morecarats
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
- Messages
- 371
Here is a dealer''s self-interested perspective on this issue.
While there are certainly dishonest vendors out there who just want to make a quick buck -- eBay provides many examples -- the dealers who have been in business for some years and who have worked hard to build up their businesses are only interested in satisfying customers. Every customer who is disappointed in his or her purchase is not only a lost opportunity for the future, but negative word of mouth is disastrous for any business. So the dealer wants to accurately represent his gems, not just because it''s the right thing to do, but because he wants to be successful. There is no business incentive to be dishonest.
As anyone who has tried to take gemstone photos knows, getting an accurate representation of a gemstone is extremely difficult. A gemstone photograph has multiple, often incompatible, goals -- representing the color, cut and clarity of a particular stone. For example, the lighting that might provide the best representation of the color might be insufficient to expose all the inclusions in the gem. The fact that many gems look quite different under different lighting is also an issue. Many vendors photograph their gems under lighting that emulates daylight. But when the customer unpacks the gem for the first time he is invariably indoors. And you only get one chance to make a good first impression.
Color variation in computer monitors is another challenge. As the computer market moved from CRT monitors to LCD, the brightness of monitors changed significantly, and gemstone photos had to change as well. The color temperature of the LCD monitors also vary a good deal. We recently went through an exercise using some sophisticated color calibration software to adjust a number of LCD monitors, and we found that different models of monitors, even from the same manufacturer, could not be calibrated to the same standard. Imagine how great the variance might be with the customer''s monitor that has been cranked up for computer games.
In questioning dealers, it is not only a good idea to ask questions about the hue, saturation, tone, etc. but also to be explicit about your expectations. If you are looking for a particular color, for example, send the dealer a sample from one of the many color charts on the internet. Or send some photos of gems that illustrate what you''re looking for. In my experience understanding the customer''s expectations is essential to customer satisfaction. The dealer''s idea of orange might be quite different from yours. Make sure the dealer understands what you want.
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