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Unable to see laser inscription with a 30x loupe

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prettycat

Rough_Rock
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Apr 2, 2009
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Bought a 30X-21mm loupe from ebay, but unable to see the laser inscription number on the girdle of my diamond. That number must be very very very tiny. I heard some people located the number with a 30x. How does that work?
 

decodelighted

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
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11,534
Oh Pretty Cat,
I smiled when I read this ... you are a feisty one with your loupe collection! Something I do NOT have the stomach for
3.gif
6.gif
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
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33,852
tilt the stone at different angles while viewing with the loupe.
 

arjunajane

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 18, 2008
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9,758
the inscription on my Isee2 wasn''t even visible under my appraiser''s microscope -
I know it''s not exactly the same, but basically I wouldn''t lose sleep trying to find it..
You may not be able to.
 

Moh 10

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
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1,004
Magnification is not the only important thing.
Magnification and resolution are not necessarily related.
Go any toy store and you will find lots of telescopes and microscopes with very very high power.
Yet experienced users happily pay tens of thousands of dollars for scopes with low power optics.
There are good reasons that some 10x loupes sell for $10 and others for $400.


1. User skill/technique
2. magnification
3. Resolution (quality of optics)
4. Lighting angle

I can not only see laser inscriptions with my high-quality 10x loupe I can actually read the numbers in the inscription.
 

Moh 10

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
1,004
Loupe Using Tips:

Experienced pros don't need to bother with all these, but it may be helpful for beginners.

Buy the best loupe you can afford.
You are paying for optical quality that improves resolution, not just magnification.
A low-cost high-magnification loupe (let's call it loupe X) can have poor resolution.
In fact a high-quality but low-magnification loupe may reveal more detail than loupe X.

At high magnification you need to minimize movement.
Plant both elbows on table.
Gently press hand-holding loupe against your cheek with lens almost touching your eyelashes. (Don’t use mascara)

Hold loupe so it is parallel to your eye, not at and angle.
To focus, move diamond in and out, not the loupe.

Look only through the center of the loupe where all optics are their sharpest.
Have plenty of light from a large directionless source, such as sitting next to a large bright window (not direct sun, or near a lamp) The larger the source the better.
If you still can’t find inscription try changing angle of light by facing to the right or the left.

Try moving your eye to look away a very small amount.
The center of our retinas are less sensitive than the region slightly off center, probably from overuse.
Astronomers use this trick to find faint stars.
 

Pandora II

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 3, 2006
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9,613
Date: 5/9/2009 9:01:52 AM
Author: Moh 10
Magnification is not the only important thing.
Magnification and resolution are not necessarily related.
Go any toy store and you will find lots of telescopes and microscopes with very very high power.
Yet experienced users happily pay tens of thousands of dollars for scopes with low power optics.
There are good reasons that some 10x loupes sell for $10 and others for $400.


1. User skill/technique
2. magnification
3. Resolution (quality of optics)
4. Lighting angle

I can not only see laser inscriptions with my high-quality 10x loupe I can actually read the numbers in the inscription.
Agree with everything you''ve written, but wanted to clarify that IMHO you don''t always need to spend a lot of $$$ for a good loupe.

I spent a LOT of time researching before buying mine - and buying a fair few over the years that I shouldn''t have - and my personal preference is for the black-cased x10 Belomo.

Lenses are from Zeiss and the company make sights for missiles, so the optics are top-notch. They''re on the larger side, but the degree of distortion around the edges of the lense is a lot less than in many other loupes. Granted it''s on the heavy side, but that is more of a personal preference. Having tried out some very expensive brands since, I still wouldn''t change brands.

RE the OP''s question - using a x30 loupe is not ideal unless you absolutely know how to use it. The depth of field you will have is very small and it''s much easier to miss things than it is will a x10. I would recommend using a quality x10 to locate the inscription and if necessary then using a quality x30 to read the numbers. It''s a reason that girdle inscriptions would never be high on a list of priorities for me - I prefer to learn a stone''s inclusion plot and use that to ID it - also much quicker to do in a jewellers when picking up a piece rather than faffing about trying to find an inscription.
 

Icce

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
323
Tilt it. Also the light must be comming in at the right angle. I couldn''t see mine with a 10x but I can see it with my 20x. It takes me time to find it. I can''t just look at the girdle straight on....I have to kinda look up at it on a tilt. It isn''t dark writting either...it seems light brown. I can make out the numbers 1 by one, but I can''t really see the ACA symbol that great (can tell its a symbol but can''t tell which, if you didn''t know.). What size is your diamond? My ering is 1.22 and it was way easier to see than the number on my mom''s .34 diamond (my brother and I got here this for a small pendant). Anyways, we eventually made out the numbers on the .34 but it was very very hard...smaller girdle = smaller inscription, I would guess. Both were a struggle for me to see, the local jeweler couldn''t seem to find it either but my 20x from Otto Frei did find it though it wasn''t cheap ($53) but it was something I needed to get as anytime I send somthing to a jeweler I must loop it to make sure its mine...OCD here :razz:
 
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