Sarine Technologies Ltd and its Group companies have launched a new Meteorite™ system for the cost-effective inclusion mapping of very small rough stones, under 0.35 carats, the Company said in a statement released yesterday. The system is based on the existing Meteor™ system.

The Company believes that while in 2017, over one million stones sized less than 35 points were scanned by its customers using the existing inclusion mapping models, the number of rough diamonds in this segment that will be scanned annually could rise to 50 million as a result of the cost-effectiveness of the new system.

While this may still appear small considering that nine hundred million stones are polished annually in this lowest size segment, Sarine believes that mainly those rough diamonds where higher derived Clarity grades are probable and thus a meaningful return is likely, will realistically be scanned under the new system.

Typically, Sarine notes, rough stones below 35 points in size equate to polished diamonds under ten points in size, and usually, each piece of rough in this size yields a couple of polished gems.

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 MeteoriteTM will be launched costing US$ 45,000 up front with an ongoing use charge of US$ 0.50 per stone (not carat) scanned, or, conversely, at a one-time charge of US$ 140,000 without any ongoing use fee per scan.

David Block, Chief Executive Officer of Sarine, stated, "The launch of the Meteorite™ system is another step in making Sarine's advanced inclusion mapping technology accessible to an even wider range of customers, as we believe it will be the most cost-effective system on the market. The proven Galaxy™ technology will now be offered in a system specifically targeted at very small goods and aggressively priced. We intend to continue to add value to our inclusion mapping product line with the launch of additional upgrades and innovations, some of which we plan to introduce later this year. When launched, these will enhance the value proposition of our inclusion mapping product line and provide additional functionality and value to our customers."