Sarine Technologies Ltd has announced the official launch of its new Meteorite™ system for the cost-effective inclusion mapping of very small rough stones, under 0.35 carats.
Based on the Meteor™ system, the Meteorite is “the most cost-effective solution currently available in the industry, to provide inclusion mapping for the segment of very small rough diamonds below 35 points in size. These sized rough stones typically equate to polished diamonds under 10 points in size. In this lowest size segment 900 million stones are polished annually. However, as their absolute value is minimal, only higher quality stones with a meaningful return likely (i.e., where higher derived clarity grades are probable) will realistically be scanned.
“Thus, some 50 million rough stones are the likely market for the Meteorite (from each rough stone, typically a couple of polished gems are derived). It is worth noting, that in 2017, our customers scanned over a million stones sized less than 35 points using the existing inclusion mapping models. To meaningfully penetrate this market segment, the cost of the scan, dictated by the machine’s total cost of ownership (its initial as well as ongoing costs), the throughput possible and other associated expenses (labor, consumables, etc.), is critical. The Meteorite device will scan up to 10 stones per hour, aiming to scan nearly 240 stones per day, assuming three daily shifts. To significantly reduce the cost of ownership of the system and make scanning extremely cost-effective, the Meteorite will be launched costing $45,000 up front with an ongoing use charge of $0.50 per stone (not carat) scanned, or, conversely, at a one-time charge of $140,000 without any ongoing use fee per scan.”
