AGS ASET Info and Photos from JCK

[JohnQuixote]

AGS is the talk of the trade at JCK. Peter Yantzer displays Rapaport with cover story featuring the new AGS cut grading system. Large, colorful round and princess ASET images boldly herald the shift to a more refined, performance-based system.

 

[JohnQuixote]

The desktop model ASET will be available by August.

 

[JohnQuixote]

The diamond sits table-down on the glass. The cone is placed over it. Leveling is automatic due to the glass platform.

 

[JohnQuixote]

The image I snapped through the eyepiece with my little Canon.

 

[JohnQuixote]

More readable image from a printed page (obviously from a much different diamond than the sample CZ I photographed above).

 

[RockDoc]

Hi John

Hope you''re having fun there...

Good photos you posted.

Did they have the pocket sized ASET on display?????

I am positive that AGS is going to be the "star" of the lab displays there.

August delivery ??? Geez I thought they were going to ship these at the completion of the show next week....

Drat!


By the way ..... what did you think of the images it produces?


Rockdoc

 

[JohnQuixote]

Hey quick draw Bill

Give me a few more minutes - several photos to come (including hand-held).

They are selling handhelds here. I bought 2.

Garry''s wife passed her earrings and wedding ring around at breakfast this morning and we all viewed them through handheld ASET. With proper backlighting it''s a fine tool.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Jim Caudill is the AGS point man & driving force behind the ASET in the Advanced Instruments Division.

Here he displays an AGS chart showing angular spectrum images for all practical combinations of crown and pavilion angles (increments of .2) for a 57% table. These charts are really quite amazing and educational: It is enlightening to see exactly where small shifts in angles become ‘breaking points’ for different light return behaviors. Cutters, vendors, appraisers and ‘prosumers’ will study these charts with enthusiasm.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Jim points out where Tolkowsky can be found (on the 57% table chart).

 

[JohnQuixote]

Jim demonstrates the handheld ASET. Actually his form was much better – he was holding it up for proper backlighting - but it covered his face for the picture. Obscuration is well and good for contrast and diamond beauty, but I prefer to avoid it in photos of people

 

[strmrdr]

kewl!

 

[JohnQuixote]

Here is the handheld ASET along with light tray – much like Garry’s ideal light.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Jim displays a possible lighting system, currently in R&D, that uses color-corrected light!

I was very excited about this. We discussed standardization with regard to correlated color temperature and a unified platform for both live/handheld ASET evaluation and for light tray/desktop environments.

Musings to this effect actually took place in a Pricescope thread not too long ago, click here if you''re interested.

My opinion is that in an ‘IDEAL’ world - yes, AGS pun intended - the imagery we put forth on the computer screen should attempt to replicate what a customer will see through the handheld device with natural light as a background (we use natural daylight through the office window at Whiteflash). Matching tray/desktop lighting to natural daylight – and making our images thusly – provides a system that is logically all-natural, with specs anyone can follow to set up their own system.

It also makes elegant sense for consumers, who – when they receive their ordered diamond - will see the same image in their handheld ASET at home as they did on the computer screen. I was gratified to hear that such standardization is an important factor to Jim and AGS for the same reasons Brian Gavin and other industry leaders feel it is a must.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Yours truly and Jasmine from Jim’s office.

She is to be thanked for fielding my pesky questions and bad jokes when Jim is out.

 

[JohnQuixote]

CLINK!

A toast to ASET.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 6/3/2005 8:45:19 PM
Author: RockDoc
Hi John

Hope you''re having fun there...

Good photos you posted.

Did they have the pocket sized ASET on display?????

Bill - thank you.

Up-close photos of the handheld and its packaging in this hangout thread.

You are right. AGS is the star so far.

 

[RockDoc]

Does the light come with the pocket ASET?

Know the Kelvin temp of it?

I know Jim has been busier than a one-armed paperhanger.... I have been trying to place my order for both ASETs for about 8 weeks now, and hoping that they will ship soon after the show.

Oh - tell Jim and Peter the Rockdoc sends his regards!


Rockdoc

 

[RockDoc]

So that is Jasimine in person.....

She has been a big help with me too....

Tell her I said hi too.


Rockdoc

 

[belle]

Date: 6/3/2005 8:50:58 PM
Author: JohnQuixote
Jim points out where Tolkowsky can be found (on the 57% table chart).

now that is cool!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Well done Sir John.
They have done a great job at AGS.
But Jim missed the Tokowsky - it should be the next one down on the chart.

The center of the stone should be green below 40.768 degrees pavilion angle, as my memory serves

(Tolkowsky arrived at 40.75 degrees)
But then that would be splitting hairs, except that we know that the laws of physics do not allow for any exteraneous bending of light (not even for stressed diamonds)

 

[mdx]

Gary
Please check your PM

Johan

 

[JohnQuixote]

Good graphic from a prior thread discussing new DQDs and ASET.

The top graphic illustrates from what angles colored light arrives to the eye. The bottom is an actual image of a square princess taken using the ASET.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Date: 6/3/2005 8:49:57 PM
Author: JohnQuixote
Jim Caudill is the AGS point man & driving force behind the ASET in the Advanced Instruments Division.

Here he displays an AGS chart showing angular spectrum images for all practical combinations of crown and pavilion angles (increments of .2) for a 57% table. These charts are really quite amazing and educational: It is enlightening to see exactly where small shifts in angles become ‘breaking points’ for different light return behaviors. Cutters, vendors, appraisers and ‘prosumers’ will study these charts with enthusiasm.

Hey John,

If memory serves me right, Jim is also a very good drummer. Shall we hire him and call him Ringo from now on.

Any candidates for the position of George?

Live long,

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 6/4/2005 10:54:04 AM
Author: Paul-Antwerp

Date: 6/3/2005 8:49:57 PM
Author: JohnQuixote
Jim Caudill is the AGS point man & driving force behind the ASET in the Advanced Instruments Division.

Here he displays an AGS chart showing angular spectrum images for all practical combinations of crown and pavilion angles (increments of .2) for a 57% table. These charts are really quite amazing and educational: It is enlightening to see exactly where small shifts in angles become ‘breaking points’ for different light return behaviors. Cutters, vendors, appraisers and ‘prosumers’ will study these charts with enthusiasm.

Hey John,

If memory serves me right, Jim is also a very good drummer. Shall we hire him and call him Ringo from now on.

Any candidates for the position of George?

Live long,

Hey Paul

Hope you have a great time at the show.

Two percussionists! Cool

Don''t know if you know it, but I am a keyboardist.... Here''s a photo at the Poly Conclave a couple of years ago when it was held in Tampa.

Rockdoc

 

[RockDoc]

Another photo from the Poly Conclave

 

[JohnQuixote]

A whole different spin on "ROCK"doc

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 6/4/2005 11:32:23 AM
Author: JohnQuixote
A whole different spin on ''ROCK''doc

Hey John


Gotta get all my "rocks" covered !!!

( Well, I''ve been told that Rock also pertains to some sort of drug thing, I don''t want to be that kind of Rockdoc)

Rockdoc ( the rock is for pet rocks and music)

 

[viscera912]

hey rocdoc

didn''t know you played keyboard, im a fellow musician as well. just wondering what kind of keyboarding you dibble into? i mostly sing but im known once in a while to get blues happy on the keys....

jason

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 6/4/2005 12:57:10 PM
Author: viscera912

hey rocdoc

didn''t know you played keyboard, im a fellow musician as well. just wondering what kind of keyboarding you dibble into? i mostly sing but im known once in a while to get blues happy on the keys....

jason

Do you mean what kind of music or what kind of keyboards do I play?

Keyboards

2 electronic keyboards, an ensoniq and a casio

2 acoustic pianos

1 electronic organ - Thomas

and one accoustic harpsichord which I built.

Music I play

From Bach to Rock to Yanni and more.

Years ago I apprenticed as a tracker action pipe organ builder. Tracker action type pipe organs were what bach had - which was before electo pneumatic actions that are more commonly used in the last 40 years or so.

All mechanical rather than electronic. A good tracker action one is in Boston named the Flentrop, which E. Power Biggs used to record some of his albums of Bach

My idol of keyboard performers is Keith Emerson. His techical skills are just mind boggling.

Rockdoc

 

[JohnQuixote]

From ASET to ELP in under 1 page.

Kevin Bacon would be proud.