GIA colored stone grading question

[Daisys and Diamonds]

ive arrived half way through this thread -
some really interesting posts but have no idea what we are talking about
i go back and check

 

[PrecisionGem]

WIth the car example, I was thinking more that I didn't know the exact pigments used in the paint. The color had a crazy name, but no numbers to back up the color.

SO with a gemstone, if you have a gem, and you really love the color, do some assigned numbers effect how much you love the color? Do you suddenly stop liking the stone if the numbers tell you you should? The same with the ratios of crown and pavilion height. I get people all the time asking me about these ratios, to try to determine if the stone is well cut. They have read some magic values for round diamonds, and think they can apply that to a colored stone. My point was use your eyes, don't try to turn a gemstone into a math problem.

 

[Starstruck8]

SO with a gemstone, if you have a gem, and you really love the color, do some assigned numbers effect how much you love the color? Do you suddenly stop liking the stone if the numbers tell you you should?

No, the numbers shouldn’t matter. But if, a while later, you see a similar but much more vivid stone, your attitude might change… As LilAlex says:

Nearly all colored stones are intrinsically beautiful, imo. It's only when you put them next to a much nicer one that you think, "Oh...."

Long-time collectors and people in the trade have seen a wide range of stones, including truly vivid ones. They have tuned their eyes accordingly. But one-off buyers, beginners, or occasional purchasers may never have seen truly vivid stones. A less than top colour grade is at least a warning that there might be something better out there.

There is also the matter of money. You want to have some confidence that you are paying something like the right price for what you are getting. If the stone you like is not trade ideal, great – but you want to know this, so you don't pay a trade ideal price for it.

 

[Autumn in New England]

ive arrived half way through this thread -
some really interesting posts but have no idea what we are talking about
i go back and check

lol You are the cutest!

 

[T L]

No, the numbers shouldn’t matter. But if, a while later, you see a similar but much more vivid stone, your attitude might change… As LilAlex says:


Long-time collectors and people in the trade have seen a wide range of stones, including truly vivid ones. They have tuned their eyes accordingly. But one-off buyers, beginners, or occasional purchasers may never have seen truly vivid stones. A less than top colour grade is at least a warning that there might be something better out there.

There is also the matter of money. You want to have some confidence that you are paying something like the right price for what you are getting. If the stone you like is not trade ideal, great – but you want to know this, so you don't pay a trade ideal price for it.

Great write up. It should also be noted that there are actually collectors and dealers that aren’t that into vivid color. Some are more into refractive index, luster and/or precision faceting. It’s incredibly rare to have a stone with vivid color, precision faceting, high luster, without it being a lab gem. Vivid color is rare enough as it is. Besides, the single most popular gem in the world is white diamond (no color to speak of), so there you go.

In which case this is precisely why this forum exists:

“You want to have some confidence that you are paying something like the right price for what you are getting.”