The Short Answer
You should not have to ask. A reputable online diamond seller provides HD video and detailed imagery as standard for every diamond they offer. If you need to request basic visual information, that tells you something about the seller's transparency — and it is not something positive.
Why Imagery Matters
A GIA grading report tells you what a diamond is. Video and photography tell you what it looks like. Both are essential, and they serve different purposes.
The grading report gives you verified, objective data — cut grade, colour, clarity, carat weight, proportions. It is the foundation of any informed purchase. But it is a summary, not a portrait. Two diamonds with identical reports can look different in practice, because the report does not capture the full complexity of how light interacts with a specific stone.
That is where imagery comes in. HD video shows the diamond in motion — how light enters the crown, breaks into spectral colours, and exits as fire and brilliance. It reveals how inclusions appear in real-world conditions, not just as dots on a plot diagram. It shows you the diamond's personality, which no report can convey. See Light Performance for more on why this matters.
What to Expect from a Reputable Seller
HD video. This is the most important piece of visual information. A well-produced diamond video, shot under consistent and neutral lighting, gives you an honest view of how the stone performs. Look for video that shows the diamond in motion — rotating, tilting — so you can see how it handles light from different angles. Video shot under dramatic or theatrical lighting is marketing, not information.
High-resolution photography. Still images complement video by capturing detail — the facet pattern, the clarity characteristics, the body colour. Multiple angles are more useful than a single hero shot.
Magnified views. Close-up imagery that lets you inspect the diamond at high magnification — similar to what you would see through a jeweller's loupe — helps you understand inclusion type and placement in a way that the clarity plot on a grading report cannot.
What About ASET and Idealscope Images?
ASET (Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool) and Idealscope images are specialised light performance maps. They show how a diamond handles light from different angles, using colour-coded zones to indicate areas of brightness, contrast, and light leakage.
These tools are genuinely useful for evaluating cut quality — particularly for round brilliant diamonds where proportions play a critical role. However, they are specialised diagnostic tools, not something every seller routinely provides.
If a seller offers ASET or Idealscope imagery, it is a sign of serious commitment to cut quality and transparency. If they do not, it does not necessarily mean the diamond is poorly cut — but it does mean you have less information about its light performance than you could have.
For most buyers, HD video under neutral lighting provides the practical information you need. ASET and Idealscope are valuable additions, not requirements.
The Red Flag: Having to Ask
Here is the key point. If you are shopping with a seller who lists diamonds without video, without detailed photography, and without any visual representation beyond the grading report — and you have to request this information as a special favour — that seller is not operating at the standard the online market now demands.
Transparency is not a premium service. It is the baseline. A seller who does not provide visual information as standard is asking you to buy on trust alone, and that is not a reasonable ask when the technology to provide HD video is readily available.
The Arete Diamond Approach
At Arete Diamond, every diamond comes with HD video, high-resolution photography, and detailed data beyond what appears on the GIA grading report. You do not need to ask for this — it is how we present every stone, because we believe it is the minimum standard for an informed purchase.
Our imagery is shot under controlled, consistent lighting so that what you see online reflects how the diamond actually performs. We do not use theatrical lighting designed to make every stone look exceptional. We show you the diamond as it is, because that is what serves you.
If you have questions about what the imagery shows, our team is available to walk you through it — explaining what to look for in the video, how inclusions appear in practice, and how the stone compares to alternatives.
Cross-References
- Light Performance — understanding brilliance, fire, and scintillation
- Arete Diamond Standards — how we select and present diamonds
- Can I Buy a Diamond Without Seeing It in Person? — why online evaluation works
- How Do I Compare Diamonds on Different Websites? — practical comparison framework