An apparatus 10 for separating gemstones comprises a transportation device 20 for transporting a plurality of gemstones to a measurement location, a separation device 40 for separating the gemstones from one another as they are transported to the measurement location 50 and a deceleration and release device 30a, 30b which is configured to decelerate each gemstone and then release it, so as to increase the separation between the gemstones. The transportation device may be a movable horizontal surface for supporting and transporting the gemstones thereon, in the form of a rotatable disc 20. The separation device may include a series of cams 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, distributed around a central region of the rotating disc, the cam surfaces may be configured to push gemstones successively further away from a centre of the disc. The deceleration and release device may include a pair of rollers 30a, 30b counter-rotating about vertical axes. The device may comprise a push device 54, such as a nudge mechanism or motorised rack, which pushes a single gemstone off the disc through a feed aperture and into a holding location (not shown) below, while the disc is halted. The measurement location may include a detection device, such as a camera. Where more than one gemstone is determined to be present, the gemstones remain on the disc surface so as to pass the separation device and deceleration and release device again.
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