A method for estimating a property of a material, the method including: acquiring data using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements, the measurements performed by varying at least one of a magnetic field gradient (G) and an inter-echo time (TE); organizing the data according to at least one of magnetic field gradients (G) and inter-echo times (TE) used in the NMR measurements; calculating a shift of apparent transverse relaxation time (T.sub.2,app) and (longitudinal relaxation time T.sub.1)/(apparent transverse relaxation time T.sub.2,app) due to a variation of the product of G and TE; constructing a mathematical model of the NMR measurements from the shifts; and inverting the mathematical model to estimate the property.