If most diamonds below 1.5 ct weight can be reliably and profitably cut and polished by machine....
RogerB
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....why can't most ordinary coins be reliably and profitably graded by machine?
Much of a TPG's revenue comes from "grading" new issues by world mints. The output range of quality is very high and consistent - after all the mints have invested heavily in producing near-perfect NCLT. Modern systems have the potential for complete grading, labeling, packaging and database management in less than 2 seconds ... most of this time would be in coin transport. (Take a close look at the US Mint's proof coin evaluation and packaging systems - extremely efficient, productive and gentle on coins. Only one person is necessary for final QA.)
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Are diamonds being graded by machines? The OP doesn't specifically say or ask that.
What he is saying is "diamonds are produced by machines". Well, coins are produced by machines too.
Yes. Machines can examine, evaluate, orient and cut raw diamonds. A raw diamond is a unique crystal and impurity structure. The same can be done for complex shapes of metal and plastic, and composites.
RE: "What he is saying is 'diamonds are produced by machines', " is inaccurate. Natural and man-made diamonds of small weight, etc. can be cut profitably by machines.
Bottom line of a business is profit. One automated examination and packaging line can replace a dozen graders and a bunch of slabbers, and do so with less coin damage and higher quality.
Because there are too many factors that go into grading a coin, and most of it is subjective (ex.: a coin's "eye appeal"). If grading were limited to only the technical grade of the coin (i.e. how much wear and damage has been done), it might be possible, but that would require the numismatic community accepting this as the new standard. Additionally, even technical grade might be difficult to determine with computers. Can a computer tell the different between weak strike and wear? It would most likely have to be limited to modern coinage so that strike is not an issue.
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Diamonds allow light to pass through them, which is probably both a grading factor and facilitates machine grading.
As originally stated, your logic sounded faulty and needed to be fleshed out. I'm still not entirely certain what you are saying (or why you are saying it).
Computer grading will become a reality. Artificial intelligence (AI) has progressed immensely and this will allow for reduced programming efforts and fast processing. As for that nebulous field of 'eye appeal'....well, it should never be part of a coins grade to begin with. Whose eye? Whose preferences? What really does that mean?? Cheers, RickO
Eye appeal is everything.
There are truckloads of ugly pugly slabbed MS65 coins that I would never look twice at. Technically meet the grade, but minimal eye appeal.
But the "eye" can and does vary from individual to individual.
And some people never have any "eye" for coins at all.
Great points made.
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A jeweler back in the 80's told me anything under 3 carats
was extremely common. No matter how nice. A few weeks ago
I was watching one of the shopping channels and they had
diamond jewelry set in plated silver or sterling (.925). Not even
gold settings. Makes you think. Talk about dreck.
A MS62, MS63 or MS64, all lower grades, every coin that's graded still needs to have an acceptable level of eye appeal to qualify it as a collectible collector's coin. Whether it's due to a coin having only two qualities about it; strike/condition, strike/luster, strike/toning. A coin with 3 qualities would grade higher. But two quality coins have found their ways into MS66 to MS68 grades haven't they? If it could absolve the human error and limit such misnomers on the market, computer grading is a possible solution. Computers can decipher color progression and measure depth.......for chris-sakes, computers are used to cut the very depths and designs into the coining dies!
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
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