The
'Isee-2', an electronic scanning device that numerically determines a
diamond's sparkle, has been developed by Overseas Diamonds of
Antwerp. The device, which is being tested in the U.S. and launched
in Japan, grades a diamond's ability to capture and reflect light on
a scale of 1 to 10. It is this rating that Davy Lapa, the company's
Chief Executive Officer, hopes consumers will accept as an objective
rating of a stone's overall quality.
ODA
states that the technology will afford a potential diamond buyer a
"technical" eye to compare diferent stones much in a way
only a trained diamond professional could otherwise do.
By
taking 180 photographic views of a diamond the Isee-2 will
objectively evaluate the brilliance, scintillation and symetry of any
round brilliant stone. The device will also allow buyers to verify
the provenance of stones, by reading laser-engraved trademarks and
serial numbers, "thus providing reassurance that the diamond
comes from a legitimate source," explains Lapa.
Systems of certification for the color, weight and clarity of a stone exist but Overseas Diamonds say the variety of systems confuses buyers and that all ignore the diamond's sparkle, which is largely the result of its cut. "Ninety-nine percent of first time diamond buyers are confused and threatened by the purchasing process," Lapa told Reuters.
De
Beers, which controls around 65 percent of the world's $8 billion
(5.1 billion pounds) market in rough diamonds, said they were not
involved in the Isee-2 project but backed such efforts to employ more
sophisticated marketed techniques.
"It's what we're trying to encourage," said a spokesman for De Beers, which is 45 percent owned by Anglo American.
Though the devices are being tested in the US and will soon be launched in Japan, the company hopes to offer them worldwide very soon.