WEBINAR In the Loupe with John Pollard: Useful Tools for Diamond Lovers

[psadmin]

The majority of us like diamonds and jewelry, but if you find yourself starting down the “prosumer” (or, “professional consumer”) path, don’t miss our "Useful Tools for Diamond Lovers" webinar!

On Thursday, March 24th at 3pm CT, PriceScope Educational Advisor John Pollard leads Gemologist-Appraiser and PS Concierge Lead Dave Atlas and Geologist-Gemologist, HCA and Ideal Scope developer Garry Holloway in an in-depth discussion on the most common tools consumers buy and how useful they really are, from loupes, gauges, calipers, to gem testers and more, as well as sharing some insight on some more advanced tools for veteran hobbyists.

Click Here to Register!
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[DejaWiz]

Registered and looking forward to this one!

 

[Karl_K]

see yas der

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

If anyone has any fav tools or tricks you would like us to discuss - or if appropriate to demonstrate? Shout out!
We aim to give a guide for various levels of mainly diamond related tools. If there was interest we could cover gem testing and ID tools - but may require a separate session.

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

If anyone has any fav tools or tricks you would like us to discuss - or if appropriate to demonstrate? Shout out!
We aim to give a guide for various levels of mainly diamond related tools. If there was interest we could cover gem testing and ID tools - but may require a separate session.

I’m interested in gem testing tools, tips and tricks!

 

[Karl_K]

business card with bright red Mylar on one side and blue on the other. Hold a diamond over it and if you have good eyesight you will see the leakage, rock the stone.
With help you can do phone videos of it.

 

[prs]

We were looking at diamonds at an auction house preview a couple of months ago. The lighting wasn't great, and their gemologist pulled out a loupe that had a built-in light. I couldn't believe how much better it was than my ordinary loupe. It also had a small UV light. I bought one, it only cost $42 including shipping, and I now use it all the time.

I don't understand why all loupes aren't like this. Other than having to keep spare batteries on hand, are there any other drawbacks?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

We were looking at diamonds at an auction house preview a couple of months ago. The lighting wasn't great, and their gemologist pulled out a loupe that had a built-in light. I couldn't believe how much better it was than my ordinary loupe. It also had a small UV light. I bought one, it only cost $42 including shipping, and I now use it all the time.

I don't understand why all loupes aren't like this. Other than having to keep spare batteries on hand, are there any other drawbacks?

Dave and I will demonstrate these as we have been selling them on Ideal-scope website fore many years.
The only downside is you forget to turn them off and the battery goes flat!
Also the UV is the type that causes a lot more fluorescence than the mistakenly used one sold by GIA and many other gem tool companies. So people often get the idea that GIA mis graded faint fluoro diamonds that glow like crazy!

 

[Karl_K]

. Other than having to keep spare batteries on hand, are there any other drawbacks?

bright uv light source that close to your eye has the potential to cause eye damage.
I have an older version and like it but stopped recommending them when they aided uv.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

bright uv light source that close to your eye has the potential to cause eye damage.
I have an older version and like it but stopped recommending them when they aided uv.

Disagree Karl. This is violet light and very very little of it is sub 400nm as evidenced by how well it is blocked by Lexan:

Mobile Phone comparison tray & UV filter | Ideal-Scope

ideal-scope.com

 

[Karl_K]

Disagree Karl. This is violet light and very very little of it is sub 400nm as evidenced by how well it is blocked by Lexan:

Mobile Phone comparison tray & UV filter | Ideal-Scope

ideal-scope.com

that particular model may be ok but there are others out there.

 

[prs]

The UV lamp in this particular loupe is miniscule, it is the small round located just above the two on/off switches. Of course, both lights aim away from the side you put to your eye. Having had my fun using it to check the amount of fluorescence on all DW's stones, I suspect I will only use the UV lamp once every blue moon from now on. Thanks for the warning Karl, but I believe my eyes are safe!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

that particular model may be ok but there are others out there.

You must have noticed me telling people to buy the cheapest possible UV lights for fluorescence testing Karl. That is because the visible and near visible ( is harmless) and causes more blue fluorescence than the shorter more expensive and more dangerous 365nm (and sorter wave) instruments used for gemstone ID. And wrongly used for diamond fluorescence testing for many decades.
I do believe GIA now use near visible

 

[Karl_K]

just dont fumble it and put the wrong side up to your eye to many times.

 

[Karl_K]

I do believe GIA now use near visible

That would be awesome if they were using 400nm or even 390nm.
Is there documentation of the change available?

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

I was one of the lucky winners of Garry's pocket Ideal Scope! It came today, and it's so cool. I handed it to Mr. Car Parts along with my EC ring and he said, "This is so cool!" It works with rings not just loose stones. After seeing it work, I would buy one if I hadn't won one. Highly recommend.

 

[icy_jade]

We were looking at diamonds at an auction house preview a couple of months ago. The lighting wasn't great, and their gemologist pulled out a loupe that had a built-in light. I couldn't believe how much better it was than my ordinary loupe. It also had a small UV light. I bought one, it only cost $42 including shipping, and I now use it all the time.

I don't understand why all loupes aren't like this. Other than having to keep spare batteries on hand, are there any other drawbacks?

Have been using that sort of loupe for a while. The batteries can be hard to find and I’ve also had one that totally broke down after a year or so. Nevertheless I really like using it with the built in LED light to see the inclusions. The UV not so much. I bring a little UV torch to shine over the stones from a distance as I prefer to see how the stones glow from a distance.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

That would be awesome if they were using 400nm or even 390nm.
Is there documentation of the change available?

Karl I have been posting this information since the Cowing fluoro wars. It is anything but new (no one reads my rubbish?)

US10890531B2 - Apparatus and method for fluorescence grading of gemstones - Google Patents

Provided herein is an apparatus for assessing a fluorescence characteristic of a gemstone. The apparatus comprises an optically opaque platform for supporting a gemstone to be assessed, one or more light source to provide uniform UV and non-UV illumination, an image capturing component, and a...

patents.google.com

and

https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-2013-luo-fluorescence-optical-defects

" These multiple emission peaks from the handheld UV lamp can also affect the intensity of the fluorescence color observed. Figure 11B shows the fluorescence emission peaks from sample 7 (extracted from the 3D fluorescence spectra of its N3 center) at the same 365, 405, and 435 nm excitation energies used in the example above. Compared to 365 nm excitation, the fluorescence color with 405 nm excitation is almost twice as intense."

I told Cowing he was using entirely the wrong UV Solarmeter(tm) because he was stuck in 365nm mode claiming it was absorbed by windows (which it is and the safe visible and near visible pass through all windows - a point you argued with me about).

 

[Karl_K]

Garry im confused my question was is there documentation from gia that they changed what they do in the lab?

I have been with you from way back when that 365nm is wrong.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Garry im confused my question was is there documentation from gia that they changed what they do in the lab?

I have been with you from way back when that 365nm is wrong.

It took GIA several years to announce they had reduced the amount of UV in their lighting. Do they ever really tell the world what they do? Do they ever share or sell the tools and instruments they invent? Do they want make themselves redundant?

Glad to hear you are onboard Karl. But you did say double glazed windows cut out UV.
I will demonstrate in the webinar that even lexan UV filter does not stop the UV from the $35 uv loupe.

 

[Karl_K]

It took GIA several years to announce they had reduced the amount of UV in their lighting. Do they ever really tell the world what they do? Do they ever share or sell the tools and instruments they invent? Do they want make themselves redundant?

Glad to hear you are onboard Karl. But you did say double glazed windows cut out UV.
I will demonstrate in the webinar that even lexan UV filter does not stop the UV from the $35 uv loupe.

Sounds about right with GIA.

We had a long discussion on RT about it some years ago.
Not much has changed, some of the expensive modern coatings do attenuate around 400nm but your typical coated window its going to go right through it.
Even the cheap coatings attenuate 365nm so it depends on which uv wavelength your talking about.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Sounds about right with GIA.

We had a long discussion on RT about it some years ago.
Not much has changed, some of the expensive modern coatings do attenuate around 400nm but your typical coated window its going to go right through it.
Even the cheap coatings attenuate 365nm so it depends on which uv wavelength your talking about.

We are getting off track Karl. Restart in a Cowing thread if you want to discuss this?

 

[Karl_K]

We are getting off track Karl. Restart in a Cowing thread if you want to discuss this?

I dont think there is anything new since the last discussion so I'm good.
Looking forward to next Thursday!!!

 

[VRBeauty]

I will be on the road and likely without cellphone coverage on the 24th. Is there any chance the webinar could be recorded for later viewing?

 

[prs]

Have been using that sort of loupe for a while. The batteries can be hard to find and I’ve also had one that totally broke down after a year or so. Nevertheless I really like using it with the built in LED light to see the inclusions. The UV not so much. I bring a little UV torch to shine over the stones from a distance as I prefer to see how the stones glow from a distance.

Yes, I have a UV torch too, much easier to use and much more powerful than the one in my new loupe. The one in the loupe is just an added little bonus. The batteries in this loupe are type 394/380, and are readily available in the US. It takes three of them so hopefully will last a long time. It's like the difference between night and day when using the lighted loupe. You can see everything much more clearly.

 

[Wink]

Re the batteries.

Do yourself a favor and look at the battery needed for your loupe and do a search on the net for it. I always found batteries on the net for a fraction of what they cost at the grocery store.

Buy several for next to nothing and when you get down to one or two spares, buy some more.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Re the batteries.

Do yourself a favor and look at the battery needed for your loupe and do a search on the net for it. I always found batteries on the net for a fraction of what they cost at the grocery store.

Buy several for next to nothing and when you get down to one or two spares, buy some more.

Thanks Wink, I was getting around to that and you beat me to it!

 

[Wink]

Rare that I beat Sir Garry the wise to anything. Of course, by the time I get out of bed in Boise, he has been up for may hours in Australia. Guy has a heck of a head start on me!

I need a couple of CR2032s for my home alarm back door. I can buy two of them in town from a local battery store for ten bucks, or 5 of them for $5.45 with free shipping from Amazon. They will be here Thursday, easy choice...

 

[John Pollard]

Reminder

Less than 48 hours until the Useful Tools For Diamond Lovers webinar.

You can still register using the link at the top of this thread. We will take Qs during the live session or you can post them here, now or after the event.

I will be on the road and likely without cellphone coverage on the 24th. Is there any chance the webinar could be recorded for later viewing?

Yes. The webinar will ultimately be available on demand for future viewing. Thank you for asking.

Looking forward to it.

 

[oldminer]

I'm gathering my most useful tools for the Webinar to share with the participants. When we supply the Ideal-Scope LED-UV loupe we always put an additional set of 3 batteries in the box along with the loupe, so you have a head start when the first set runs out of power. The battery number is on each battery and are easily ordered online like Wink said earlier.