The most important aspect of a diamond that any person can see is its appearance. The appearance of a stone depends on the size, shape, cut and its light behavior. For centuries, improvements in cut have been made to bring out the best light behavior in a diamond. Until recently direct measurement of light behavior in diamonds was not perfected and proportions were used as a substitute to predict its light behavior.

New technology has been developed to measure light behavior in a diamond. Two approaches have emerged – one approach is to predict light behavior in a diamond using a model and the other is to directly measure the light behavior using the actual diamond.

The first approach relies on measuring the proportions of a diamond and then using a model to predict how a diamond will perform. There are several problems with this approach. First is – most of the research has been done for round diamonds and light behavior of many other shapes cannot be predicted. Second is the modeling approach does not take into consideration a diamond’s color, flaws, fluorescence and other nuances which are known to affect light behavior. Many experts therefore believe that while modeling approach maybe useful in the cutting process, it is not the right approach to determine the actual light behavior of a cut and polished diamond.

The second approach directly measures the light behavior of a finished, cut and polished diamond. This approach has many benefits. First is, direct measurement of light behavior can be used for any shapes and branded cuts right now. Second is, color, clarity, faceting and other nuances of a diamond are taken into account while measuring the light behavior of a diamond directly.

ImaGem is a pioneer in direct measurement of light behavior in diamonds and other gem stones. It holds 3 international patents and scores of claims related to direct measurement of light behavior. The technology allows the measurement to be taken in less than 30 seconds. It also allows to rotate a diamond to see scintillation and fire in a diamond. This technology has been tested over many years and has proven that diamonds that have high performance on ImaGem’s direct measurement scale will have high scores on appearance from consumers and experts. ImaGem and many experts believe that light behavior will become a standard on all grading reports in the near future.

ImaGem’s direct measurement of light behavior is the perfect way for sellers and buyers to See the Light and Know a Diamond with confidence.