In late 1999, Yigal Hausman presented a camera that enables the imaging of a polished diamond from the outside and the inside, and its virtual presentation to a buyer on the other side of the world, www.israelidiamond.co.il. says. In late 2011, he is now introducing a second, updated version of the camera. The development is designed for trade (B2B) only.
Before talking about the new camera, let's return for a moment to our report on the first generation of the camera {Hayahalom 160), which came about as the result of a discussion with a friend who was a physician. Yigal Hausman realized if one could guide surgery from a distance of thousands of miles, using advanced imaging techniques (telemedicine), and if one could produce a CT or MRI, it was also possible to present a diamond precisely, from the outside and the inside, to a buyer sitting thousands of miles away.
He recruited a team that developed Gem Scope - a hardware and software system for the imaging of diamonds and computerized storage of the information.
Yigal Hausman is now introducing new hardware and software based on the earlier development. The new features compared with the first version are:
- While the first Gem Scope camera enabled photographing the stone and sending the image to a buyer, the new camera is also capable of transferring video shots. The photos are "lightweight" - a still shot weighs about 15 KB and a high-quality video weighs about 2 MB;
- While the initial system was designed for subscribers only, the new product is available for sale. Customers purchase the hardware and software and receive insurance, a warranty and service as in the purchase of any product - from that point on, they are in charge;
- In addition to the hardware and software, the firm will offer purchasers a website tailored to their needs, which will enhance their use of the equipment in showing diamonds to their customers. The company provides the platform only - it is not involved in routine management, but only in providing technical support as needed.
Since the first camera was developed, in the late 1990s, virtual communication has come a long way. In the late 1990s the very ability to send a file over the internet was new to the diamond industry; today two users, at two ends of the system (which may be at two ends of the world), can talk on Skype while one turns the diamond from side to side and the other asks to see any desired angle or direction. Naturally, in keeping with the times, neither party has to sit by a desktop computer - they can use laptops, smartphones and the like. Thus, for instance, you could sit on a plane and consult with the passenger next to you, while you both view a file that was sent to your iPhone or Blackberry - as though you took the diamond out of your pocket. The files can be saved, organized by different parameters and printed.
"The solution is accessible and light, available and economical. The price of the system is affordable - a one-time expense of just a few thousand dollars. Many companies, particularly small and medium sized ones, can benefit from the possibility of showing customers a diamond prior to purchase, buying it only after a customer confirms that he wants it. There's no need to lose time while the stone is en route to a customer or to spend unnecessary money on shipping and insurance, and customers don't waste time examining stones that will be returned to the sender."
In response to our question of whether the possibility of seeing flaws clearly - and even enlarged - doesn't scare customers away, Yigal Hausman says: "To the contrary. The development is intended for B2B trade only. When we sell diamonds to buyers in person, they examine the stone carefully with a loupe. We don't hide the flaws. In fact, we want customers to know exactly what they are getting, so that they feel confident in coming back to us again."
Asked whether the development is intended mainly for the market of stones without certificates, he responds: "The camera can be very useful for a wide range of stones with small inclusions. In the range of SI-grade clarity, there are stones we call SI good and those that are SI poor; there are SI black and SI white. The view produced by the camera enables the customers of stones with certificates to see precisely what kind of inclusions the certificate refers to, and what they actually look like. Similarly, the camera is useful in demonstrating the shape of fancy cuts, where the precise model plays a very significant role in the price of the diamond.
