System and process for diamond authentication

A process operable using a computerized system for determining the type of a diamond, wherein the fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a diamond of unknown type is correlated with fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a plurality of diamonds each of known type, the computerized system including a fluorescence lifetime data acquisition system a processor module and an output module operably interconnected together, said process including the steps of:

• (i) acquiring via a fluorescence lifetime data acquisition system, data indicative of fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a diamond of unknown type;
• (ii) in a processor module, comparing said data indicative of fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of the diamond of unknown type image with a plurality of data sets each of which corresponds to fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a plurality diamonds each of known type, wherein data sets of fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a diamonds of known types are each derived from a fluorescence lifetime acquisition system;
• and
• (iii) from an output module, responsive to a predetermined threshold of correlation between the data derived from step (i) and one of the plurality of data sets from step (ii), an output signal is provided indicative of the type of the diamond, and wherein the fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of the diamond are indicative of the physical properties of a diamond, which are indicative of the type of a diamond.

A process operable using a computerized system for determining the type of a diamond using a pre-trained neural network for determination of a diamond type, the computerized system including a fluorescence lifetime data acquisition system, a pre-trained neural network and an output module operably interconnected together via a communication link, said process including the steps of:

• (i) acquiring via the fluorescence lifetime data acquisition system data indicative of fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a diamond of unknown type;
• (ii) in a pre-trained neural network, determining the type of diamond of said diamond of unknown type from the data indicative of fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of the diamond of unknown type acquired in step (i)
• wherein the pre-trained neural network has been pre-trained utilising a plurality of data sets each of which corresponds to fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a plurality diamonds each of known type;
• and
• (iii) from an output module, providing the type of said diamond.

A computerized system for determining the type of a diamond wherein the fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a diamond of unknown type is correlated with fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a plurality of diamonds each of known type, the computerized system including:

• a fluorescence lifetime acquisition system for acquiring data indicative of fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a diamond of unknown type;
• a processor module for comparing said data indicative of fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of the diamond of unknown type image with a plurality of data sets each of which corresponds to fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a plurality diamonds each of known type;
• and
• an output module for providing an output signal indicative of the type of said diamond of unknown type, upon a predetermined threshold of correlation between said data indicative of fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a diamond of unknown type and one of the plurality of data sets which corresponds to fluorescence lifetime characteristics of colour centres of a plurality diamonds each of known type.