How to Properly use a Loupe?

DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know how to properly use a Loupe?
A Loupe (correctly pronounced loop) put simply, is a small magnifying glass.

A loupe has many uses, you should think of it as a essential tool for owners of all fine jewelry. It should not be limited to use only when purchasing a high quality diamond or wedding ring.

With a loupe you can check for cracks in the stones of your jewelry.

You can examine the shanks and settings of your jewelry to make sure that you are not going to loose a precious stone from your setting.

You can look for inclusions that will help you to assess the value of the stone. And much more.

What to look for in a good quality loupe:
The number of lenses:

One lens: Loupes made with a single lens are generally of lesser quality, they will cause a distortion of the object you are magnifying.

Three lens: A triplet loupe is a magnifier that contains three lenses placed together in such a way that distortion and color problems are corrected.

The X rating
Understanding the X rating:

Loupes are labeled with a number, followed by the symbol X.
Think of it this way, X = times. For example, a 2X loupe makes objects appear two times their actual size and a 5X is five times the actual size of the object.

Overall:
The best loupe for jewelry:

A 10X triplet loupe. Always purchase one with a black frame to eliminate distortion caused by light reflecting from the inside sides of the loupe.

The FTC in the US requires that stone grading must be done under 10X magnification.
The standard set by them states that any flaws that does not show up under 10X magnification are considered nonexistent for jewelry grading purposes.

30X loupes:
While bigger often seems better:
30X loupes are far to powerful for anyone who is not extremely experienced in thier use.

A 10X is sufficient to easily examine inclusions and fissures in gemstones and their use is relitively easy to learn.

How to use your new loupe:

Technique:
Most important, practice, practice, practice.

First: Hold the loupe between the thumb and forefinger of either hand.

Second: Hold the gemstone or piece of jewelry in the other hand.

Third: Bring both pieces very close to the eye, you cannot see tiny flaws at a distance.
If you wear glasses, do not remove them.
You should keep the loupe approximately one inch (more or less) from the eye, and the object you are examining should be approximately one inch from the loupe.
Move the loupe in and out in very tiny increments until you have the object clearly focused.
You are now free to rotate the object, and look for flaws.

Note:
It is usually good to brace your elbows on a table or flat stable surface when viewing gemstones.A steady hand is most likely to find the flaws that a shaky hand may overlook.

Things you should consider before purchasing a gemstone.
Your loupe can be of great importance here:

Symmetry, is the stone balanced?

Are there the correct number of facets for this particular cut?
How is the sharpness of the facet edges?
Hard stones should have sharp edges, most synthetic stones will have softer edges and will appear more rounded when viewing with a loupe.

How is the over all proportion of the gemstone?
Are there inclusions, flaws, or bubbles in the gemstone?
Inclusions in colored gemstones are not necessarily a bad thing, they can provide positive identification that the stone is a genuine rather than a synthetic stone.
Flaws in colored gemstones usually do not reduce the value of the gem.

Bubbles are generally a sign of a synthetic gemstone, and you can learn quite quickly how to spot these flaws.

Are there chips or scratches or cracks in the gemstone?
Brittle stones tend to chip and crack more when they are placed into a setting, while soft stones often scratch easily.
Be sure to check at the prongs of the setting to check for chips and scratches that may have occured at the time of setting.

So as you can see, the loupe can be a valuable tool in helping you locate that special piece of jewelry that is sure to become a family heirloom!