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Wolf/CBI is a new PS sponsor now.

Decision_Decisions said:
If CBI is pricing based on GIA color...
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The industry standard for color and clarity is GIA, all around the world. CBI are certainly worth using the industry standard, so we do. We also value the grading standard of AGS for cut grading, so we use that too.

By outsourcing our imaging and videography to GCal, we do not bear the expense of a full time photography team and the expense to purchase and constantly upgrade the equipment that goes with the team.

Add to that the value of purchasing from a single source kitchen. CBI only produces CBI, there are no second or third tier products. Every diamond is CBI quality, or it is not accepted at WolfCBI.

Seriously, I can get a good steak at just about any steak house in the world. I can get an incredible, beyond belief, steak at only a few very select restaurants. If you have ever broken bread with me, you KNOW where I get my steaks!

Wink
 
Txborn79 said:
I have a question and want to see if anyone knows the answer. Does Whiteflash actually cut their own diamonds like cbi or do they pick through what’s available and rebrand, similar to what JA does with their TH brand?

This is the only thing I could find on their website and it sounds more like they rebrand

The A CUT ABOVE® is our internationally recognized brand of Super Ideal Cut diamonds, Round and Princess. They are the "best of the best" in terms of cut craftsmanship and light performance, possessing brilliance and fire at the limits of what is technically possible. To achieve the A CUT ABOVE® pedigree a diamond must first be certified by the AGS Laboratory as Triple Ideal with a Platinum Certificate. It must then pass an extensive series of further evaluations by the Whiteflash review team before being branded A CUT ABOVE®.
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That's a question for @Texas Leaguer to answer.
 
Txborn79 said:
For example, 2.05 G VS1 (but AGS is listed as an F which would be what WF would list it as) CBI is $31,829 https://hpdiamonds.com/diamonds/88

2.007 VS1 F ACA is $30,244

Diamond | 2.007 ct F VS1 Expert Selection Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4149994

This fabulous 2.007 carat Round Ideal cut diamond has a clarity grade of VS1 and color grade of F.It is an excellent choice for engagement rings. | 4149994
www.whiteflash.com

A difference of ~5%
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But that's not a H&A stone. You must compare apples to apples.
 
Welcome back Wink.
We have all missed you.
I have I believe met your new partner, and we have had the odd phone conversation. He has a reputation for integrity and straight shooting.
Me personally and PriceScope wish you great success.
 
Txborn79 said:
I have a question and want to see if anyone knows the answer. Does Whiteflash actually cut their own diamonds like cbi or do they pick through what’s available and rebrand, similar to what JA does with their TH brand?

This is the only thing I could find on their website and it sounds more like they rebrand

The A CUT ABOVE® is our internationally recognized brand of Super Ideal Cut diamonds, Round and Princess. They are the "best of the best" in terms of cut craftsmanship and light performance, possessing brilliance and fire at the limits of what is technically possible. To achieve the A CUT ABOVE® pedigree a diamond must first be certified by the AGS Laboratory as Triple Ideal with a Platinum Certificate. It must then pass an extensive series of further evaluations by the Whiteflash review team before being branded A CUT ABOVE®.
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This is my understanding. Whiteflash is like Wolf in that they are both retail vendors with an online presence. Whiteflash buys diamonds from a cutting factory (or factories), and Wolf buys diamonds from a cutting factory. They both buy top hearts and arrows stones from cutting factories. Wolf chooses to name their cutting source (CBI), WF does not. From what I have seen of Wolf's site prior to current updates, it does appear they sell other diamonds besides CBI H&A in their retail store (because I saw other shapes in a video, I believe).

(If Wolf owns CBI or CBI owns Wolf, then I'll be glad to be corrected.)
 
Wink said:
Dear MollyMalone,

Excellent question and I did not want to answer until I was sure the FAQ was in fact, working again. As a new site, we are constantly upgrading and making improvements. Our FAQ was indeed offline last evening and I have just confirmed that as of one minute ago it is now back online.

Wink
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Ah, what's appearing tonight is the kind of FAQ page I was expecting to see last nigh-- YAY!!

Wishing all the best to you, and everyone else involved, in this new venture!
champagne-emoji1.png
 
Txborn79 said:
I have a question and want to see if anyone knows the answer. Does Whiteflash actually cut their own diamonds like cbi or do they pick through what’s available and rebrand, similar to what JA does with their TH brand?

This is the only thing I could find on their website and it sounds more like they rebrand

The A CUT ABOVE® is our internationally recognized brand of Super Ideal Cut diamonds, Round and Princess. They are the "best of the best" in terms of cut craftsmanship and light performance, possessing brilliance and fire at the limits of what is technically possible. To achieve the A CUT ABOVE® pedigree a diamond must first be certified by the AGS Laboratory as Triple Ideal with a Platinum Certificate. It must then pass an extensive series of further evaluations by the Whiteflash review team before being branded A CUT ABOVE®.
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Whether they source from rough and have cut, buy from the existing supplier market and tweak, or simply rebrand a stone that somehow already happens to meet all the ACA criteria (I can guarantee this would be exceedingly uncommon) - a stone bought as a WF ACA is a WF ACA, and when bought directly from WF it’s guaranteed to be in pristine condition. The stone carries the ACA pedigree regardless of precise origin, really nothing for the end consumer to be concerned about :))

In contrast, Wink’s RBs are all from exactly one provider, so that becomes part of the requirement to earn the Wolf CBI brand label. Given this, an RB with an alternate history that claims to be a CBI would be quite a lot to be concerned about!
 
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It’s good to see you back here Wink ::) Congratulations!!! :appl: :appl: :appl: I’m looking forward to many many more years of success!!! ❤️
 
diamondseeker2006 said:
They both buy top hearts and arrows stones from cutting factories. Wolf chooses to name their cutting source (CBI), WF does not.
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Just to clarify, the standout feature of the CBI brand is it is made in one small kitchen. This is why I have always sold it as CBI, the name of the single kitchen cutting my diamonds. I am not aware of any other retailer selling from one kitchen only. This desire to concentrate ONLY on CBI diamonds is the reason I am the Senior Vice President of WolfCBI rather than of Wolf Diamonds.

The quality of Crafted by Infinity Diamonds is the reason I have remained completely focused with my single kitchen, so that after months of earning my way back into a position of strength, I am able to continue to offer the finest cut diamonds I have ever experienced!

I am proud to say, they come only from one source and each is prepared with great attention to detail and incredible consistency.

Wink
 
Means & methods may vary amongst vendors, but excellence is never a result of accidental occurrence. It takes careful planning, clear direction and a phenomenal level of expertise & craftsmanship to crank out top notch super ideals on a continuous basis.

Personally I am thankful for all the super ideal vendors and their respective brands. They push one another to do better and as the consumers we consistently win as a result.

@Wink I am glad you are back and wish you loads of success. Your enthusiasm for perfection is one of the things that I most respect about you. Stay feisty my friend.
 
I’m very happy to see you here, Wink, and I’m so happy that this situation turned into something good for you.
 
There is no such thing as finding a supply of diamonds on the market that would meet all of our requirements and simply ‘rebranding’ them. Producing a true super ideal is a very intentional process - one that costs more to do than producing diamonds for the broad market. And one that only a select number of factories in the world even have the capability of doing.

Whiteflash maintains supply agreements with several of these manufacturers, each capable of the precision necessary to meet the requirements and qualifications of A CUT ABOVE®. Each factory has learned that full set of requirements and have developed a proven ability to achieve a high success rate. Those diamonds that ultimately do not meet the rigorous standard for A CUT ABOVE® are either sent back to the manufacturer or are purchased for our Expert Selection category.

No single manufacturer can have the rough necessary to produce all the sizes and color combinations required by our audience. By having developed a redundant supply chain we are not only able to offer the broadest and deepest in-house inventory of super ideals in the market, we are also better able to weather disruptions such as the pandemic, and to continue to provide our product if one manufacturer experiences problems.

It is good to see @Wink back and we wish him success with the new initiative. The consumer market is benefited by more companies cutting diamonds for beauty over weight. As the saying goes, “a rising tide lifts all boats”.
 
Just to clarify my question. I was assuming that the cost difference is most likely due to the availability of getting the diamonds from one house vs multiple houses. Obviously WF has a larger inventory than HPD so I’m sure that plays a factor.

Nothing against WF whatsoever :) I own a pair of ACA studs and they’re perfect. I actually own diamond(s) from HPD, WF, BGD and VC so you could say I love all the “super” idea diamonds lol
 
Redwoods-hiker-girl said:
Side note: @Wink, now I'm hungry! Where do you get your steaks? =)2
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It depends on where I am. Here in Boise, I go to Ruth's Chris, they are quite frankly, the best in town.

When I visit New York, I ask my host where he considers the best steak in town and we go there.

When I visit Minneapolis, my host takes me to what he thinks is the best in town, and I have no disagreement with him!

Last time I was in Houston, my host and I took his children to a Korean restaurant, and then went to the best steakhouse in town to have an incredible desert, but only after looking at the displayed array of awesome steaks available. I know I will be begging to eat there next time I am in Houston.

No matter where I go, I always ask, and have yet to ever be disappointed.

What do all these fine steakhouses have in common you ask?

They are never the cheapest.

Wink
 
Great news! I have been following your work for a long time! I wish I had bought some of your CZ offerings back when WinkCZ was around :) Now I can look forward to buying a diamond from you, instead.
 
Texas Leaguer said:
It is good to see @Wink back and we wish him success with the new initiative. The consumer market is benefited by more companies cutting diamonds for beauty over weight. As the saying goes, “a rising tide lifts all boats”.
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@Texas Leaguer, I meant to thank you for the warm welcome last week. Time got away from me as you might well imagine.

Your comments got me to thinking about many things, and I think some of them are worth sharing.

The community here is incredible. Made up of complete new searchers, experienced members, many of whom have become "prosumers", helping others to understand what they worked so hard to learn, and Professionals like ourselves who also work to educate the people here.

In my opinion, what this does is elevate the quality of information available to the searchers and leaves any who spend more than a few minutes trying to internalize the information in a much stronger position while carrying out their searches, either in Bricks and Mortar stores or online.

This this has the obvious side effect of better looking diamonds being purchased and "required" by the better educated buyers. This will eventually force the cutters to up their game as the poorer looking GIA excellent diamonds will no longer be acceptable to their formally uneducated customers.

As I look back to see what (I thought) I knew after graduating in November of 1975 and what I have learned in the intervening 45+ years, I see clearly that I knew nearly nothing about cutting back then, because few, if any really did. Yes, some beautiful diamonds were being cut, but not with the quality and beauty they are being cut today today.

The development of intentional Hearts and Arrows cutting and the acceptance of them by the public, first in Japan and later around the world, led to the scientific study of how and why, which led to the CUT WARS here on Pricescope This has led to the consumer that spends time here getting a more beautiful diamond.

WOW, it is wonderful thinking about how powerful this Pricescope platform is.

Sincerely,

Wink
 
I couldn't agree more Wink. Pricescope is a treasure trove of information and consumer/trade collaboration.

I also got involved in the jewelry industry in the 1970's, though initially in colored gemstones. At the time there were a handful of companies promoting precision cut diamonds, but they were swimming upstream like so many before them. (Queue up Al Gilbertson's fine book on the history of the American Ideal cut).

Fast forward to the mainstreaming of the internet and the dawning of the information age, and many more people became exposed to the benefits of cutting for beauty over weight. The AGS was the first to recognize the public demand for cut quality analysis. Their success prompted GIA to launch a cut grade system, albeit 10 years later and arguably much less rigorous.

Still, the clear logic of the "beauty over weight" philosophy is not lost of astute consumers who have been raised in the information age. They know what they want and they know how to find it. Thus, things are evolving quickly toward better cutting and more beautiful diamonds.

And Pricescope has been a driver of that evolution. As have all who participate here.
 
Texas Leaguer said:
I couldn't agree more Wink. Pricescope is a treasure trove of information and consumer/trade collaboration.

Deleted some
And Pricescope has been a driver of that evolution. As have all who participate here.
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I will second that!
 
Texas Leaguer said:
I couldn't agree more Wink. Pricescope is a treasure trove of information and consumer/trade collaboration.

Deleted some
And Pricescope has been a driver of that evolution. As have all who participate here.
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I will third this (big time)!!

Firstly..., congratulations Wink, good to see you back. Life keep planning hurdles along our path to overcome and become stronger. Very happy to see you conquered what seems a significant one. Congratulations for taking it on and overcoming, you deserve it.

I would like to add...

Seems like we have been stuck for about a decade now..., not a lot changed as we are still talking about the same (old) products. Pricescope is a huge information platform and in agreement with all my friends above, Pricescope was definitely an important driver for that evolution.

Pricescope is a platform where professionals and consumers meet and play the diamond game. Its a win-win situation for everyone (it always was). But if the industry doesn't move forward, further evolving, the consumer needs to take over.. educated prosumers have the power to change that and ask for more..., and Pricescope is the perfect place for that.

Otherwise we will keep playing the "comfortably numb" game which at the end we all know how it terminates.
 
diagem said:
But if the industry doesn't move forward, further evolving, the consumer needs to take over.. educated prosumers have the power to change that and ask for more..., and Pricescope is the perfect place for that.
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Dear Yoram,

Thank you for the kind words my friend. I also agree completely with your comment above.

I wish to moderately disagree with one of your comments:
diagem said:
Seems like we have been stuck for about a decade now...
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I can understand how it may feel that way, but I am dealing with more and more clients asking me questions that were never even discussed while at GIA getting my GG. I still remember the first time a potential client asked me about a lower girdle facet length and what was relationship between the crown angle and the complimentary pavilion angle.

Say What?

This was before the AGS studies and the development of what is still the finest cut grade system available.

I spent a lot of time finding out what I could of such things, and the information was not readily available for jewelers, let alone the public. Today, a large percentage of the Pricescope membership is aware that such things exist and has at least a rudimentary understanding of why things like this are important.

More importantly, in my book, and sadly, a huge percentage of retail jewelers and salespeople have no idea what their informed consumers are talking about, let alone how to find out when asked.

The prosumers here are ready to jump in with answers, the educational staff here, think John Pollard and his crew, are ready to respond to questions when asked, and the vendors here that are active, know that they MUST keep up with research if they want to stay relevant.

I do agree with you that the research has not gone forward the way you and I would like, but I believe the average client on Pricescope is more educated in the knowledge needed to select of superior performance than the average salesperson they will encounter in a bricks and mortar establishment. Their questions have become more and more complex over the past five years, so this is why I disagree with your comment that we have been stuck with for a decade now. The profession, maybe, but the potential client is learning and demanding more and more information every year.

Wink
 
@Wink, you definitely have the advantage of a retail shop and an array of clientele. However, could your clients be above average in comparison to the normal population? I can’t help but think HPD/Wolf, WF, BGD and VC would naturally associate with a more educated buyer because due to the higher level of product quality they push.

From what I have seen from my much smaller and limited sample pool is the vast majority of people haven’t evolved much in diamond education.

I mentioned this to @Garry H (Cut Nut) in another thread and will echo it here. I would love to see more technical deep dives on PS. I would be thrilled to see stuff from @Texas Leaguer, @diagem, @Karl_K, @Rockdiamond, @Victor Canera, @Serg, @John Pollard, yourself and others I may not have linked to join in. Obviously this could be a major time suck but it’s such a fabulous way to brain storm, educate and evolve to always be at the forefront of diamonds and gemstones.

We need to push the envelope! I know I am hungry for more of this sort of knowledge and I think others are too. Maybe that should be a sub-forum to RT and ask trade members to take turns creating content, hopefully on a frequent basis.
 
cut grading has mostly killed innovation making such conversations less productive and not worth the time sink for many.
 
Karl_K said:
cut grading has mostly killed innovation making such conversations less productive and not worth the time sink for many.
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The conversation has taken a nice turn Wink - sorry for the diversion - but it is true.
sledge said:
@Wink, you definitely have the advantage of a retail shop and an array of clientele. However, could your clients be above average in comparison to the normal population? I can’t help but think HPD/Wolf, WF, BGD and VC would naturally associate with a more educated buyer because due to the higher level of product quality they push.

From what I have seen from my much smaller and limited sample pool is the vast majority of people haven’t evolved much in diamond education.

I mentioned this to @Garry H (Cut Nut) in another thread and will echo it here. I would love to see more technical deep dives on PS. I would be thrilled to see stuff from @Texas Leaguer, @diagem, @Karl_K, @Rockdiamond, @Victor Canera, @Serg, @John Pollard, yourself and others I may not have linked to join in. Obviously this could be a major time suck but it’s such a fabulous way to brain storm, educate and evolve to always be at the forefront of diamonds and gemstones.

We need to push the envelope! I know I am hungry for more of this sort of knowledge and I think others are too. Maybe that should be a sub-forum to RT and ask trade members to take turns creating content, hopefully on a frequent basis.
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The problem is multi faceted (boom boom).
There are so many problems.
We grade color thru the bottom - and consumers see what happens at the top D'oH.
We grade inclusion size at the top grades and % of inclusion area at the bottom and in the middle where most PS'ers buy - its a bloody mess. SI2 crystal in 0.20ct is invisible. In 0.50ct is just visible. At 2ct its visible from half a yard away. In 10ct from other side of the road.
GIA taught us that transparency can be covered off under Clarity - a travesty that needs addressing.
There are many more.

But the worst of the worst is the huge wast cutting round diamonds from rough that is screaming to be turned into a beautiful fancy shape.
If you want a topic cut related - start a new thread. Rounds should make up 20% of the market - not two thirds.
 
Oh, Garry, just saw your signature at the bottom. Can I be a Sparkliologist, too??? :lol:
 
Garry H (Cut Nut) said:
I here by, with the power of the diamonds within me, dub thee an Honorary Sparkliologist DS :cool2:
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It is a great honor to receive this special honorary title , Garry! After 15 years, I think I've earned it! :lol: :appl::wavey:

Haha, sorry for the rabbit trail!
 
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