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OT Colored Gem Stone Identifiers

djmdjm Posts: 1,561 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Precious Metals

Does anyone here use a colored Gem Stone Identifier? If so what brand do you use? How well does it work, do you need to do secondary tests to verify the results?

Comments

  • MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 33,077 ✭✭✭✭✭

    color?

    I wouldn't use that as an identifier for any reason.

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have not heard of such an instrument.... and with the variation in minerals, I would not think it even plausible. Cheers, RickO

  • djmdjm Posts: 1,561 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ricko said:
    I have not heard of such an instrument.... and with the variation in minerals, I would not think it even plausible. Cheers, RickO

    Several companies make them such as Presidium, Gemlogis, SmartPro and others. Most work by heating and cooling the stone and identify the stone by it's thermal properties. Trying to find out which is best and how accurate they are.

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @djm ....Well I'll be darned....I can see that, but identifying it by color is what I understood your request to be. Cheers, RickO

  • element159element159 Posts: 511 ✭✭✭

    A refractometer is, I think, very useful in identifying gemstones. You measure the refractive index of the stone (you need a flat facet so you can get the stone in good optical contact with the instrument). There might be multiple refractive indices for a stone. This can be a good characteristic to figure out what you have.

  • Timbuk3Timbuk3 Posts: 11,658 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'd be interested in one too and knowing more information about them. Thanks for the post !!! :)

    Timbuk3
  • Jinx86Jinx86 Posts: 3,710 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have one in the shop, it works well for a general idea of what the stone might be. They can not tell you 100% which stone it is though. A refractometer would aid you better. Not cheap and uses a toxic chemical. With the amount of scrap gold I go through at work I pull many stones.

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Jinx86 .... Wow... that is a pile of gems (or glass)....Or have you certified all of them? Not being familiar with the process, not sure how those tiny one's can be certified. Cheers, RickO

  • Jinx86Jinx86 Posts: 3,710 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This was a small extraction lot for a client. I dissolve the gold/silver from around the stones to safely remove them from jewelry. This lot was on the small side at 5 ozt of material coming it, typically they are 15 ozt with the largest having been 55 ozt. It was from a jewelry store closure.
    Working in scrap I wish I knew colored gems better. Just dont have the time to work them up. Diamonds are easy and work great for quick flips.

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