I been looking at buying the following items however I can’t distinguish between the quality of the items. I been looking for refractometer, spectroscope, polariscope, practice gemstone identification set and a 10x loupe. However, I can’t tell what’s good or bad on Amazon.
I hate to say it, but those are all very low quality instruments. I see students buy them often. They always prove to be a source of frustration and mistakes. I cannot recommend them.
First focus on getting a really good refractometer, light source polariscope, polariscope, dichroscope, and high quality larger 10X triplet loupe.
Next get a very good scale that resolves accurately to the third digit in carats. Then make your own Specific Gravity setup.
Get a high quality Chesea filter, and multiband UV light source.
Then get a high quality gemmological microscope. Get a used GIA one, not a new cheap one.
As you aquire each instrument invest in absolute mastery of it before getting the next one. You education is where you want to spend your money and time.
For practice stones I have my students buy mixed stone lots by the pound from a guy who owns a chain of pawn shops. They always make a profit by finding a number of decent stones. This month one found a 3 carat natural Burmese Ruby in a pound that cost $30. The stone was so good they thought it was synthetic.. He can now pay for a World class lab, a trip to buy stones, and the cash to pay for them. Don't count on such luck.
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 7:58 pm Posts: 1424 Location: San Marcos, CA
There are many threads on the board related to quality gemological instruments used by the professionals. Unfortunately they are thousands of dollars and not really in an Amazon budget. I once purchased a $100 cheap refractometer setup at club show thinking I would be able to use it to check id on rough, soon discovered how unreliable it was. The same applies to these tools as any other you get what you pay for. Are you sure your spinel was a color-change and not just a color-shift violet to purple in spinel is not uncommon in spinel. My user avatar is a violet shifting to purple natural spinel trillion.
There are many threads on the board related to quality gemological instruments used by the professionals. Unfortunately they are thousands of dollars and not really in an Amazon budget. I once purchased a $100 cheap refractometer setup at club show thinking I would be able to use it to check id on rough, soon discovered how unreliable it was. The same applies to these tools as any other you get what you pay for. Are you sure your spinel was a color-change and not just a color-shift violet to purple in spinel is not uncommon in spinel. My user avatar is a violet shifting to purple natural spinel trillion.
I was 17 when I found the stone and could not find anything like it because it changed colors in different types of lights. It was recommend that I send it to the GIA to add value. What I remember is that it was a portuguese cut and vvs.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
1bwana1 wrote:
I hate to say it, but those are all very low quality instruments. I see students buy them often. They always prove to be a source of frustration and mistakes. I cannot recommend them.
First focus on getting a really good refractometer, light source polariscope, polariscope, dichroscope, and high quality larger 10X triplet loupe.
Next get a very good scale that resolves accurately to the third digit in carats. Then make your own Specific Gravity setup.
Get a high quality Chesea filter, and multiband UV light source.
Then get a high quality gemmological microscope. Get a used GIA one, not a new cheap one.
As you acquire each instrument invest in absolute mastery of it before getting the next one. You education is where you want to spend your money and time. .
These are the instruments I have purchased over the years: • Zeiss/Eickhorst Trinocular Microscope • Gemmoraman 532™ Photoluminescent Spectroscope • EXA™ UV Photoluminescent Spectroscopic Diamond Screener • GemmoFTIR™ • Scarani Custom Immersion Microscope • Eickhorst, Kruss, GEMPRO and GemA Refractometers • Gemmeter Reflectometer • GIA Gem Instruments Polariscope • Gem-A , Kruss, Coniscope • OPL Lab Spectroscope • Beck: American Optical Spectroscope • Kruss Spectroscope • Dicroscope w/Calcite Lens • GemmologPro Loupe: Harold Schneider • SW/LW Ultraviolet Lighting Cabinet • Presidium Electronic Gemstone Gauge • Thermal Conductivity Probe • Metal Testing Acids • Kruss Fiber-Optic Illuminator • Gem-Instruments Diamond Grading Light • Master Set of AGS Diamond Grading Stones • Nikon Digital Photographic Equipment • Gold Weight Scale • Metler Diamond Balance • Gem-e-Wizard Colored Gemstone Grading System Software • GemDialog™ • A set of those GIA plastic color paddles • Chelsea Filter • Hanneman Gem Filters • Universal Specific Gravity Unit
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Quote:
I was 17 when I found the stone and could not find anything like it because it changed colors in different types of lights. It was recommend that I send it to the GIA to add value. What I remember is that it was a portuguese cut and vvs.
I was 17 when I found the stone and could not find anything like it because it changed colors in different types of lights. It was recommend that I send it to the GIA to add value. What I remember is that it was a portuguese cut and vvs.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
You clearly want to be in the industry, Arami. Have you taken any courses? There are profound holes in your knowledge base and you post a lot of presumptions which are simply incorrect.
As 1bwana1 pointed out, as important as having solid instruments is, one has to have the experience to properly interpret what they tell you.
Furthermore, it would be best to start with a basic gemology course or tutorial. Have you read through Dr. Barbara Smigel's course on the left side? I often recommend The Handbook of Gemmology as a very wise investment presuming one actually reads it.
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 7:58 pm Posts: 1424 Location: San Marcos, CA
Arami wrote:
1bwana1 wrote:
Arami wrote:
What I remember is that it was a portuguese cut and vvs.
You realize of course that there is no such grade as VVS when speaking about colored stones. GIA would not issue such a grade.
It never was graded by the GIA. I known that the GIA only uses VVS for diamonds. However I believed the term is used in a lot of places.
Remember what 1bwana1 stated earlier about the difference between merchants and gemologists. Merchants do not always know what is proper gemological terms appropriate for disclosure.
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