Sri Lankan scientist develops an ultra-high magnification digital microscope
By Arundathie Abeysinghe
A Sri Lankan gemological scientist (Milinda Edirisinghe, founder of the Gemological Report of Ceylon (GRC) laboratory in Colombo) has developed an ultra-high magnification digital microscope which has the capacity to reveal microscopic features inside gemstones with a level of clarity, rarely achieved through conventional gemological equipment. The innovation was created after approximately two years of research and experimentation which is expected to improve the speed, accuracy and transparency of gemstone testing.
Sri Lanka’s gem and jewellery sector is the most valuable of export industries, supplying sapphires, rubies, cat’s eyes and several other precious stones to international markets.
As revealed at a media briefing, (Milinda explained that) “gemological laboratories have long depended on optical microscopes to study inclusions, the microscopic crystals, fractures and growth patterns trapped within gemstones. These natural characteristics help experts determine a stone’s identity, origin and whether it has undergone any treatment. Yet, even high-quality conventional microscopes have optical limitations, particularly when examining extremely fine internal structures.”
To address this issue, Milinda has developed a series of four digital microscope models capable of magnifications of 450x, 600x, 1000x and 1440x. The systems have been named the Don Berry 450x, Don Berry 600x, Don Berry 3rd Eye 1000x, and Don Berry 3rd Eye 1440x. Through these microscopes, the interior of gemstones, which was previously studied with a lot of difficulty can currently be explored easily as well as accurately. This innovation opens up a new realm of intricate details which had hitherto remained beyond the reach of gemology. Another advantage of the new system is the time it takes to examine a gemstone as under conventional methods, analyzing the internal characteristics of a stone may take anywhere from several minutes to a few hours, particularly when inclusions are difficult to identify. The new microscope allows many stones to be fully examined in less than a minute because the internal features are displayed with far greater clarity.
According to gemmologists “the improvement could significantly increase efficiency in gemological laboratories that process large numbers of stones daily. Apart from magnification, the microscope functions as a high-resolution imaging system capable of recording photographs and videos of internal gemstone features. These digital records can be permanently archived and incorporated into laboratory certificates, providing an additional level of documentation for gemstone buyers, dealers as well as insurers. Meanwhile, this could also strengthen confidence throughout the gem trade by allowing customers to view the microscopic characteristics that support a laboratory’s findings rather than relying on written descriptions. Permanent image archives could also assist laboratories when re-examining stones years later, offering an objective visual record for comparison. Another feature under development is artificial intelligence-assisted image analysis.”
“Instead of replacing the gemologist, the technology is anticipated to assist professional judgement by helping to identify mineral inclusions, including geological characteristics associated with specific gemstone varieties and possible origins.”
Meanwhile, comprehensive digital documentation provides consumers purchasing high-value gemstones and diamonds, additional reassurance that the certification perfectly indicates the quality of gemstones.
