De Beers UK Ltd

Andrew John Portsmouth

James Gordon Charters Smith

Colin McGuinness

David Fisher

Nicholas Matthew Davies

Peter Stanley Rose

Philip Harris

Trevor Anthony Harries

Philip Read

Colin Mcguinness

A method of sorting gemstones comprises receiving one or more gemstones at a collection location; determining, at the collection location, that one of the one or more gemstones is correctly oriented; transferring the correctly oriented gemstone from the collection location onto a moveable surface using an automated arm; transporting the gemstone upon the moveable surface to one or more measurement locations; measuring one or more properties of the gemstone at the one or more measurement locations while the gemstone is supported upon the moveable surface; and sorting the gemstone based upon the one or more measured properties.

Melee gemstone sorting

There is disclosed an apparatus and method for sorting gemstones from a batch of gemstones. The apparatus comprises one or more measurement locations, each comprising at least one measurement device configured to measure one or more properties of a gemstone. A continuously moveable surface supports the gemstones thereon and transports the gemstones to the one or more measurement locations. A separation device separates the gemstones from one another as they are transported on the moveable surface to the one or more measurement locations. A location trigger at a sensor location comprises a sensor for identifying when the gemstone passes through the sensor location. A controller receives a signal from the location trigger, records the position of the moveable surface when the signal is received, and tracks the subsequent location of the gemstone by monitoring the movement of the moveable surface such that a measurement of the one or more properties of each gemstone can be correlated with a location of the respective gemstone on the moveable surface. Specific markers in the luminescence properties of the gemstone may be used to identify properties of the stone.

Gemstone sorting

Growing community of inventors

Sunninghill, United Kingdom

Andrew John Portsmouth