Jewelry Artisan • Gemologist • Designer
SUPERIOR DETAIL AND ACCURACY
Text & Mobile 713-298-9405
Appointments Available
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm
THE
Microscope
and
Photomicroscopy
A CLOSER LOOK
THE IMPORTANCE OF A MICROSCOPE
The Microscope allows us to see inside minerals. It is imperative that your Microscope have quality optics; they provide a crisp, clear view. The sharper your images, the more evident things appear. The Microscope is primary to all instruments.
Photomicroscopy is the art and science of capturing images on a microscopic level. This allows us to retrieve evidence in order to identify a gem and has proven successful in most cases.
It is extremely important to look through the entire gemstone, note any evidence as to its identity, and record it for further examination. Taking digital pictures makes it easier to communicate identification with others as well.
LIGHT SOURCES
The use of various lighting applications will help discover the inside of a stone. Besides Polarized and Diffused Lighting Techniques, three key sources are seen here.
● Darkfield | Brightfield lighting: The light radiating from the well of the microscope helping to light up the gemstone from underneath.
● Overhead lighting: The daylight lamp fixture extending from the Stage use reflected light to identify polish, graining, color zoning, and other characteristics of a stone.
● Fiber Optic lighting: Fiber Optic lighting is directed at the gem from different angles. It is very bright and exposes many inclusions that are difficult to see.
OBJECTIVE LENS
The Objective Lens is located at the bottom of the nose piece. It is the first high-powered integrated lens that gathers light from a gemstone specimen.
It relays the image to the Eyepieces through channels.
Special lenses can be applied to the Objective Lens for greater magnification. Increased magnification on this lens leaves less working space for examining a stone.
Unlike microscope slides for medical specimens, gemstones need extra working space to be examined properly because of their size and needed rotation.
OCULAR LENS | EYEPIECES
The ocular lens, or eyepiece, is also an optical assembly rather than a single lens. It is less complicated than the Objective lens.
Eyepieces define a microscope's field of view. They work in line with the Objective Lens. High quality lenses deliver outstanding magnification.
By incorporating a digital camera within an Eyepiece chamber, a gemologist can capture specifics images. These images provide critical
evidence to Gemstone Origin and Identity.
Recognizable treatments, synthetic growth processes, and simulated gemstones can also be detected using a combination of techniques.
PHOTOMICROSCOPY
ART FROM ANOTHER WORLD
gemstone microscopic imaging
