b'THE STATE OF RETAIL DIAMONDSJEWELRYCOLORED DESIGN STONESAs a wider range of diamonds was tested, Sarine took the data andToday, automated clarity fed it into its machine-learning algorithms, which delivered better andgrading instruments are in use atThis is going to better results as the data sets increased in sizejust as humans tend toevery GIA lab worldwide and are improve at tasks with more information and more practice.working in parallel with humanbe an incremental Along the way, Block says Sarine also analyzed the results of stonesgraders, Senior Vice Presidentapproach to that had grading discrepancies when compared with Sarines grad- and Chief Operating Officerimplementation ers and/or the GIA reports, using that data to further improve thePritesh Patel says. [of automated grading algorithm.Like with Sarines machines, After evaluating so many diamonds, Sarine Clarity and Sarinethe GIA/IBM-developed instru- grading]. Were Color learned to grade diamonds and, according to Block, they do itment learned by looking at a lotnot going to throw better than people can.of different diamonds.out everything A machine never has an off day because, for example, it was outGIA trained its automatedweve been doing late last night and had too many drinks or it had an argument withclarity grading instrument, whichfor 22 years.its spouse before work, and its not susceptible to immoral tempta- does not have a specific name, tions, like bribes. using tens of thousands of im-ANGELO PALMIERI, Machines are more accurate than people, period. They are defi- ages combined with input fromGCAL nitely more consistent [too], says Block. expert diamond graders. The lab To develop its automated clarity grading instrument, GIA workedsaid it took several months of with IBM, the former employer of aforementioned AI pioneerwork before the system was even ready to be beta-tested.Arthur Samuel.Over time, the automated instrument learned how to look for The lab publicly announced it was testing the technology at itscertain types of inclusions, such as feathers, crystals, and needles, and New York and Carlsbad, California, facilities in 2020.what clarity grade those inclusions, or combinations of inclusions, equate to in a diamond. For both companies, the teaching continues. Both Sarine and GIA say they keep feeding data into their respective automated grading equipment, allowing the machines knowledge to grow.VISIONS OF THE FUTUREFor Sarine, improving accuracy and consistency wasnt the only objective behind automating color and clarity grading. The company believes its tech-nology also can create a more efficient supply chain by allowing for automated, cloud-linked grading at diamond manufacturing facilities.Block says Sarine is putting its technology in fac-tories right now, so once a diamond is cut and pol-ished, it can be AI-graded by the Sarine Color and Sarine Clarity machines immediately and receive a grading report in a day. After testing the machines at its labs and on-site at select clients factories, Sarine Color and Sarine Clarity began rolling out to suppliers in India at the end of 2022.Indian suppliers will remain the focus of the roll-out in 2023, as will GCAL.In January, news broke that Sarine would be acquiring a majority stake in GCAL, which is headed by Don along with his wife, Pamela Palmieri, and their son, Angelo Palmieri. Block is straightforward about why he wanted to buy the lab. While Sarines various instruments are used in labs worldwide, it doesnt have widespread name Sarine Clarity is the companys machine that has learned how to grade diamonds for clarity. recognition as a lab. GCAL, which has been around since 2001, does, particularly in the U.S. market.56 STATE OF THE MAJORS 2023'