AGS Granted Additional Cut Grading System Patent

The American Gem Society (AGS) has acquired an additional patent recognizing its Performance-Based Cut Grading System. This is the fourth patent for the system granted this year, covering “methods for grading gemstones, apparatus for grading gemstones and systems that utilize such methods and apparatus,” according to the scientific abstract.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted patent number 7,382,445, for work developed by AGS Laboratories Executive Director Peter Yantzer and a research team.

The three earlier patents recognize computer ray tracing technology for determining a gemstone’s light performance; systems and methods that can be used to determine the dispersion of a diamond relative to an observation point and methods that illuminate a diamond with multi-angle, color-coded light rays to determine the location from which the gem gathers light.

AGS explains that it began researching diamond cut in 2000, resulting in a new methodology that analyzes the light performance and proportions of a three-dimensional image of a faceted diamond, based on the factors of brightness, dispersion, leakage, contrast, durability, tilt, weight ratio, girdle thickness, cutlet size, polish and symmetry.

AGS assesses cut grades on round brilliant, princess, emerald and oval cuts, and additional fancy shapes are planned to be added in the future.