Marking a new era in 3D imaging technology, four inventors have developed a groundbreaking, 100% Sri Lankan technology that enables gem dealers to view gemstones digitally with a near-physical experience. The GemTwin technology, created by Qadheer Rawoof, Anjay Vijayakumar, Asad Idris and Sabith Iqbal through their startup Gemelry, is capable of capturing true-to-life 3D digital twins of gemstones. This innovation allows customers to view and analyse the gemstone from any angle and inspect every intricate detail, almost as if holding the stone in hand.

What makes GemTwin particularly significant is that it’s not just a novel innovation for Sri Lanka’s gem industry but also for the global gemstone trade, where nothing like this has been achieved before. While there are some comparable technologies in the diamond industry, this is the first of its kind in the coloured gemstone space.

Coming from a family that’s been in the gem industry for over five generations, Qadheer, the co-founder and CEO of Gemelry, had long envisioned transforming this traditionally “old-school” industry into a more digitised, technologically progressive one. His background as an Engineer, coupled with his passion for technology, gave him a unique perspective on the industry. “As a Mechanical Engineer, I worked extensively with CAD, and it made me wonder why we couldn’t create something similar for gemstones,” he said in an interview with the Daily Mirror. “The initial research began about two years ago when we designed the first prototype. At this stage, I brought in my friend Anjay, an Electronics Engineer, to help build it.”

Their first prototype was basic, producing low-quality 3D images, but proved the concept’s viability. “After receiving some initial feedback, we realised the gem industry demanded much higher-quality 3D images for it to be commercially viable. Customers need to see every tiny inclusion and exact colour if they are to confidently buy gemstones digitally,” Qadheer continued. This is when the team expanded to include Asad and Sabith, a Product Design Engineer and an Embedded Systems Engineer, respectively. Together, they built a second prototype: a fully automated machine capable of capturing high-quality 3D images rapidly. “The machine captures data using multiple sensors, which is uploaded to the cloud, processed into an interactive 3D image, and then provided as a shareable cloud link,” Qadheer explained.

It took two years of sleepless nights, problem-solving and brainstorming to bring the technology to life. “Engineering is all about solving problems, and we’ve addressed a huge problem in the market,” said Sabith. “Even though we had no prior knowledge of gems, our engineering background gave us the ability to figure things out and keep pushing ahead even when challenges arose.”

The need for this technology became apparent during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when the online market for gemstones surged overnight. “Before the pandemic, the idea of selling gems online was almost unthinkable. Gem trading was traditionally done in person,” Qadheer explained. “After COVID-19, online gem sales became more acceptable, but there were challenges. Smartphone photos and videos often failed to capture the accurate colours and inclusions essential for evaluating gemstones. That’s where we saw the need for a standardised, digitised system—and GemTwin was born.”

This technology also solves a logistical challenge: the time, cost and resources spent on physically shipping gemstones overseas for customer viewing. “Currently, stones are shipped to clients who then return them if they’re not satisfied. It’s inefficient, and we’re bridging that gap,” Qadheer added. Initially, GemTwin will be offered as a service, with gem companies being required to bring their stones to be scanned at Gemelry. The technology is currently in beta testing with select clients as the team fine-tunes it before the official launch.

Speaking about the benefits of GemTwin, Qadheer noted that the technology allows for more detailed gemstone analysis than the naked eye can. “Each 3D image is between 150 to 200 MB in size, capturing every nuance of the stone. It even reveals fine details and inclusions that could be missed when examining the physical stone with the naked eye.”

The colour of a gemstone — along with its weight, shape, and clarity — is crucial for valuation and grading, but capturing the accurate colour is a very tough challenge, because it depends on various factors like the light’s colour temperature, intensity, colour rendering index (CRI) and amount of diffusion. “We designed our system with a high CRI, diffused lighting setup at 5600K colour temperature, replicating natural daylight conditions. This is the standard lighting condition generally used for grading in the industry,” Qadheer explained. “GemTwin also incorporates lab reports, confirming that the stone has been tested and authenticated by reputable labs and gemologists.”

Having invested heavily in developing this advanced technology, Gemelry is now seeking investors with expertise in the gem industry to help bring GemTwin to the global market. “This isn’t just for the local industry; it’s for the global market,” Qadheer said. “Gemelry’s vision is to empower the gem industry by propelling it into the digital and AI era with cutting-edge innovations. We’re also working on an online gem hub, where everything related to gemstones — buying, selling, knowledge-sharing, networking — can happen efficiently. We’ll be launching it next year.”

The gem industry is a vital contributor to Sri Lanka’s export economy, alongside textiles, tea, and rubber. “Currently, annual exports from the gem and jewellery industry total $470 million. The target is to double that to $1 billion, and we believe our technology can be a catalyst for that growth,” Qadheer added.

Gem dealers interested in having their stones 3D scanned can visit the Gemelry office in Bambalapitiya. The company also plans to expand to local gem hubs such as Beruwala and Ratnapura and eventually enter international markets like Thailand and Hong Kong. Esteemed figures in the gem industry, such as Ajward Deen, President of the Sri Lankan Gem and Jewelry Association, have already endorsed the technology. Qadheer and his team invite the next generation of gem dealers and buyers to test GemTwin, a breakthrough innovation set to transform the global gem and jewellery industry.

Visit their website, gemelry.com, to experience the GemTwin 3D technology.