Systems and methods for evaluating and displaying the dispersion of a diamond or other gemstone

• US 7,355,683 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gemological Institute of America Incorporated
• Original Assignee: American GEM Society
• Inventors: Sheffield, Jacob, Sasian, Jose, Quick, Jason, Flatt, Jason, Yantzer, Peter, Caudill, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Punnoose; Roy M
• Application Number:
  US11/388,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20070222972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 356/30, 356/31
• US Class Current: 356/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/87 Investigating jewels G01N21/88 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for evaluating and displaying a diamond'"'"'s dispersion or fire potential. These systems and methods can be used to determine the dispersion of a diamond relative to an observation point, which can then be used to provide for a map or other indicator of a diamond'"'"'s fire potential when it is observed from that point.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the fire potential of a gemstone, the method comprising;

generating a representation of the geometry of a gemstone having a table and a plurality of faces;

defining a target point above said table of said gemstone;

tracing a first ray of a ray pair having a first wavelength from said target point through said gemstone allowing said first ray to interact with at least a portion of said faces;

determining a source point at which said first ray intersects a first surface after leaving said gemstone;

tracing a second ray of a ray pair having a second wavelength from said source point and through said gemstone allowing said second ray to interact with at least a portion of said faces;

determining an intersection point at which said second ray intersects a second surface;

calculating a dispersion between said first ray and said second ray;

repeating the above steps for a plurality of ray pairs; and

using said dispersions to evaluate the fire potential of said gemstone.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said gemstone is a diamond.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of calculating comprises determining the distance of said target point to said intersection point.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said distance is within a predetermined range of distances, said range being one of a plurality of ranges of distances.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of using comprises the steps of:

color coding each of said predetermined ranges in said plurality;

providing a graphical view of said table of said gemstone; and

mapping said color coding associated with said range associated with said distance on the location of said graphical view of said table that said first ray intersected said table.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said table is part of a crown and wherein said step of using comprises the steps of color coding each of said predetermined ranges in said plurality;

providing a graphical view of said crown of said gemstone; and

mapping said color coding associated with said range associated with said distance on the location of said graphical view of said crown that said first ray intersected said table.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said first ray enters said gemstone through said table.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said first surface is a hemisphere.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said second surface is a plane.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said portion of said faces with which said second ray interacts is the same portion of faces with which said first ray interacts.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said second ray interacts with said portion of said faces in the opposite order that said first ray interacts with said portion of said faces.

12. A system for evaluating the fire potential of a gemstone the system comprising:

a computer having software running thereon, said software being able to generate a representation of a gemstone in a computer readable form;

an algorithm operating on said computer for tracing a ray through said representation of said gemstone to form a path; and

a memory for storing said path;

wherein, a first path is traced for a first ray having a first wavelength and originated at a target point, said first ray also intersecting a first surface at a source point after being traced through said representation;

wherein a second path is traced for a second ray having a second wavelength and originated at said source point, said second ray not intersecting said target point after being traced through said representation;

wherein said computer can calculate a dispersion associated with the ray pair including the first ray and second ray based on said first path and said second path;

wherein said computer can repeat tracing first paths, tracing second paths, and calculating an associated dispersion for a plurality of ray pairs;

wherein said dispersion of said plurality of ray pairs is representative of fire potential of said gemstone; and

wherein said computer provides a representation of all said dispersions, said representation indicating the fire potential of said gemstone.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said gemstone is a diamond.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said first surface is a hemisphere.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said representation is graphical.

15. The system of claim wherein said representation is alphanumerical.

17. A method for indicating the fire potential of a gemstone, the method comprising:

providing a graphical representation of at least a portion of a surface of a gemstone;

defining a target point, a plurality of source points and a plurality of contact points, each contact point in said plurality of contact points being on said portion of said surface of said gemstone;

calculating that white light sourced at one of said source points and directed into said gemstone is dispersed a particular distance by said gemstone and that light of a first predetermined wavelength sourced at the same source point and directed into said gemstone follows a first trace which passes through a first of said contact points and through said target point;

selecting at least two different indicators, each of said indicators representing a particular range of distance of dispersion;

recognizing which of said ranges of distances of dispersions includes said distance of dispersion of white light sourced from said first of said source points;

placing said indicator representing said range of distance of dispersions including said distance of dispersion of white light sourced from said first of said source points on said graphical representation at said contact point;

repeating said steps of determining, selecting, recognizing and placing for all of said contact points; and

utilizing the resultant graphical representation as an indicator of fire potential of said gemstone.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said indicators are colors.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein in said step of calculating said particular distance is calculated by generating a ray pair via reverse ray tracing, wherein one of said rays in said ray pair follows said first trace.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein in said step of calculating, said particular distance is calculated by generating a ray pair via forward ray tracing, wherein one of said rays in said ray pair follows said first trace.