It’s true, all these tools such as the Ideal-Scope, BrillianceScope and proportion analysers are completely over-rated.
The argument that cut is the least important of the 4Cs has recently re-surfaced on the Pricescope forums.
In fact, the argument does have merit. Consider two brides to be discussing their engagement rings:
Bride 1: “I’ve got a 1ct D/IF
Bride 2: “I’ve got a 0.94ct F/VS1”
Which one sounds better? The first one of course!
Therefore, by the fact that cut is so complex and rarely discussed, if you want to impress you friends and colleagues, then it’s best to sacrifice cut for the other 3Cs that can be explained more easily. This isn’t helped by the fact that poorly cut stones may well look as good or better than an ideal cut stone in certain lighting conditions.
So, if you’re a diamond merchant, or a diamond consumer, how are you supposed to buy and sell ideal cuts, yet still allow people to be impressed by the cut quality of a diamond? The easy way is to brand your diamonds. It’s much easier to say “.94ct F/VS1, Hearts on Fire” than it is to say “0.94ct F/VS1 54% table, 40.75 degree pavillion angle, 34.5 degree crown angle”. Secondly, to a certain extent certificates allow for easy identification of cut – AGS have a grade of 0, GIA a grade of excellent and HRD a grade of very good as their highest cut grades. However, as with all diamond grading, they are ranges, and therefore carry less meaning than a brand with very strict tolerances.
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