{"id":22731,"date":"2022-11-10T08:00:30","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T13:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=22731"},"modified":"2024-01-13T14:57:06","modified_gmt":"2024-01-13T19:57:06","slug":"get-experience-holding-a-loupe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/get-experience-holding-a-loupe\/","title":{"rendered":"GET EXPERIENCE USING A LOUPE"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"How<\/div>\n

Everyone needs a loupe!<\/h2>\n

\nLoupe’s are so valuable<\/strong> for not only seeing inside of a diamond (to view clarity and inclusions<\/strong>), but to scrutinize your diamond for any damage<\/strong>, chips or cracks that may occur.<\/p>\n

\nPlus, a loupe can help you spot worn prongs<\/strong>, flat prongs, cracked<\/strong>, broken, lifted prongs<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

As seen here…<\/h2>\n

\n\"Use<\/a><\/p>\n

You’ll be able to tell if your gemstones are loose<\/strong> (using a loupe and tweezers), to see if your gold is pitted<\/strong>, or channels are breaking<\/strong>, uneven, unsecure. <\/p>\n

\nIt’s amazing what you’ll see once you magnify your jewelry and diamonds<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It can also Save your Stones!<\/h2>\n

\nCatching things early, before they happen (preventive medicine<\/strong>) is the best thing you can do for your jewelry and your pocketbook <\/strong>(it’s like maintenance on a car: A MUST-DO!<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

\nBut sadly, most people have a hard time using a loupe<\/strong>. It’s just so awkward and clumsy<\/strong> (especially if it’s their first time – they’ll hold the loupe at arms length<\/strong> and squint their eyes<\/strong>…)<\/p>\n

\nAnd no matter how much one tries to teach them the proper way<\/strong> to hold a loupe, how to view their diamonds, it’s almost an impossible feat<\/strong>. It’s like doing a show-and-tell for brain surgery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And it really is simple too…<\/h2>\n

\nBut trying to coordinate both hands<\/strong> and eyes, to see what they need to see, is a juggling act indeed<\/strong> (which is why most of the time I just show them using a microscope<\/a> instead).<\/p>\n

So why is a Loupe so Difficult?<\/h2>\n

\nBecause of the lack of experience and practice<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nThat’s all!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nIf you use a loupe often enough, practice holding it, viewing items at different angles and sides<\/strong>, really trying to observe all, you’ll get much better at it.<\/p>\n

\nIt’ll become second nature<\/strong> as to how far to hold the loupe from your eye and gaze into the wonder of the microscopic world<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nIt’s breath-taking.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So here’s How to use a Loupe:<\/h2>\n

\n\"The<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Hold the loupe in your dominant hand<\/strong>, between the thumb and index finger. And if the loupe opens up and you can stick your finger through the case<\/strong>, do so, it makes gripping the loupe easier (see photo above<\/strong>).\n

    <\/li>\n

  2. Bring your hand with the loupe up to your dominant eye<\/strong>, and rest the knuckle<\/strong> of your thumb up against your cheek for stabilization<\/strong>. You’ll then be able to use your thumb as a hinge and tilt your hand up and down until you get the desired distance<\/strong> from your eye (or glasses) for viewing. It’s usually about an inch away<\/strong>.\n

    <\/li>\n

  3. Now with the other hand, bring the jewelry up<\/strong> to the lens until that’s about a 1\/2″ – 1″ away<\/strong>. Move it carefully in and out until it comes into focus. Note that the girl in the photo<\/strong> is also using her pinky to hook onto the other loupe and hand for even more stabilization<\/strong>. This isn’t necessary and I don’t do that<\/strong>, but I have seen people that do.\n

    <\/li>\n

  4. Keep your body vertical<\/strong>, and don’t lean over your hands (it will cast a shadow<\/strong> over the pieces and make things harder and darker to see). Tilt back slightly<\/strong> to let more light in. The more light, the easier to see.\n

    <\/li>\n

  5. Whether you squint or close your other eye<\/strong> is up to you (non-dominant eye). Some do, some don’t. Do what feels comfortable<\/strong> with you. Just know that at first, using a loupe, your eyes may tire quickly until you get used to it.\n

    <\/li>\n

  6. Practice, practice, practice<\/strong>. The more you learn how, and where, to hold the loupe and your hands, the faster you’ll get at just bringing a loupe up and bringing everything into focus instantly.\n

    <\/li>\n

  7. Scope all of your diamonds, gems, and mountings<\/strong> well. From all sides, angles, upside down… Look for anything unusual, damage due to wear and tear<\/strong>. If you have any cause or concern, contact a local jewelry store<\/strong> for further investigation, advice or repairs<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    And what is the BEST Loupe to Buy?<\/h2>\n

    \n10x loupes<\/strong> (the magnification used to grade diamonds<\/strong>), preferably a black loupe (so it doesn’t hinder or alter diamond color<\/strong>), lenses that are large enough to see through easily, and ones that don’t distort the object<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    My Recommendation:<\/h2>\n

    \nThis BelOMO 10x jeweler’s triplet loupe<\/a>:<\/p>\n

    \n\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

    \nIt’s an ideal loupe<\/strong> that’s the best on the market. But if you want a cuter, lighter-weight loupe<\/strong> that you can hang from your neck, go for this Nikon 10x Jewelry Triplet Loupe<\/a> (what I use on the sales floor<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

    And you can also go more X…<\/h2>\n

    \nYou can opt for a stronger magnification<\/strong> too. Instead of 10x, go for 20x or 30x loupe<\/a> (which is great for weaker eyes<\/strong>). These really make everything large, a magnificent close-up<\/strong>, and it makes it great for viewing laser inscriptions<\/strong> on the side of your girdle too.
    \n    See ALL the different 10x jeweler’s loupes at Amazon HERE!<\/a><\/p>\n

    \nCheers! :)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Everyone needs a loupe! Loupe’s are so valuable for not only seeing inside of a diamond (to view clarity and inclusions), but to scrutinize your diamond for any damage, chips or cracks that may occur. [Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22733,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10,16,4,17],"tags":[359,360,358],"class_list":["post-22731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diamonds","category-engagement","category-guides","category-jewelry","category-repairs","tag-10x-loupe","tag-best-selling-jewelry-loupe","tag-jewelry-loupe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22731"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22731"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22731\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}