Today, let's take a look at one of the many tools that gemologists must take with them to the field. Many might suggest that the loupe is the most valuable instrument anyone in the trade should have. Certainly not because of its monetary value, but rather because convenient magnification is needed in every aspect of the gemstone trade.



Diamonds are graded for clarity based on 10x magnification, so you don't always need a fancy microscope to check the quality of your precious stones. A handy loupe is sometimes most preferable, because during travel, trade shows, sales meetings or wherever you go, it's not very convenient to backpack your gemological microscope.

Gem Loupes are the Most Basic Viewing Instruments to Carry Around With You During Gemstone Buying Trips. They Are Helpful for Grading Diamonds, Identifying Colored Stones, and Even Checking Laser Inscriptions for Report Matching.

A gem loupe is usually made up of three lenses. These three lenses function together to give you the most accurate and undistorted image you can get at a specific magnification level.

We call this loupe a fully corrected triplet loupe. Others may sometimes call it an apochromatic loupe, which means it is both aplanic (corrected for spherical distortion) and achromatic (corrected for color distortion).

There are many "fake" triplet loupes out there that make use of a single lens. You'll notice that these instruments will show you a more distorted view of your gemstone, especially when you observe around the outer edges of the viewing area.


It's always recommended to familiarise yourself with how true gemological loupes showcase a magnified image, so that you know what to look for when buying a new or a replacement loupe.

Using your loupe correctly is also good practice. It shows professionalism, and at the same time makes it easier for you to evaluate stones with more comfort and patience.

To begin, unfold your loupe and use the side of your index finger and tip of your thumb to hold the lens case. Now position the lens in front of your eye (or eyeglass lens) and let the back of your thumb gently press against your cheek. This is just to keep your hand from fidgeting while you use your loupe.

So now, with your other hand holding your tweezers, gently pick up the gemstone properly. Bring the tweezers up to position their tips just in front of your loupe, while your hand's palm faces you. At the same time, use your loupe-hand's ring and middle fingers to steady the tweezers in position by grasping them. This way both your loupe and tweezers will only have minimal shaking while you work.

Don't forget that its best to open both eyes while using the loupe, even if only one eye is being used to work. This actually helps alleviate strain. Practice makes perfect.

One noticeable characteristic of moissanite is its high level of dispersion. This allows it to showcase more "fire" or the spectral flashes of color you would see when rocking and tilting the stone under light. moissanite possesses a dispersion rate of 0.104, compared to diamond's lesser dispersion rate of 0.044. We can see through these numbers alone that moissanite's fire would most likely show up stronger than an equivalent quality of diamond. Now, to some this is a good thing, but there are also many jewelry lovers who describe moissanite's fire to have a "disco ball" effect, which might mean that its fiery appearance is too flashy for their taste. Personal preference has a major hand in the present moissanite demand on the market.

Moissanite is a Diamond Simulant / Imitation. It is Very Different from Natural OR Man-Made Diamond, Because it Possesses an Entirely Different Chemical Structure and Composition.

The stone's refractive index is also higher than diamond's, being at 2.65 to 2.69. Moissanite is actually a doubly refractive stone, unlike diamond or Cubic Zirconia. This means that once light enters its interior, it bends and changes direction slightly.


Moissanite can sometimes show "doubling", especially when viewed under a microscope. This can be observed by looking through the stone in magnification, and staring at either the back-facets or inclusions. Be careful though when testing this way, as the stone will have certain directions that will not showcase the doubling effect. This would be called an optic axis direction, and all doubly refractive gems (anisotropic gemstones) have at least one, depending on their crystal symmetry.

Hardness is another trait that moissanite scores well in. It belongs to the rate of 9.25 on the Moh's scale, which is even higher than ruby or sapphire. Diamond still reigns as the hardest mineral though at a Moh's rate of 10.

Virtually all moissanite you would see in the jewelry trade is man-made. The natural counterpart was discovered by a man named Henry Moissan back in 1893. These crystals are usually quite small and incredibly rare, so their usage in the jewelry trade would not merit much following. The stone's brilliance and optical properties though, gave scientists the motive to create synthetic versions using a process called sublimation.

Despite moissanite's diamond-like qualities, many specimens also tend to look a little greenish or grayish, depending on the quality of their production. This is one of the more negative observations regarding moissanite as a diamond simulant, however the best batches of man-made moissanite do not possess such a degree of color overcast, and instead can look very much similar to traditional colorless diamonds.

Today, the industry often uses "moissanite testers" to scan for these gems, as the standard electronic diamond testers can miss them (due to moissanite's high thermal conductivity).

Buyers who are familiar with diamonds and the way that they are color-graded, may have noticed slight visual differences in some stones of similar letter grades. Many factors can influence how a diamond appears after it is set into metal by an experienced jeweller.

For one thing, a diamond that is set into a piece of yellow gold jewellery will appear to be of a higher (less color) grade than it actually is. This is because the stone is seen in stark comparison to the bright yellow of the metal next to it. Many people appreciate this when buying stones that range in the K,L and M colors.




Whiter stones like those that belong to the D,E, and F colors can also be set into yellow gold jewellery as well, although they might fare equally well when mounted against the cold whiteness of platinum metal. The other yellowish stones (K,L,M) may look even more yellow when set into platinum or white gold mounts, purely because of the nearby visual comparison between the stone's color and the metal's absence of it.

Diamond Color Can be Sometimes Seem Affected by Factors Outside of its Color-Causing Trace Elements. The Presence of Fluorescence and the Chosen Jewelry Metal Type Can Also Change How We Evaluate a Stone's Color, Especially at First Glance.

Metals aren't the only thing that can make a diamond seem to possess more color than it actually has. Another property called fluorescence can also affect how we evaluate diamond color with our eyes. The presence of fluorescence in a stone means that it will also emit some amount of visible light when exposed to a source of radiation (including daylight). Most diamonds that possess fluorescence showcase it in a bluish tinge, which can sometimes make yellowish stones look less yellow, but can also allow whiter stones to look as if they possess a greater amount of color.



While fluorescence can make some stones look less colored, and others more colored, the general majority seems to side more with the absence of fluorescence as a better trait in diamonds today. Dealers may sometimes give a percentage discount for stones that have very strong fluorescence, and likewise put pricing priorities on those with a total absence of it.

The percentage can vary, we've seen many that range from about 3 to 6% off of industry price sheets (without yet factoring in dealer discount), but it's different from a case to case basis.

Many people also prefer the colored glow that fluorescence provides. Some diamonds with a very strong bluish fluorescence can have a slight ethereal feel to their appeal.

Not as much people are familiar with red spinel, but almost the entire world knows about the majesty of ruby. Both of these gemstones can come in a brilliant scarlet red, reaching vivid saturation levels on a pure earth-mined and untreated condition. Of course, those would be the top qualities of these gem varieties, and thus would command a hefty price in the industry.

To those who have seen the rarer fine qualities of red spinel, you must already be familiar with its likeness to ruby. The general trade also prizes spinel for its brilliant colors and fine luster. Its beauty is the favorite of many gemstone connoisseurs around the globe- and up until the 19th century, a vast majority of the general public actually believed this red gemstone to be ruby itself.

The advent of gemology and a better understanding of crystals gave way to the separation between these two gem varieties (which also belong to different species). Here, we will take a quick look at some of their differences.

First of all, rubies are a variety of corundum. This gem species belongs to the trigonal crystal system, is doubly refractive and will show "doubling" under strong enough magnification.

Spinel is a another gem species altogether, which belongs to the cubic crystal system. It is singly refractive, and therefore will never show any kind of "doubling" under magnification.

Doubling refers to the visual "duplication" of back facets or inclusions when you look through the gemstone's interior, provided you are not looking down an optic axis direction.

A polariscope can help you separate ruby from red spinel simply by observing if your red stone "blinks" or not as you turn it full circle under crossed polars. Ruby will do this because it is an anisotropic stone (DR), while spinel will not.

Ruby's hardness as the mineral species corundum is also rated at a 9 on the Moh's scale, while spinel ranks at an 8. Both gems are very hard with optimum durability traits.

When mining for them, rubies are most commonly found as hexagonal tablet shapes, while spinels could resemble partial or whole octahedral shapes.




Their specific gravities are also different, with spinel ranging at 3.58 to 3.61 and ruby at 3.9 to 4.1.
Some people are able to heft this difference by bouncing gemstones on their palms, but the more accurate way to determine SG would be using a scale with a hydrostatic attachment. You could also use SG heavy liquids at your preference.

Natural, Untreated Rubies Will Always Command Higher Prices Compared to Spinels of Equivalent Color Intensity and Overall Quality.

Separating ruby and spinel can also be supported by using a refractometer. Spinel has an RI value of 1.719, and shows a singular value (therefore there is no birefringence observation). Ruby on the other hand, shows RI values of around 1.762 to 1.770. This simply means that if you view the refractometer's scale while turning a polarizing filter in front of the viewer, you will see that ruby's RI value will change upon a 90 degree rotation. This value will first be around 1.762, then change to 1.770 upon the turn.

Both red gemstones are extremely remarkable, and can show us specimens of undeniable beauty and earthly rarity. Many people will agree that while they can often look very similar, an untreated ruby will usually have a much higher price compared to a red spinel of its equivalent quality. This is true especially in the finest hierarchies of their color and clarity grades levels.

One of the many things you should have as a gemologist (or even a jeweller) is access to higher magnification. While a loupe is sufficient for a lot of things like clarity grading or quick referencing, sometimes you may need more in order to observe smaller inclusions or subtle growth marks in a gemstone.

The reason why gemologists need to use magnification to view such tiny or mild interior characteristics is because much of the evidence used in gem identification is not be readily seen by the loupe or the human eye. These could be gas bubbles, curved striae, flux inclusions or a number of many other things that dictate the true identity of a natural, synthetic or treated gemstone.




Most laboratories have at least one gemological microscope, either a standard binocular one or a trinocular one (with a tube for the camera) that can zoom to about 40x or 64x. This is essential for better capabilities in inclusion observation for all gemstones.

Now, the microscope is made up of different parts. We have the head, which is usually where the optics system is held. This would be a series of mirrors and lenses that link the objective lens to the oculars so that you can view a larger image of your item. Many people would probably say that the head is the most costly section of the microscope to replace.

Most Gemologists' Favorite Instrument is the Binocular Gem Microscope, as It Allows Them to Immerse Themselves into a Miniature World of Crystal Inclusions, Vibrant Reflections and Opportunities for Deductive Identification.

The objective lens is the lens that is closest to your item, while the oculars or eyepiece lenses are those that are closest to your eyes. Aside from these, the microscope head also usually hosts a know or two. One knob is called the focus knob, which allows you to sharpen the visual field you see, while the other knob would be for zoom magnification.

Most gem microscopes use a rolling zoom capability where turning the knob creates a gradual zoom. This is unlike other microscopes from industries such as microbiology where multiple ocular lenses are used for different magnification powers.

The placement platform is beneath the microscope head, and this is where the gemstone clip holders are usually set. Someone using a pair of tweezers to grasp a gem would also want to rest them on this surface for steadier viewing.


The microscope's iris diaphragm is situated below where your gem would be positioned. This part allows you to manually limit the amount of light you need for illumination. Another similar part is the baffle, which is a small cover that can be used to switch your set up from brightfield to darkfield lightings.

The electronics of a microscope are usually housed in its base. This area also houses the light well or light source, where the main bulb is positioned.

The microscopes used in gemological laboratories also employ 5 different types of lighting modes. Each one used for specific purposes in the deduction of gemstone identity.

1. Darkfield illumination - The microscope's "baffle" (cover beneath the gemstone placement area) is closed, allowing light beams to enter the gem from its sides instead of directly from the bottom. This method of illumination allows us to see a gem's interior characteristics much better. Most inclusions will be lit well for observation, even smaller ones that might have been missed if viewed in normal lighting.

2. Brightfield illumination - The microscope's "baffle" is open, allowing light to pass freely through the gem and into your eyes. Many use this mode in conjunction with a partially open iris diaphragm (circular opener above the baffle that looks like a camera shutter). This is to limit the amount of light that is let out from the light well.

3. Reflected light - This makes use of an external overhead lamp that usually emits daylight-equivalent or fluorescent light. It's often used for viewing the surface condition of gemstones or for evaluating the nature of any fractures and blemishes present.

4. Fiber optic illumination - This type makes use of a fiber-optic tube attachment or an external fiber-optic lighting machine. It allows you to direct a focused beam of light (sometimes cold light) at any flexible angle, in order to view specific parts of your gemstone's interior.

5. Diffused illumination - Here, you would normally use either a diffusal plate, translucent white plastic or even a sheet of paper to manually diffuse the light coming out from your microscope's light well in brightfield mode. This particular setup is good for viewing subtle zones of color, such as those often seen in synthetic blue sapphires or lattice diffused corundum.

A microscope is very useful for many various reasons, and a good gemologist knows how to use one to its full advantage. Such a tool is ever-present amidst the scientific suite of instruments you will find at a gemological laboratory.

Everyone is familiar with diamonds. They're sparkle, brilliance and fire are among the most beautiful visual effects in the gemstone world. Most people think of the perfect diamond like a miniature chandelier, glistening with a clear yet breathtaking transparency.

Sometimes though, we do find beauty in the exact opposite of a classical ideal. The same can be seen in the recent appreciation trend for black diamonds. These dark, almost bewitching stones have added their own appeal to the talents of many fashion forward designer brands and jewellery houses. Their sharp, ebony luster seems to cut through the usual conventions of how diamonds are normally seen.

Most Black Diamonds in Today's Jewelry Markets are Safely Irradiation Enhanced to Create the Darkened Color.

Though despite their reception, a lot of people don't seem to understand what black diamonds are from a gemological stand point. Many don't even think that they're real diamonds at all. Others assume they're some kind of glass or obsidian gem that was faceted in the round brilliant cutting style.

Here we'll take a quick look at the black diamonds currently circulating around the trade.

Yes, there are many imitations, but let's define the legitimate black diamonds that reputable dealers supply to the general public today. They are indeed diamonds, but what causes them to appear as jet black as they are?

A majority of black diamonds that are available today are actually the products of treatment. They are diamonds that have undergone irradiation procedures (and possibly annealing processes), to change their color into a very dark and deep green. This resulting color is so dark in fact, that it appears nearly pitch black to the human eye.

Treatments can also create very dark brownish orange colors in the same notion, so dark in tone that people label them as black diamonds.

There are also other ways to induce a black color in diamonds. Applications of high pressure and high temperatures (HPHT treatment) can be used on lower quality diamonds for several hours to induce graphite residues. Graphite is grayish black and is also composed purely of carbon. This instance will make the diamond appear to be black, but also compromises its durability to some extent.

There are also other ways of producing a very dark color within a stone so that it appears to be black, but these two methods are by far the most common techniques used in today's trade.

Natural black diamonds are present in the trade, but they're also quite rare. These have been observed to sometimes acquire their color from the presence of graphite microcrystallites that are so small, they can form along the natural growth planes of the diamond itself.

Almost all the black diamonds used in our current jewellery industry are products of some form of treatment.

Synthetic diamonds can also be treated to appear dark or black, and these cost less than the treated naturals.

Black diamonds that have had their colors caused by irradiation and annealing are not as high priced as colorless diamonds in general. Most people might say that a black diamond usually fetches about an eighth to a tenth of the price rate on an equivalently sized, middle-grade colorless diamond.

Nevertheless, these stones are a modern favorite of jewellery designers looking to play with the aspects of contrast and brilliance in their pieces. Black diamonds add an exemplary edge to the contemporary styles brought forward by newer fashions and trends.

Continuing our short introduction of the gemologist's basic laboratory tools, let us try to delve deeper into the other traits of a gemstone- such as the presence or absence of pleochroism and the measurable property of specific gravity. Observing these unique traits can help you get one step closer to finding out the identity of any gemstone material.

6. Hydrostatic Scale or SG Heavy Liquids - Either of these tools can be used to measure the specific gravity of a gem material. This refers to the density of a gemstone compared to an equal volume of water. Some stones with a higher specific gravity will look smaller than others of a lower specific gravity, even when both may have the same carat weight value. Most laboratory set ups these days seem to prefer the hydrostatic scale. This useful instrument is actually an attachment system set-up composed of an electronic scale, beaker of water and thin wire basket.



7. Spectroscope - If you are familiar with how the human eye can see color, then the spectroscope is actually quite easy to understand. For the basic idea, any object that light touches may "selectively absorb" some certain wavelengths of the white light. Each wavelength range corresponds to a color, and so when light gets reflected off of the object and travels into our eyes, we see that object possessing a certain hue of color. Now, what a spectroscope does, is it allows you to see which wavelengths (or color ranges) are absorbed by a gemstone or mineral when light travels through it. This valuable information can sometimes even tell us the source element that creates the color in a gemstone (with more gemological knowledge of course).

8. Dichroscope - Some gemstones that are doubly refractive, can also show pleochroism. This means that they can appear to simultaneously show multiple hues of color when viewed. These stones can either be classified as dichromatic (2 colors) or trichromatic (3 colors). We use an instrument called the dichroscope to view two of these colors side by side and assess them individually. This can help separate some species that are known to be pleochroic from other non-pleochroic gems of the same color.

9. Masterstones or Color Grading Set - We know that the value of a gem is often tied to the presence or absence of vibrant color. For colorless and near-colorless diamonds, gemologists use a masterstone set to compare and judge the intensity of any color present. This set is usually composed of at least 3-5 stones that have been specifically calibrated / chosen to showcase certain levels of color that correspond to standard 'letter grades' that are frequently used in the industry by gemological laboratories.

10. Colored Filters - Some gemologists use colored filters such as the "chelsea filter" to different certain species of gems that look alike (such as aquamarine and blue topaz), however these are often used only as supportive or secondary tests, as the others are usually more consistent and dependable.

Gemological Equipment Should Always Be Used By Professionals in the Field, to Avoid Misinterpreting Results, Item Damage, and Confusions.

There are other laboratory instruments that are used in the industry today, such as spectrometers, x-ray machines, ultraviolet lamps and electronic scales. Each of these can significantly aid in the detective-work of gemologists as they help jewellers and traders to identify and/or separate the different products in their inventory.

2015 - Photography from the Gemological Institute of America

If you've ever been to a high end jewellery auction, you'll notice that many of the gems up for bidding will have a document called a provenance statement. This may be shown in alternative ways, but basically it functions just like an autobiography for the stone. It would tell us about the gem's history, any famous owners that carried it, and of course the place where it was unearthed.

Many connoisseurs prefer gemstones with this document because it adds an additional value to their purchase. This is true especially for high-end stones that belong to the top hierarchies of color, clarity, and carat weight within their respective varieties.

High End Gemstones at Auction Can Fetch Even Greater Prices When Source Documentation Reveals Them to Have Originated from A Famous Mining Locality.

One of the most recognized declarations in a provenance statement is usually the origin location of a gemstone. Now, why do people find this important? Well, within the long history of each specific gemstone, notable sources sometimes come to light. These are places where a suitable quantity of very high end gems were mined from, so eventually they make a name for themselves amongst the jewellery communities.

People often say for example, that the term Kashmir sapphire should refer only to the finest specimens that boast the saturated cornflower blue color. This label stemmed from sapphire's historical Kashmir mine, where a lot of the velvety intense blue sapphires of legend were unearthed. Despite that mine's relatively short life, it was able to make such an impression on the trade, that even today the term "Kashmir" is used synonymously with high-end stones of a certain color.

This doesn't mean that all of the stones from that locality were good, but history seems to writes how people in the present time perceive things. Nowadays a beautiful blue sapphire at auction may likely fetch more value if its provenance statement declares it to be a product of the Kashmir region. The same goes for top tier rubies from Mogok, Myanmar, and vivid emeralds from Muzo, Colombia.

A gemstone's actual quality is inherent to itself, rather than solely being attributed to a certain place. Those famous localities can also produce poor quality products, and the opposite is also true for sources might not be as popular.

Though that being said, a famous source does add value to a gemstone in today's current market, more because of the community's demand (due to perception). People like gems that tell a story, especially if that story is about its rarity and scarcity as one of the stones mined out from a special time and place.

Sources have to be proven though, in order to add that kind of merit. Gemological laboratories sometimes include the entry "source origin opinion" as a part of their gemstone reports, using the presence of trace elements and chemistry to estimate where a certain gem originated from.

Its elegant name comes from the latin words 'aqua' and 'mare', which respectively mean water and ocean. It's no surprise why these two terms were used to describe the cascading blues of beautiful aquamarine. The modern jewellery industry places the finest colors of aquamarine at very high prices, rivaling even the 'big three' colored stones at some levels. These hues are usually devoid of any greenish or grayish cast and display a pure blue facade with medium dark tone. Saturation of course is of utmost importance, as the most vivid aquamarines incur the highest trade demand for both traditional and contemporary jewellers.


Aquamarine often comes in a greenish blue, or seafoam blue color. Its hue is caused by the presence of iron ions in the crystal composition. Heating some aquamarine can remove the greenish cast and leave the blue color to look more prominent, but this does not always apply to every stone. Some stones have resulted in a worse color after temperature heating, so gem dealers will still set high prices for beautiful heated gems.

It's become familiar in the marketplace to call fine aquamarine 'Santa Maria' blue, named after a mining locale with the same name in Brazilian territories. Many fine specimens of aquamarine crystals have come out of this area, so naturally some people adapted the name reference when trading fine stones of similar color.

Aquamarine (Light Blue Beryl) Can Be Found in Some of the Highest Clarity Levels of Any Precious Gemstone Variety.

It's been said that aquamarine has been a recent favorite of modern gem cutters, especially those who experiment with freeform shapes and designer cuts. The crystal's tendency to be more eye-clean than other colored stones (Type - I Clarity), gives manufacturers a chance to play around with how light travels in and out of the material. Aquamarine's brilliant blues and superior transparency make it an ideal candidate for abstract gem sculptures and faceted artworks.

This pastel blue beryl, while not usually as expensive as its green cousin; the emerald, has garnered a widespread popularity as one of the finest blue stones on the market. It ranks among the top choices, along with blue sapphire, blue diamond, and Paraiba tourmaline as current trade favorites.



Be sure to use gemological knowledge in separating your aquamarine gems from another very similar stone; irradiated blue topaz. The two are very similar in outward appearance, but topaz' blue color is artificially produced in all saturations. Because it doesn't have a hierarchy in color rarity, blue topaz today is actually much cheaper than aquamarine of the same likeness. Being able to tell the difference between these two popular gemstones, will surely help you master the trade and prevent any costly buying mistakes in the years to come.

Noting their differences in optic character /sign is one way of easily separating these two gem identities using a simple gemological polariscope and conosphere (Aquamarine is uniaxial, while topaz is biaxial).

Photography credits - Gemological Institute of America, irocks.com / The Arkenstone

The word sapphire will usually stir up images of sparkling deep blue gems, saturated with the fabled Kashmir cornflower hues that we all know and love. That's actually how most people in the world would normally visualize this rare and important gem variety today.

In their day-to-day careers, gemologists all over the world have to rely on a suite of precision-based instruments to help them identify and separate different varieties of gemstones. Here, we'll be introduced to the foremost essential equipment that every gemologist needs to adequately perform his tasks in the industry.

1. Gem Tweezers - Depending on your gemstone, you may want to use either titanium, stainless steel or bamboo tweezers for handling and sorting. This is because each gemstone possesses a 'hardness' property which can be described as a material's resistance to scathing or scratching. Some stones like diamond have a very high hardness (10), while other gems like pearls possess a much lower hardness (3 to 4). These numbers belong to a range called the Moh's scale, which is used in many other industries as well. It is very important to use the proper tweezer material so as not to damage your items.

2. A Fully Corrected 10x Triplet Loupe - This very essential tool is especially important in the diamond industry, because most 'colorless' diamonds are graded for clarity levels using ten times magnification only. Be sure that the loupe you purchase is corrected for chromatic and spherical aberration. If not, you may see color distortions and linear anomalies in some viewing areas.

3. Microscope - If a loupe doesn't allow you to properly view some interior areas of a gem, this next instrument will do the job much better. Gemologists' microscopes are quite different from the ones used in other fields of science (like microbiology). The gemological version is usually a binocular type (or trinocular for those with photomicrography needs) with a rolling zoom capability of somewhere between 10 times to 64 times magnification. Most laboratory setups require the microscope to view and assess inclusions within a specimen. The nature of an inclusion can help differentiate a gemstone from others that imitate it. These little bits of evidence also help to distinguish if a stone is treated, synthetic or natural.

4. Refractometer - The gemological refractometer is a small instrument that shoots light through a gemstone material in order to eventually show you the value of its refractive index. This trait is the measure of how much light bends and/or slows when it travels from one material (air in this case) into another (your specimen). Different mineral species possess specific ranges or values of refractive index, and so it is definitely a property that can help identify a certain stone's identity.

5. Polariscope - Each gemstone is classified as being either singly refractive, doubly refractive, aggregate material or amorphous material. The polariscope helps determine which by directing polarized light through your gem material as you rotate it 360 degrees atop a platform. Now, depending on the gemstone's identity, it can blink from light to dark, remain light or dark, display snake-like bands, or even show evidence of interior strain. This essential piece of equipment helps gemologists to narrow down the possible list of identities a gem could fall under.

Multiple Tests Often Need to Be Performed in Gem Identification, So As to Avoid Quick Assumptions and Mistakes.

In part 2 of this article, we'll introduce you to five more instruments that many gemologists keep in their laboratories or offices. These essential tools might also be able to help you acquire a better understanding of the gemstones and minerals you deal with everyday.

A lot of people are familiar with two kinds of gemstones: natural ones and their man-made versions. Relatively less of the community has any stock knowledge on treated gemstones. Many people however have probably already purchased some, given that a majority of the top three colored stone varieties undergo common treatment procedures before heading off to retail.

Sometimes in the Philippines, when we hear the words 'fancy' and 'diamond', we think of an imitation or simulant stone. Though, if we look at the international terminologies, the term 'fancy' is actually often used to describe natural diamond in terms of its outward appearances.

Fancy cuts refer to diamonds with any shape or cut other than a round brilliant one. Examples of this could be the emerald or trilliant cut. Many dealers are familiar with this term, and so when shopping at international venues like the September Jewellery Fair in Hong Kong, or the Baselworld Fair in Switzerland, be sure not to confuse our local lingo for how people normally use these terms.

Fancy colored diamonds are another thing. When the industry refers to a fancy colored diamond, it simply means any diamond that possesses color. In the case of diamonds that are yellow, gray or brown, they must also possess a slightly higher amount of saturation compared to the other hues in order to qualify for a fancy color grade.

Speaking about price, the general trend shows us that fancy colored diamonds can in fact cost more than colorless diamonds. The top tier of these can be seen at famous auction house events like the ones hosted by Christie's in Geneva.

A single 59.6 ct pink diamond called the Pink Star (renamed to the Pink Dream) is actually being valued at about 72 million dollars today. This particular stone was once being marketed by Sotheby's (another big name in jewellery auctions) and participated at one of its own renowned auctions. Its valuation and reception is a prime example of how fancy colored diamonds in the highest grade range can outshine even a D-flawless colorless stone.

Fancy colored diamonds cost a lot because they lack a consistent supply to satisfy their rising demand. They do however have a 'strong enough' supply to stir up fans in several international markets. Couple that with the news and marketing from different jewellery houses, and you have a rare segment of the diamond industry that connoisseurs all over the world want to share in.

Certain Natural Hues of Fancy Colored Diamonds Can Command Much Higher Prices Than Equivalently Sized Colorless Counterparts, Due Rarity Factors and An Increasing Demand From the Trade.

The Argyle mine in Australia is probably the only currently known major source of fancy pink diamonds. Its operation is run by the Rio Tinto group, which also hosts the Argyle Pink Tender auctions in Geneva for many of the stone's illustrious clientele.


Grades for fancy colored diamonds are as follows:
Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Dark,
Fancy Deep, and Fancy Vivid

(This scale goes from most affordable to most expensive via left to right fashion.)

Terminology would dictate that the grade modifier be mentioned before the specific diamond's color. For example: 'Fancy Light Purplish Pink'

This phrase would constitute the color grade of a stone instead of the usual 'letter grade' you would normally see used on colorless diamonds.

One more thing to note, is that the saturation level requirement for each grade is differently evaluated per color of diamond. This means that a fancy intense red diamond may not necessarily possess the exact same color intensity level as a fancy intense yellow diamond.

This is because the specific rarity scale is actually different per fancy diamond color group.

These exotic and scarce diamonds are certainly marvels of nature, and they can be a wonderful addition to any jewellery suite if one is willing to pay the price for their beauty.

The field of gemology is actually a geoscience that stems out from the study of mineralogy. It focuses purely on natural and artificially created gemstones, while supporting the jewellery industry's efforts for promoting honest and accurate valuation of products. People who focus on the discovery and identification of gems are called gemologists, and most established practicioners have acquired their formal education from some of the top international schools in the industry. Certified gemologists, like those that work here at Gemcamp Laboratories, often solidify their educational foundation from either the Gemological Institute of America or the Gemological Association of Great Britain. Others might also opt to acquire degrees or diplomas from the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences, the Swiss Gemological Institute or some other acclaimed organizations.

Learning gemology can be useful for anyone seeking to venture into the world of jewellery. Whether you are a buyer, a retailer or even a gemstone cutter- knowing the basic properties of the crystals that you work with can definitely help you in the decision making process.

Gemology is the Study of Gemstones, and it Necessarily Incorporates Several Fields of Science to Support the Gem Trade. The Study of Light Optics, Geology, and Even Chemistry all Play a Part in the Full Development of Gemological Education.

People who buy gem-set jewellery are sometimes met with many unforeseen merchandise traits. For example, the value of a D-colored Flawless graded diamond can be many times more than one of the same color but with VVS2 grade. Likewise a beautiful ruby can command either tens of thousands of dollars or possibly less than a hundred- depending on whether or not its reddish color was produced by natural means or artificial treatment.

Let us help you discover how to identify, separate and appreciate the many types of commonly seen gemstones in the industry. It is our mission to help the public acquire unbiased and independent education on the many topics of the gemstone trade. We seek to provide people with the fundamental knowledge needed to make the best decisions in this industry, so that they can avoid being cheated or swindled when dealing with unsavory characters in the business.

Gemology is a rewarding and fruitful science that gives a spark to what we do. It is uniquely a combination of mineralogy, chemistry and optics as each and every gemstone must be thoroughly studied for its visual and concrete properties. The advancements in technology allow more man-made counterparts and treatments to become commercially viable in the trade, so now is the best time to start learning more about how to protect your interest in the world of gems and jewellery.

Image Credit to Mr. Pierre-Yves Babelon

Greetings, and welcome to our official gemology news hub. We'd love to help guide you into the wonderful and rewarding world of gemstones and gemology. The gem trade has been rapidly expanding for the past several decades, and we believe that public awareness and education will be beneficial to the future generations of gem and jewelry enthusiasts. Whether it be for better buying decisions, professional business creation or careers in mineralogy, we want to accompany you throughout your exciting journey into this rewarding industry.