What kind of gemologist tools should I buy?
Michael asked:
I am starting a collection of gemstones and I want to become a gemologist and im only 16. What tools should I buy? And do you have any tips for collecting gems?
I am starting a collection of gemstones and I want to become a gemologist and im only 16. What tools should I buy? And do you have any tips for collecting gems?
try jtv.com they sell many items dealing with gem collecting
A rockhammer, a rucksack, and loupes & magnifiers, field manuals, maps, and gem idendification charts for starters.
Wow! A budding gemologist! And only 16! That’s GREAT!
First of all, you should get a basic college degree. It might help to major in Geology, Mineralogy, Chemistry etc but this isn’t necessary. Many Gemologist are graduates of Arts, Engineering, Social Sciences etc. After you graduate, you can enrol in a diploma program that will award you with a Gemology Diploma.
*Please note that a degree is not a requirement for entry into the diploma program! I just think it will help you in your career! See my previous answer related to your question here
Next, you’ll need a good textbook. I recommend Webster’s GEMS. (Webster, Robert (1994), Gems, 5th Edition, Redwood Books, Great Britain, ISBN 0-408-70573-6). For a full reading list, see my answer here
Tools? If you haven’t enrolled in Gemology school, all you should buy for now is a good 10X triplet loupe, a pair of gemstone tweezers and a cleaning cloth, and practise using them at home.
If you are enrolled in school or already have some gemology basics, you may want to purchase a refractometer, spectroscope, dichroscope, polariscope, microscope and perhaps even a specific gravity scale.
You may not need to buy everything! This is what I own:
* A 10X loupe by Bausch & Lomb - 10X is best as it gives you a wide field of vision and it isn’t too difficult to focus. Make sure your loupe is is achromatic (colorless) and aplanatic (doesn’t show distortions).
* 2 pairs of tweezers. One is M & the other is XL so that I can use them on different sized stones. Some gemstones can be huge and may ruin the tension on smaller-sized tweezers.
* Dichrosope. I use this to make a quick distinction between double refractive and single refractive colored gemstones. And also to check out how pleochroic a stone is.
* Dark-field loupe. This works like a tiny 10X microscope! Very useful!
* Emerald filter. This isn’t strictly for emeralds of course. Mine is a Hanneman-type filter which I use to detect fluorescence in some stones. e.g. rubies.
* A large cleaning cloth. This is large enough for me to lay stones on and still use a corner to clean a specimen which I want to inspect.
Everything fits into a small bag which I can conveniently throw into my handbag.
Tips for collecting gemstones? Ok, here’s my personal experience:
1. What’s your budget?
You’ll need to work within this obviously! When I first collected gemstones, I didn’t have much money! I started small - with affordable stones like quartz, garnets & tourmalines. Also, as I was just beginning to learn about gemology, I bought crystal samples and selected many stones just for their inclusions. Later, when I started working and was able to allocate a larger budget to my collection, I started buying better quality stones and also started specialising in only a few types of gemstones, e.g. Jade.
2. Decide what you want!
Budget aside, what do you want to collect? Which gemstones do you find most interesting? Why do you want to collect them? For crystal samples? Inclusions? Re-sale? Investment? Heirloom pieces? Rarity value? Once you know what you want, GO FOR IT!
Hope that helps!