THE CSIRO and a consortium of Australian Opal miners have unveiled the world’s first automated device to grade opals using image analysis, at the 2009 National Council of Jewellery Valuers forum in Sydney.
An opals unique range of colour characteristics makes them by far the most difficult gemstone to appraise.
Incorporating the expert knowledge of over 60 opal industry professionals, CSIRO designed a Gemmological Digital Analyser (GDA) prototype with Australian company Applied Robotics.
CSIRO then developed the complex mathematical algorithms to drive the image analysis system behind the GDA.
A small camera inside the GDA takes 871 images of the stone as it rotates on a stage which moves 360 degrees horizontally and tilts 90 degrees vertically.
High powered computers linked to the GDA analyse the images and quantify the opal’s gemmological characteristics, providing a classification grade based on colour, clarity, carat, cut and character and a summary graph showing proportions of the opal’s colours.
A database of information on the GDA graded opals will allow participating jewellers and industry organisations to accurately assign a dollar value to a particular grade of stone depending on the daily market price.
Add a comment