PAID ADVERTISEMENT
HOWTO BUY DIAMONDS WITH
CONFIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
By Jonn Tavlin
President
Nebraska Diamond
For the average consumer buying a
diamond can be one ot the most confus
ing and frustrating experiences imagin
able. The consumer 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 success 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 primar
ily to the pursuit of gemolog ical education
It owns 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 the final and most authori
tative word on diamond grading stan
dards in the United States and its dia
mond grading system is, by far, the domi
nant grading system used by diamond
cutting firms and 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
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 all customers a thorough
explanation and demonstration of the GIA
diamond grading system under labora
tory conditions using actual examples, so
that the customer can see with his or her
own eyes the characteristics and appear
ance of the various grades As a result,
Nebraska Diamond customers can iden
tify the various GIA grades by themselves
and do not need to helplessly rely on the
jeweler's representations The two princi
pal reasons why customers need this
special instruction and knowledge to sur
vive 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
tem of diamond grading and gives the
consumer a standard of comparison
2. Jewelers who do represent dia
monds to customers in GIA terms often
take liberties with the GIA system and just
“puff" the grade up to whatever level is
necessary to make the sale, believing
that the customer will not be able to iden
tify the deception A diamond which is
assigned a GIA grade by one of these
jewelers may actually be significantly in
ferior to a diamond offered, with a seem
ingly lower GIA grade, by a jeweler who
adheres to the strict grading standards
we use at Nebraska Diamond Unless the
consumer has adequate product knowl
edge, he risks being duped into purchas
ing a low quality diamond Your only real
protection as a consumer is to educate
yourself about the product At Nebraska
Diamond we provide our customers with
an education that makes them the best
informed diamond buyers in the market
You do not get the Nebraska Diamond
consumer education program 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" (Copynght 1984,
Crown Publishers, Inc New York), dia
mond authorities Antoinette Leonard
Matlms 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 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 color grading trough and viewing
through the side of the gem Among color,
clarity, cut and carat weight, 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
microscope is used The microscope is
often used more as a sales tool than as a
gem instrument because its “laboratory"
appearance can be impressive to con
sumers The microscope, however, is a
cumbersome piece of equipment and is
less flexible than the loupe for examination of
diamonds. For these reasons, among oth
ers, the loupe is by far the dominant grading
instrument used by diamond dealers. At
Nebraska Diamond you may view your dia
mond under both a jeweler’s loupe and under
a microscope designed for professional dia
mond examination. Among color, clarity, cut
and carat weight, clarity is the second most
observable characteristic and has the sec
ond most impact on the appearance of the
gem, hence, clarity carries the second most
value.
Cut refers to the proportions of the dia
mond . 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, proportion analysis is extremely sub
jective and the effect of differing proportions
on the appearance and value of the diamond
is often a matter of opinion. Generally, how
ever, except for the proportion called the
“heavy make" discussed below, cut is a less
observable characteristic than color or clar
ity from a quantitative standpoint and, hence,
cut generally carries less value
Carat weight refers to the weight of the
diamond and not to its size. This is an impor
tantdistinction because two diamonds which
weigh the same can appear drastically differ
ent in size and this may result in drastically
different values even if color and clarity are
the same in both gems. Sometimes custom
ers forget that size is a dimensional linear
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 proportion called the “heavy make",
it will appear much smaller than a diamond of
the exact same carat weight cut with its
weight concentrated in its width The differ
ence in value between these two diamonds
can be substantial, often exceeding 40%. At
Nebraska Diamond we avoid the Tieavy
make", but we have observed that the “heavy
make" is very prevalent in today’s diamond
market Therefore, it is extremely important
that the consumer know how to recognize
the “heavy make". As discussed below, how
ever, consumers who do not have the con
sumer education we provide at Nebraska
Diamond are at a tremendous disadvantage
when it comes to recognizing the Tieavy
make” and they risk buying it unknowingly.
CUT: THE
MISUNDERSTOOD “C”
Among lhe4 “C’s” (Color, Clarity, Cut and
Carat Weight) the subject of diamond pro
portioning (Cut) is easily the most misunder
stood 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 propor
tioning and, therefore, provides an infinite
variety of differing cutting proportions all of
wmcn are considered equally appropriate
withineach Class The GIA proportion analy
sis format, thus, illustrates what every dia
mond expert in this business knows: that
there are literally hundreds of different dia
mond 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 be
cause the mam factors affected by cut (dis
persion and brilliance) cannot all be maxi
mized 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.)
“Brilliance" refers to the ability of the
diamond to return colorless or "white" light to
the viewer
As common sense will tell you, if you
increase a diamond's ability to break light
into the spectral colors you reduce its ability
to return colorless or "white" light. Con
versely, if you increase a diamond's ability to
return colorless or "white" light you reduce its
ability to break light into the spectral colors
That is why there is no such thing as a
diamond cut to maximum dispersion and
maximum brillance both at the same time By
cutting to maximize one of these factors the
other is compromised, and since both are of
equal importance it is impossible to authori
tatively 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 budget can
afford Precisely how dispersion and bril
liance translate into beauty, however, is a
matter of personal opinion In their chapter
on “The Importance of Cut and Proportion"
the authors of “The Complete Guide to Buy
ing Gems' state, with reference to the per
centage measurements of various diamond
cutting proportions, “No one has come to an
agreement, however, on what the percent
ages should be, since some people prefer
fire to brilliance and vice versa This is why
there are several accepted types of propor
tioning found in diamond cut, and “best" is a
matter of personal preference." In actuality,
the difference in dispersion and brilliance
between some differing diamond propor
tions 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 make". The
term "heavy make" refers to a diamond that
has a disproportionate share of its total carat
weight concentrated in the depth of the
stone Visually, this means that a "heavy
Nebraska Diamond 1
Shapes
Brilliant Heart Shape
Oval Emerald Cut
Pear Marquise
GIA GIA
Color Clarity
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COLORLESS L _
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FAINT - IMPERFECTION
YELLOW s VERY VSI-I
VERY o SLIGHT
LIGHT p IMPERFECTION VSI-2
YELLOW © ~
s SLIGHT SI-1
T IMPERFECTION
U SI-2
UGHT v -
YELLOW w '*l
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v IMPERFECT F2
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FANCY |.3
YELLOW
Carat
Weight
1 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
V GIA DIAMOND COLOR AND CLARITY TERMINOLOGY ) I
make" diamond actually weighing 1 carat
may only face up with the appearance and
diameter of a 3/4 carat diamond cut to proper
proportions Because they face up so much
smaller than they should, "heavy makes" are
worth substantially less than properly pro
portioned 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 make" is priced lower because it is
worth less, the effect is to trick the consumer
into thinking that he has purchased a full size
diamond at a bargain price This illusion is
further enhanced when the jeweler shows
only “heavy make" diamonds and does not
show the consumer a full size diamond to
enable the consumer to compare. In fact, the
problem of the “heavy make" is virtually
never explained to the consumer, so the
consumer simply assumes that any dia
mond 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 is unfair
and that it constitutes deception by omission.
At Nebraska Diamond we give our custom
ers a detailed explanation of this important
subject.
HOW TO SPOT DECEPTIVE
TRADE PRACTICES
Consumers should be aware of various
trade practices which are common in the
jewelry industry but which we feel are decep
tive, unfair and, in many cases, illegal De
ceptive trade practices cost consumers in
calculable sums of money annually Aware
ness of these trade practices will assist the
consumer in spotting them and avoiding
them when shopping for fine tewelry.
Deceptive trade practices in the jewelry
industry tend to tall generally into two broad
categories:
1 Practices which lead the consumer to
believe that he is receiving a bargain pur
chase when, in fact, he is not (fake “sales"),
and
2 Practices which lead the consumer to
believe the quality, quantity or description of
the article being purchased is more or better
than that which is actually delivered (active
or constructive misrepresentation of the
product either by act or omission).
The concept of the fake ‘sale’ is an old
one Basically, it plays on the desire of the
consumer to obtain a bargain purchase
Fake “sales" can be advertised or unadver
tised Here's how the scheme works In the
advertised fake “sale" scheme the jeweler
places an exorbitant and purely fictitious
“regular price" or “appraised value" or “refer
ence price" on an article of jewelry He then
advertises “special sale prices" or "drastic
reductions" or “storewide 50% off clearance
sale" or ‘certified savings" or something
similar to drum up excitement, and then he
offers the article to the consumer for less
than the fictitious “marked" price The con
sumer buys the article believing he has re
ceived a bargain. In fact, though, under the
scheme, the jeweler has sold the article for
the price he always intended to sell it for
There is no bargain because the article really
wasn’t marked down at all, so the consumer
actually paid full price The fake “sale"
scheme is also employed in unadvertised
“sales" In the unadvertised fake “sale" the
consumer walks into the store and observes
a fictitious “marked" pnce on the article and
the salesperson simply tells the consumer
that the article is on “sale" even though the
“sale" is not being publicly advertised, and
then offers the article to the consumer for a
“reduced" price Both advertised and unad
vertised take “sales" are high pressure sales
techniques used to influence the customer to
buy now before the “sale" ends In tact, under
either scheme, there is no “sale" and the
customer is deceived. The take “sale"
scheme has reached epidemic proportions
In our opinion, the fake “sale' is tne predomi
nant tool used in advertised and unadver
tised “price reduction" promotions in the jew
elry industry today Jewelers who oonduct
fake “sales" are simply betting that their
customers are too stupid to figure out what is
going on. We think that is a poor bet. Our
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
experience with consumers convinces us
that they are intelligent people who are en
titled to be treated with honesty and respect
Anytime you encounter a jewelry "sale" em
ploying any of the above characteristics, we
suggest that you exercise extreme caution
Bring a copy of the "sale" advertisement or
the unadvertised "sale" information to Ne
braska 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 the consumer that the
quality, quantity or description of the article
being purchased is more or better than that
which is actually delivered We think that
these techniques are deceptive and im
proper and that consumers should be
warned about them First and foremost
among these techniques is the implementa
tion of specialized lighting conditions de
signed to enhance the true appearance of
any gem stone 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 appearance,
dispersion, scintillation and brilliance in dia
monds and, further, they make it impossible
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
specialized lighting is merely a merchandis
ing and display technique, we prefer to think
that consumers are entitled to see exactly
what they are getting As a practical matter,
the only jewelry store lighting condition
which is non-deceDtive. that is. which ores
ents the true appearance of gem stones and
articles of jewelry, is color corrected tubular
fluorescent lighting Even this light, in order
to be non deceptive, must be presented at a
low height in a closed and carefully con
trolled environment, undiluted and uncon
taminated by other light sources These are
the lighting conditions which are used for
laboratory grading of diamonds, and these
are the lighting conditions you will find at
Nebraska Diamond. At Nebraska Diamond
we sell quality jewelry, and we adhere to the
philosophy that when you sell quality jewelry
you don't need deceptive lighting conditions
THE CONSUMER S
RIGHT TO KNOW
The ultimate purpose tor the consumer 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 unequivocal, 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 show you how the grade was
determined Never purchase a diamond
without such a disclosure
2 You have the right to examine your
diamond loose before making your pur
chase. You cannot accurately observe the
color or clarity of a diamond or authenticate
its carat weight or determine that it is not
chipped if it is already set into a ring Never
purchase a diamond that you have not exam
ined loose
3 You have the right to examine your
diamond under the lighting conditions used
tor laboratory grading of diamonds, that is.
under color corrected tubular fluorescent
lighting, presented at a low height in a closed
and carefully controlled environment undi
luted and uncontaminated by other light
sources Never purchase a diamond that
you have not examined under such lighting
conditions
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, 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 manner
5. You have the right to have your
diamond weighed in your presence on an
electronic diamond scale to verify its
claimed carat weight Never buy a dia
mond that you have not observed in this
manner
6 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
Never purchase anything from a jeweler
who shows disrespect for your right as a
consumer to know
A FINAL WORD
At Nebraska Diamond we've built our
reputation on unhurried personal service,
tremendous selection, superb quality,
and unbeatable prices. That's why Ne
braska Diamond totally dominates
Lincoln s engagement ring and fine jew
elry market At Nebraska Diamond we
give you benefits you cant get at any other
jewelry store. We regularly stock over 800
styles of engagement and wedding rings
and with each we also include our free
Wedding Savings Package™ coupon
book let which entitles Nebraska Diamond
customers to huge discounts at 23 other
area merchants on everything needed for
a perfect wedding 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 Our track record speaks for it
self. Our unmatched reputation is our
most valuable asset and our uncompro
mising commitment to our customers has
made us THE PLACE for engagement
rings and fine jewelry. We look forward to
serving you.
©Copyright 1991 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