GIA Gem Instruments Corporation, Custom A Gemolite Mark VII binocular stereo zoom microscope. 10X to 63X. Reichert Stereo Star optics. 15X original equipment eyepieces.
They buy it now price is $1,995 + $95 shipping. There have been 4 offers (don't know price).
I'm interested in equipment to do gem identification and look for characteristics in gems to determine if they are synthetics. I'm new to gem identification but read through the forums and saw this might be a good quality scope.
Joined: Fri May 12, 2006 11:24 am Posts: 7523 Location: Rome, Italy
Hi Laurie,
this is a great scope, indeed. It's heavy, a lot of solid metal, partically bullet-proof, GIA sold it in past years with 2 head options, AO stereostar 570 and Bausch & lomb Stereozoom 7. i prefer the B&L pod cos it allow you to have a continuos zoom factor 10-70X with standard 10X oculars. The AO pod has a zoom factor 0.7-4.2 which became 10-63x with 15X oculars (provided in the auction). plus, the B&L pod could be completed by a dedicated photoport (not so easy to find though) that upgrade your scope to a trinoc for taking pictures. On the other hand additional lens for AO ar quite more easy to find. the tiltable base is very smooth and comfy and the darkfield well provides for the best (JMO, of course) illumination compared to other available products on the market. definitely a product that can stand on your desk for your whole gemmo carreer.
About the price i saw on ebay some other scopes like that even for less (around 1500 $) but, as seems from the pictures, this is in mint condition.
hope this helps.
ciao
alberto
Post subject: Re: GIA Gemolite Mark VII Microscope Stereo Star Zoom Mint
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 3:01 pm
Platinum Member
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:20 pm Posts: 2659
The most important thing when considering any AmScope purchase is to buy it from somebody who will take it back NO QUESTIONS ASKED for a period of time long enough for you to discover any hidden defects it may have.
Some AmScope sellers are famous for relying on the return time to not give refunds. So pay attention to that.
I have long had "hopes" that China and India (the gemological base looks like one "microscopesindia" was selling but it could be copied too) and other far east makers would get their quality control act together, but as of this writing it has not happened. I continue to hear from people who have tried these things out , that there were very elementary problems with them that just should not have gone out the door.
But if you bought a new outfit like that AND everything worked properly and the scope worked properly and nothing fell apart or was blind (I have seen blind scopes shipped out of these factories) and you paid $1600 plus shipping then it would not be a bad deal.
One thing that needs to be determined is; how good a job of copying the GIA gemolite dark field illuminator did they do. It looks OK from the pictures but you can't tell unless you try it out. There are also some "dark fields" from the far east (originally built and designed in Japan for el cheapo scopes and now copied in India and prices are creeping up on them very pretentiously.) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Binocular-Darkf ... 5d5039909a
This ninety dollar piece of doodoo used to sell for $20.
Don't buy any scope with these kind of dark fields. They are crap and they don't throw much light into the stone. I have had two of them through here and am totally satisfied that this opinion is correct.
If the illuminator works, but the scope goes south on you later on, one thing these things have to say for themselves is that they DO have the currently standard 76mm ring on them so you could buy a higher quality scope pod from Olympus or Nikon or Zeiss and drop it in.
But you can buy the stand alone on ebay for about $900 and you could put a better scope on it too.
They have made a decent imitation (decent but not great. You can put a slightly higher wattage lamp in it from 10 to 20 watts and it gets brighter) from Gem Oro. They have the same illuminator on some better scopes too which retail for about $800. Maybe with higher wattage to start with. These work well.
GemOro has better Q/C than AmScope. But I HAVE seen a GemOro that came out of the factory completely blind and required major surgery to make it work correctly. After which it was a very nice little scope. Very nice for portable use.
Regarding the auction at the beginning of this thread the auction was taken down. But $2,000 is more than they usually bring. Later models do come close to that and I guess prices are creeping up since new gemolites are $5,000 to $6,000.
The AO 570 is optically superior to all the Bausch and Lomb StereoZooms. There is a 580 model that will drop right into an AO mounting ring which can have a camera and a coaxial illuminator simultaneously. (It actually can have two different vertical illuminators.)It has six to one zoom capability. When Gemolites sold with these scopes the AO was always about 20% higher in price. It has prisms rather than mirrors to erect the image.
All of these scopes were sold to industry and education in massive quantities so although there is variation, there is almost nothing you can't find for them on ebay.
Usually the older fashioned ones that had a fixed 120 volt lamp (varying the brightness of the lamp is not very important) bring anywhere from $400 to $900 (usually 600 to 800 if they aren't too old and the lower range if they look very old although there is little difference except the paint.)and the newer style ones like in the auction from $1,000 to as much as $2500 again depending on age and accessories and condition and how hot the buyer is to trot. Most of them go from $1200 to $1500. So a $2,000 buy it now is "very proud of their item".
The GIA Gemolite is a classic of industrial design. It does what it was intended to do , namely make it possible for people to look at gemstones, really well. The two complaints are that the lightwell gets hot and under some circumstances there is not enough light. Solving these problems requires major steps up in expense and complexity.
Post subject: Re: GIA Gemolite Mark VII Microscope Stereo Star Zoom Mint
Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2014 3:02 pm
Platinum Member
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:20 pm Posts: 2659
Actually that is not a bad deal. Using a 2x or 5x objective with a 10x ocular gives 20 and 50x.
You will find that the image moves backwards and upside down (compared with a stereo where it moves the same way you move the specimen) because its a compound microscope. Also the depth of field with these objectives , especially the 10x will be less. But you may find it very handy. The price is not bad at all. Just make sure you can return it and check each and every piece immediately.
The SMZ10 is a good scope. It fits a 76mm ring (though it has a pretty long snoot) so you could drop it into an aftermarket gemological base. Make sure you get one with a trinoc. (most of them)
Post subject: Re: GIA Gemolite Mark VII Microscope Stereo Star Zoom Mint
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 2:57 pm
Active Member
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 2:58 am Posts: 53 Location: Indonesia
G4Lab wrote:
Actually that is not a bad deal. Using a 2x or 5x objective with a 10x ocular gives 20 and 50x.
You will find that the image moves backwards and upside down (compared with a stereo where it moves the same way you move the specimen) because its a compound microscope. Also the depth of field with these objectives , especially the 10x will be less. But you may find it very handy. The price is not bad at all. Just make sure you can return it and check each and every piece immediately.
The SMZ10 is a good scope. It fits a 76mm ring (though it has a pretty long snoot) so you could drop it into an aftermarket gemological base. Make sure you get one with a trinoc. (most of them)
You can't go wrong with a Gemolite Mark VII.
Thanks G4lab, Sounds Mark VII and SMZ10 really good scope
I hope this month i can buy Mark VII and SMZ10 nikon.
Today i already buy used microscope: Bausch & Lomb Stereo Zoom 5 w/ Zoom Range 0.8X- 4.0X & 2 10x eyepieces. AO 569. BAUSCH & LOMB STEREO Zoom 7. Thomas Scientific Trinocular,10X wide-field eyepieces, 4X, 10X, 40X and 100X. New and cheap AMscope 40X, 100X, 250X, 400X, 1000X & 2500X. Still waiting arrived in my place
Post subject: Re: GIA Gemolite Mark VII Microscope Stereo Star Zoom Mint
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2014 12:03 am
Platinum Member
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:20 pm Posts: 2659
Quote:
waawww...great...it's already 20x eyepirece and slr ready..but will end in 2 days I hope i will get some more money in last minuite...
I don't know if I would use the term SLR ready. It has a trinoc and is close. But it still needs a mechanical and optical coupling. It does have a relay lens in it of 0.6x If you win it or one like it I can assist you in finding the pieces you need to mount a camera. They mostly had Nikon microscope cameras mounted to them but these are obsolete unless you want to use film.
Quote:
actually iam still looking for good darkfield + iris from broken microscope...even not compatible stand, i will saw it and make new setting...
I like a guy willing to take a saw to a microscope!! Make it yours.
I have not actually played with one of those but if I needed one I would not hesitate to buy one. I might shop the different suppliers and check their reputations and return policies.
Post subject: Re: GIA Gemolite Mark VII Microscope Stereo Star Zoom Mint
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2014 1:19 am
Active Member
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 2:58 am Posts: 53 Location: Indonesia
Quote:
actually iam still looking for good darkfield + iris from broken microscope...even not compatible stand, i will saw it and make new setting...
I like a guy willing to take a saw to a microscope!! Make it yours.
Hahaha...that is separate parts, something like microscope module helper...but to saw microscope bar/body from darkfield is not affect microscope setting or quality right? But possible making our work/setting to be not convinience than manufacture made...
I have bending machine, wanna make a new box to put a darkfield, lamp, dimmer etc...
Thanks, your info very helping me and other member....
Post subject: Re: GIA Gemolite Mark VII Microscope Stereo Star Zoom Mint
Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 1:02 pm
Gemology Online Veteran
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:23 am Posts: 923 Location: NYC
there is a Used GIA Mark VII. Gemolite Microscope, Leica StereoZoom 0.7X - 4X Two 15x eyepieces, one tweezer. not bad condition. we do not have room to keep it so it's better to sell it, is anyone interested before i put it on eBay?
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