Using a jeweler's loupe
Many people have their own jeweler's loupe these days and love
to look at their jewelry with it. Unfortunately not everyone is
taught how to use a loupe properly. Using a loupe is not
terribly difficult, but using it properly can really help you
examine your own jewelry for identifying characteristics,
cracks, chips, or other damage without having to run to the
jeweler every time to smack your ring on something hard. Before
we look at how to use a loupe though, I would like to explain
some of the characteristics of loupes so that you can select a
quality magnifier for your own use.
Selecting a loupe: The first thing to look at is the
magnification. Loupes can be found with 2x magnification up to
30x, or even more, magnification. For our purposes it is best to
use a 10x loupe since this is the magnification that is used by
the gem grading labs to grade diamonds. Less magnification may
not show enough detail, while more magnification may give you an
unrealistic expectation.
The next thing to look at is the number of lenses a loupe has.
The inexpensive loupes tend to have a single lens. These are
fine for casual use, but may introduce focus and clarity issues.
A triplet loupe has three lenses that correct your magnification
to present the clearest possible view and help correct any color
issues that may be introduced by reflected light.
And finally, your loupe should also have a black body. The black
helps cut down on reflections and does not introduce any color
like a silver or gold loupe body may.
Using a loupe: The biggest mistakes that most people make is not
resting the loupe against something to steady their field of
view and moving the loupe around. Both mistakes make it
difficult to get a consistent and focused view.
Using a loupe really is a simple thing to learn but may take
many tries to master. The first thing that you want to do is
open up your loupe and hold it up to your eye. I like to hold
mine no farther than an inch away. Rest a finger or the back of
your hand against your face to help you keep the loupe stable
and relaxed.
Now we bring the object we want to view into our field of view.
With many loupes you will need to bring the ring, or diamond,
within an inch or two of the loupe. Do not move the loupe
around, move just the gemstone you are viewing to bring it into
view and to focus on exactly what you want to see. That's it. It
really is that simple.