Hobbies And Interests
Microscope
A gemologist needs a microscope to identify and study the surface of gems. A stereomicroscope with two eyepieces is more powerful than a regular microscope and has more features.
Refractometer
A refractometer determines the index of refraction in a gem. The index of refraction is the degree to which light is refracted or slowed down as it passes through an object.
Specific Gravity
To identify gems, determine their specific gravity, or an object's density compared to water. There are two methods. You can place the object in a heavy liquid with a known specific gravity to test how much the object floats or sinks. Or, a scale capable of measuring within a hundredth of a carat will also work.
Dichroscope
Some gems show two different colors when if you change the angle you hold them. A dichroscope allows gemologists to see those two colors separately.
Polariscope
As light travels through some gems, it is bent or slows down. Moreover, in even fewer gems, light is split into two rays that behave differently while traveling through. This is called double refraction. A polariscope shows whether a gem is singly or doubly refractive.
Spectroscope
Different elements reflect light differently. A spectroscope splits up the rainbow of colors from a gem to determine which elements are in highest concentration.