DiamCalc – Diamond Cut Evaluation Software from Octonus

DiamCalc is an advanced analytic program for evaluating diamond cut quality and light performance. It was developed by some very smart people at Octonus Software in collaboration with researchers at Moscow State University. This software has been studied and utilized to varying degrees in the development of modern cut grading systems such as that of the American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL). DiamCalc is based upon mathematical light ray tracing that can simulate diamond performance in a variety of lighting environments. It can produce wire frame models and render photorealistic images and animations in a wide range of scenarios.

The DiamCalc program can be purchased from Octonus in both basic and pro versions. A free companion program called Gem Adviser is available that will enable a user to open DiamCalc generated .gem files and view the diamond in a number of interactive ways.

DiamCalc analyzes a scan from one of the highly accurate non-contact measuring devices on the market today such as Sarine, Ogi or Helium. The software processes those raw files and can then export information in other file formats such as .dmc, .stl and .gem. And it can save various views in movie and picture formats.

DiamCalc can also render images and animations replicating the view of the diamond under popular reflector tools such as ASET, Ideal Scope, and Hearts and Arrows viewers.

Also among the diagnostics included in this robust software is an estimate of cut grades on several different scales including GIA and AGS. Referred to as “appraisers”, the AGS_2005 is a parametric based estimation. It is important to understand that this is not the 3D ray tracing that AGS performs in their light performance grading system.

DiamCalc also produces a Cut Quality score based on brilliance which is defined as a function of brightness and contrast. The results are presented on a color coded scale with numerical values ranging from Excellent to “Very Bad”.

In addition to reading 3D scan files of actual diamonds, the data from any laboratory report can be input into the basic parameters template. This will enable an approximation of the diamond, but it should be understood that this method will inevitably result in deviations from the actual diamond because of averaging and rounding of the data points. The program will also assume perfect symmetry which is rarely the case in real diamonds. For instance, for a round diamond with the correct proportions, the hearts and arrows views will show perfect hearts and arrows patterning indicating a top level of faceting precision even if the cut craftsmanship is poor. The computer generated images are much more accurate if derived from a 3D scan, rather from inputting data from a lab report.

In the example below you can see the differences in two sets of hearts and arrows views of the same diamond analyzed by DiamCalc. The top two images are generated from cert data input, the second two from the actual scan. It is important to remember this when judging diamonds from inputting basic data.

DiamCalc not only enables a very detailed evaluation of a particular diamond, but it also provides an easy way to test different proportion sets and facet configurations. Simulations can be run by simply changing one or more of the very detailed parameters of the diamond and then seeing the effects in terms of light performance and weight retention.

There is an option within the program called “Cut Designer” that assists cutters in designing facet arrangements. Key parameters are tied to one another for compatibility enabling the designer to more easily experiment with certain other aspects of the design rather than having to build each version from scratch.

Gem Adviser is a free companion program that allows interactive viewing of .gem files that can be exported from DiamCalc. This program has a number of useful functions including different lighting scenarios, ASET, Ideal Scope and Hearts and Arrows views. It can run animations and can export .jpg snapshots of the various views. It also displays a summary of the diamond specifications as well as “Cut Quality” estimations.

DiamCalc is power packed program with very sophisticated functionality. It is a robust tool that can be used by manufacturers, diamond dealers, researchers, and motivated diamond enthusiasts. Many of the basic functions are easy to learn and use to quickly conduct very useful diamond diagnostics. The more advanced features require high level expertise.