H&A and HCA???

[Jon]

Hi, I am wanting to get engaged and am learning about diamonds, wow so much info....
Basically I learnt about the C''s want to get a D,E,F...VS2 or SI1 so I can get a good size and good quality stone for a ring within my budget.

Anyway I have a few questions if anyone would be interested in helping me out.

1. Do all Hearts and Arrows diamonds score highly on Hollo. Cut Adviser?
2. If a diamond scores well on the HCA is it a Hearts and Arrows or are the two different?
3. Are Hearts and Arrows the thing to look out for or is HCA better or both?

(need to look for proposal ideas as well

...after I have the ring)

Thanks you.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Hearts & Arrows is the term used to describe a round brilliant diamond that has been cut for precision patterning, or, to align the facets precisely with each other. It is a type of round diamond. See this link for further description.

The HCA (Holloway Cut Adviser) is an algorithm created by Garry Holloway - who posts here - to predict performance for any round diamond (regardless of H&A) and place it in a performance cetagory. It is a tool that should be used to reject diamonds - rather than splitting hairs between those with high performance numbers. Cut Adviser Here

To decide whether you are looking for the precise patterning offered in a round diamond cut to true H&A precision you can read the PS tutorial and search for discussion on the subject. Ultimately it's a matter of taste and preference as to whether you want to pay the premium.

As for a proposal idea... You caught me coming in from my front yard, and this occured as I was typing just now: How about seeding "Marry Me?" in 3' high letters in your yard with dark green grass in early spring and then waiting for the right moment to get her on the roof ('hey darling - what do you think of a champagne breakfast on the rooftop to watch the sun rise?...) Watch the sun rise, then point to the ground below. As she's looking at the grass, slip the ring into her champagne glass.

Or should this be reserved for, like, Willy the Gardener from 'The Simpsons?'

 

[Maxine]

WOW...far out proposal story!! Don''t like heights, myself!!!!

 

[JohnQuixote]

Climb the ladder, lassie!

 

[valeria101]

Cool ! If grass is not fast growing enough, there are other ways to write on the ground so that the message can only be seen from a bit of distance (size of letters or something scattered on the ground at low density). If there is no garden available, the key words could pop up from lots of unexpected places under "controlled conditions" and celebratory circumstaces

Cool way to think about it, IMO ...

 

[belle]

hey jon! welcome to ps! it looks like your h&a and hca questions have been answered, so all you need are some more proposal ideas!

......i wonder if sir john did anything today that would inspire another unique idea?

best of luck in finding a great ring...and proposal!

 

[Jon]

Thanks,

The anwser does help a lot, I will be looking at some diamonds today.

Is the Ideal scope same as HCA and H&A or different?
Can HCA or H&A predicate ideal scope (as I don''t own one)

Yeah those ideas are good and I thought up a really good one...

 

[belle]

jon,
let me see if i can explain the differences in terminology for you.....
1. the idealscope is a type of red reflector tool that you look through to see potential areas of light leakage in diamonds. you can read more about it here.
2. the hca, or holloway cut adviser, is a mathmatical tool used to reject poor performing diamonds based on the specific cut data of the individual diamonds. you can find it here.
3. hearts and arrows (h&a) is a type of cut that produces a pattern in the diamond that is visible using a hearts and arrows viewer.

when searching for a diamond, you may find it helpful to use these tools. most people, once they find a potential stone, will use the hca to determine whether or not it is worth further consideration. if the stone scores well on the hca, you can then ask the vendor to take idealscope images to determine the reflective properties of the diamond. if it is an h&a stone you are looking for, you can use the viewer to determine whether or not the hearts and arrows are to your liking.

hope this information helped you somewhat!

here is a comparison composition between a hearts & arrows diamond (which is john quixote''s avatar that i borrowed) and a diamond without hearts and arrows patterning. both are shown with idealscope images.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 5/22/2005 10:45:36 PM
Author: Jon
Thanks,

The anwser does help a lot, I will be looking at some diamonds today.

Is the Ideal scope same as HCA and H&A or different?
Can HCA or H&A predicate ideal scope (as I don't own one)

Yeah those ideas are good and I thought up a really good one...

Jon,

The HCA is a computer algorithm. When you enter a set of diamond measurements it gives you a prediction of how a diamond with those measurements will perform. It never actually 'sees' the diamond, it estimates performance based on statistics.

The Ideal-scope is a reflector device through which a diamond is viewed to observe the amount of light returned to the viewer's eye. Belle posted some ideal-scope photos above. Basically you want to see reds and blacks - and to avoid pinks and whites, especially under the table area (the highest part of the crown). It does actually 'see' the diamond, and should be considered much more telling than HCA.

People commonly use HCA to enter the measurements from diamonds they have an interest in - to see if any they are considering are given a poor score. Then, once they have found a few that score well, they use the diamonds' ideal-scope images to help choose the 'winner.'

- - -

Hearts & Arrows (H&A) describes the cut of a precision-patterned round diamond. It is not a tool like the HCA or ideal-scope, it refers to precision of cut. Diamonds cut to a true H&A level of precision (you can read about standards here) often score very well on HCA - because they are carefully cut to proven tolerances - and often have remarkable Ideal-scope images - because they can optimize light return. However, you do not have to seek a H&A diamond in order to get those kinds of scores and images.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 5/22/2005 11:39:05 PM
Author: belle

(which is john quixote's avatar that i borrowed)

Say. Give that back. It's drafty.

 

[Lord Summerisle]

Date: 5/22/2005 12:12:18 PM
Author: JohnQuixote
Climb the ladder, lassie!

John, thats far too polite for a Scotsman!

See you Jimmy!

 

[belle]

Date: 5/23/2005 2:02:26 AM
Author: JohnQuixote

Date: 5/22/2005 11:39:05 PM
Author: belle

(which is john quixote''s avatar that i borrowed)

Say. Give that back. It''s drafty.

hehehe......i decided to keep it

don''t worry, it is in a safe place now

 

[Maxine]

John,
I would be afraid: 1. to get on the roof, and 2. that the ring would go sliding off the roof into that high grass!!!!!!!!

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

Date: 5/22/2005 12:12:18 PM
Author: JohnQuixote
Climb the ladder, lassie!

LOLOL