re«res^vvsH Ease raid Cat ~ 7/16 ct. = 40 to 44 pts. S'—- yellow M very vsi-i 3/8 ct. = 36 to 39 pts. VERY C .»«"! vo,, 1/3 CL = 29 to 35 pts. UGHT E miWEcnoN ysw 1/4 CL = 23 to 28 pu YEUO* 5- 1/5 cL — 18 to 22 pts. \ ;/6 ct. = ,5 ,o .7 pu. r--|it u St-2 1/8 cL = 12 to 14 pts. Y^J2S<i SI 1/10 cL= 9 to 11 pts. ! — « .e-p—. FANCY 1.3 YELLOW GIA DIAMOND COLOR AND CLARITY TERMINOLOGY \ l — — - - make’ The term "heavy make" refers to a diamond that has a disproportionate share of its total carat weight concen trated in the depth of the stone Visually, this means that a "heavy make" diamond actually weighing 1 carat may only face up with the appearance and diameter of a 3/4 carat diamond cut to proper propor tions Because they face up so much smaller than they should, ‘heavy makes’ are worth substantially less than properly proportioned diamonds Because the heavy make' is worth less, it costs the jeweler less, so he can seii 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 make" is priced lower because it is worth less, tfie effect is to trick the consumer into thinking he has purchased a full size diamond at a bargain price. In fact, the problem of the heavy make" is virtually never explained to the consumer, so the consumer simply assumes that any diamond shown of a certain carat weightfaces 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 subject of cut properly and fairly explained to the consumer At Nebraska Diamond our customers re ceive all of the facts and an explanation of every option HOW TO SPOT DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES Consumers should be aware of vari ous trade practices which are common in the jewelry industry but which we feol 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 ih the jew 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. Pradioes which lead the con sumer to believe the quality, quantity or description of the article being purchased is more or better than that which is aotu ally delivered (active or constructive misrepresentation of the product either by actor omission) The ooncept of the “fake 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 eier places an exorbitant and purely ficti tious “regular price’ or ‘appraised value* or ‘reference price’ on an artide cl jew elry. He then advertises “special sale prices' or ‘drastic reductions* or ‘store wide 50% off ctearstoce sale' or ‘certified savings’ or something similar, and offers the artide to the consumer for less than this fictitious “marked* price. The con sumer buys the article believing ha has received a bargain In fact, though, under the scheme, are jeweler has sold the artide for the price he always intended to sell it for There is no bargain because the artide really wasn't marked down at ad, so the consumer actually paid tul price. The take ’sale’ scheme has 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 slrroty betting that their customers are too stupid to figure out what is going on. We think that is a poor bet Our experience with consumers convinces us that they are in r-AID ADVERTISEMENT ||i ■ i » 1 I ), > 1 U tetiigent 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 'sate' advertisement to Nebraska Diamond Compare their so called “sale” prices to our regular everyday prices and see tor yourseif 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 the consumer that the qualify, 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 pear an ce of any gemstone or article of jewelry This usually takes the form of chandeliers, spot lights, flood lamps, and reflector lamps, both 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, these lights make the diamond appear better than it is While others may argue that the use of this specialized lighting is merely a merchandising and display technique, we prefer to think that con sumers are entitled to see exactly what they are getting Asa practical matter, the only lighting conditions which are non deceptivo, mat is, which present the true appearance of gemstones and articles ot jewelry, are natural daylight and color corrected tubular fluorescent lighting which simulates natural daylight Even this light, in order to be non deceptive, must oe 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 ing conditions you will find at Nebraska Diamond At Nebraska Diamond we sell quality jewelry, and we adhere to the phi teophy that when you sell qualify jeweliy you don't need deceptive lighting condi tions. THE CONSUMER'S RIGHT TO KNOW The ultimate purposo to.- toe con sumer to acquire product knowledge is to enablft him or her to separate fact" from "sales pitch ’ Your right as a consumer to know toe facts is unequivocal, and should Indude nothing less than (tie fol lowing: 1. You have the right to demand that the jeweler accurately grade your dia mond in conformity with toe Gl A diamond grading system, that he fully disclose that grade 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 is set into a ring Never purchase l'» M M >1 1 'I. ' 1 ' diamond under the lighting conditions used (or laboratory grading of diamonds, that is, under natural daylight and under color corrected tubular fluorescent light ing which simulates natural daylight, m a closed and carefully controlled environ ment undiluted and uncontaminated 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 or micro scope, and you have the right to expect the jeweler to point out exactly what you should see Never purchase a diamond that you have not examined in this man nor 5 You have the right to ask any questions pertinent to your purchase and you have tne right to expect a courteous, informed, accurate and complete an swer Never purchase anything from a jeweler who shows disrespect tor your right as a consumer to know A FINAL WORD At Nebraska Diamond we've built our reputation on superb quality, unsur passed personal service, tremendous selection and unbeatable prices That's why Nebraska Diamond totally domi nates Lincoln's engagement ring and fine .ewelry market. With each engagement ring or wedding band we also indude our free Wedding Savings Package which entitles Nebraska Diamond customers to exdusive preferential discounts at 22 other area merchants on everything needed lor 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 honest/ Our track record speaks for itself Our un matched reputation is our most valuable asset and our uncompromising commit ment to our customers has made us 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 ... ^