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Photomicrography

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IcePhoenix

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 15, 2019
Messages
251
Hey everyone! I'm becoming more and more passionate about gemstones inclusions and I'd really love to try my hand at photomicrography.

Gübelin has a 2 days workshop that I'm thinking of attending. Has anyone gone to the workshop? How was it? I know Gübelin is a world renowned laboratory so I'm sure their courses are amazing too, but never hurts to ask

Another question, when it comes to equipment for photomicrography how much should I budget? I have a 400€ Krüss microscope which I doubt is appropriate for good pics. Definitely can't afford top, state of the art equipment but I'd prefer to get something in the mid range to help with identification/evaluation too.

I'm new to this side of gemology so if anyone here is more experienced and keen on sharing their expertise I'd love to know.
 
IcePhoenix said:
Hey everyone! I'm becoming more and more passionate about gemstones inclusions and I'd really love to try my hand at photomicrography.

Gübelin has a 2 days workshop that I'm thinking of attending. Has anyone gone to the workshop? How was it? I know Gübelin is a world renowned laboratory so I'm sure their courses are amazing too, but never hurts to ask

Another question, when it comes to equipment for photomicrography how much should I budget? I have a 400€ Krüss microscope which I doubt is appropriate for good pics. Definitely can't afford top, state of the art equipment but I'd prefer to get something in the mid range to help with identification/evaluation too.

I'm new to this side of gemology so if anyone here is more experienced and keen on sharing their expertise I'd love to know.
Click to expand...

Welp, I'm the world's worst photographer (one needs lots of patience that I do not possess), so I'm probably not your intended audience with this post. lol Just wanted to say good luck on the new endeavor! I hope you decide to take the Gubelin courses... I'd love to hear how they compare to the GIA program.
 
Autumn in New England said:
Welp, I'm the world's worst photographer (one needs lots of patience that I do not possess), so I'm probably not your intended audience with this post. lol Just wanted to say good luck on the new endeavor! I hope you decide to take the Gubelin courses... I'd love to hear how they compare to the GIA program.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I have my diploma with DGemG so this would be an addendum that I hope i can afford lol
 
There are some of these stereoscopes on eBay. At least there were. They were made by American Optical and Leica, and then GIA put their name on one of them. A local B&M jeweler gifted me his "spare" scope when he retired and closed his family store after 100 years. That one was nonfunctional, but with some TLC I was able to get it working well (needed a new diaphragm and I found a cheap one on eBay).

The integrated light is incandescent and I could not get it to work (even with new bulb, etc.) but there is a company that makes an LED one that fits perfectly.

See this thread where I asked a few questions here:

L

Thread 'Holder for loose gem under microscope'

Maybe not the right forum but I figured I'd start here.

I managed to get my hands on a busted fifty-year-old "StereoZoom" microscope. (They went by a lot of brand names but were originally B&L.) It needed some TLC and a few replacement parts but is finally in pretty good shape and, optically, works great. I would like to be able to use it to look at inclusions in unmounted stones to self-educate a bit. I know I will never "be a pro" (or even "any good"!) but I do want to appreciate some of the more obvious telltales of high-temperature heating in sapphire, for example. It was also a...
  • Like

@Karl_K was helpful, as always.

I put this project on the back burner maybe two years ago as a million other things came up. I still need the light and a stone-holder and it will be good as new. I'm sure my wife will be over the moon.

Have been thinking about the photo part since that is my true love. I use pretty sophisticated digital imaging equipment at work -- but that's for really small stuff (nm - um).
 
LilAlex said:
There are some of these stereoscopes on eBay. At least there were. They were made by American Optical and Leica, and then GIA put their name on one of them. A local B&M jeweler gifted me his "spare" scope when he retired and closed his family store after 100 years. That one was nonfunctional, but with some TLC I was able to get it working well (needed a new diaphragm and I found a cheap one on eBay).

The integrated light is incandescent and I could not get it to work (even with new bulb, etc.) but there is a company that makes an LED one that fits perfectly.

See this thread where I asked a few questions here:

L

Thread 'Holder for loose gem under microscope'

Maybe not the right forum but I figured I'd start here.

I managed to get my hands on a busted fifty-year-old "StereoZoom" microscope. (They went by a lot of brand names but were originally B&L.) It needed some TLC and a few replacement parts but is finally in pretty good shape and, optically, works great. I would like to be able to use it to look at inclusions in unmounted stones to self-educate a bit. I know I will never "be a pro" (or even "any good"!) but I do want to appreciate some of the more obvious telltales of high-temperature heating in sapphire, for example. It was also a...
  • Like

@Karl_K was helpful, as always.

I put this project on the back burner maybe two years ago as a million other things came up. I still need the light and a stone-holder and it will be good as new. I'm sure my wife will be over the moon.

Have been thinking about the photo part since that is my true love. I use pretty sophisticated digital imaging equipment at work -- but that's for really small stuff (nm - um).
Click to expand...
Alex (I know that's not really your name, but the alternative is calling you Lil), you keep throwing out the most tantalizing hints about your profession. I think you're a biophysicist developing new techniques for visualizing medically important molecules. Or perhaps you're working on developing a quantum computer to run unimaginable algorithms that will revolutionize finance.

But in the meantime, all of PS is looking forward to seeing your micrographs of the fascinating inclusions in your gemstones!
 
glitterata said:
...hints about your profession...
Click to expand...

Hahaha! I must just talk a good game. :cool2:

I am a solid but unexceptional biomedical researcher who is also a health care professional, and both primarily in the public sector -- although I am mostly an administrator now, trying to help others secure what they need to thrive.

I have used a lot of microscopic imaging techniques to study structures and proteins and small molecules in cells.

I don't know much about computers although one kid forced me to "build" one with him many years ago!

I really like finance of the personal variety -- and my fuming over the ubiquitous and gratuitous fleecing of retail clients by the "financial services" industry literally keeps me up at night -- but I have no actual credentials in the field.

I think completion of my gem imaging set-up will come with retirement and the corresponding drop in disposable income -- not sure how it will help me then! :lol-2: I can look at the same couple of things over and over!
 
LilAlex said:
Hahaha! I must just talk a good game. :cool2:

I am a solid but unexceptional biomedical researcher who is also a health care professional, and both primarily in the public sector -- although I am mostly an administrator now, trying to help others secure what they need to thrive.

I have used a lot of microscopic imaging techniques to study structures and proteins and small molecules in cells.

I don't know much about computers although one kid forced me to "build" one with him many years ago!

I really like finance of the personal variety -- and my fuming over the ubiquitous and gratuitous fleecing of retail clients by the "financial services" industry literally keeps me up at night -- but I have no actual credentials in the field.

I think completion of my gem imaging set-up will come with retirement and the corresponding drop in disposable income -- not sure how it will help me then! :lol-2: I can look at the same couple of things over and over!
Click to expand...

Fortunately, very small, very included gemstones are often interesting at a micro level and wouldn't necessarily be beyond a reduced budget.

Or if you can't bear to own such low-quality gems, I'm sure the rest of us would be happy to lend you ours for your photo shoots.
 
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