How To Use A Jeweler's Loupe - Examine & Inspecting Diamonds, Loose Diamonds, Diamond Jewelry & Engagement Rings. Examining Diamonds

How To Use A Jeweler’s Loupe To Examine Your Diamond

A jeweler’s loupe is an important tool for inspecting diamonds internal and external characteristics. You don’t need to be a skilled gemologist to use this tool however. Anyone with the basic following information can confidently inspect a diamond. Jeweler's loupes are used to inspect diamonds and are generally at 10 times magnification of normal vision. With a loupe, you can look for inclusions, scratches, and other flaws both internal and external. This is not a license to become a gemologist, however, and you should not assume you will be able to see every detail or inclusion that a professional is trained to see.

Hold the jeweler's loupe between your thumb and index finger
Hold the diamond with the opposite hand in a similar fashion, or with tweezers.
Bring your hands close together in line so that your thumbs meet and can be allowed to pivot about the wrist.
Bring your hands up to your nose or cheek. Not all the way to your eye. Keep the loupes approximately one inch from your eye.
Stability and steadiness is the key for detailed observations. Elbows on the table is an effective support system.
Testing the loupe to become familiar with its use is the best way to master it. By slowly moving the viewed object in and towards the loupes you will quickly become aware of how to focus in on different objects. The key to observing a diamond is to change the depth of focus from the outside in. Internal inclusions can be seen in this manner. By ‘playing’ with the loupes you will become more skilled at it.

Read more about using jeweler's loupes here: http://jewelry.about.com/od/jewelryappraisal/ss/loupe.htm