Best Gemstone Tool
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- The best gemstone identification tool, and my all time favourite is the hand held spectroscope. This video will explore how it works, what you need in order to learn how to use it effectively, and some of the limitations of the tool.
The OPL book on spectroscopy shown in the video can be found here:
www.amazon.com...
For those looking to contact me for sample stones to practice with the spectroscope, please contact me directly at:
www.gemshepherd.com
![Gemstones go to Disco?! [ Polariscope Tutorial ]](/img/n.gif)
Ages since the last video, then two in a row! Brilliant!
Absolutely - and there's more in progress. I'm kinda like the seasons - seems like everything is dead through winter, and then spring erupts and its life all over the place.
So nice to have you back
Thanks Greg~!
I have really missed you and look forward to being 'entertained' but more importantly 'educated' through your videos. Trust all is well with you and your business.
Hi Don~ glad to be of service, and thanks for your kindness.
I find the spectroscope to be one of the most useful tools for identifying rough, especially in regards to mixed specimens where attaining R.I. and S.G. are sometimes unobtainable, or, at other times simply unreliable.
The fact that the specta are often diagnostic makes light work of an otherwise time consuming and laborious process of elimination.
I agree ~ it is indeed useful and reliable. The challenge is getting people to trust their own eyes, and also to gain enough experience with reliable samples. That's a significant part of why I created those spectroscope practice kits.
Yes! What a joy your videos bring, my friend!
Thank you Adriana~ i'm glad to be of service.
Oh, my goodness! Great to see you!🎉
Thanks very much~ finishing up some other videos on some of my favourite stones to collect soon.
This is so interresting i can see how many variants of one rock type with not only my thought, it is wonderful.
Yes, there is fantastic variety out there.
I'm glad you recommended the book and explained it's purpose--to get used to seeing the different spectra. Someone on JTV gave it a very bad review saying it is useless, but I suspect they thought it to be an encyclopedia of all spectra.
Yah, sometimes folk enjoy being opinionated and get carried away. It's like saying that butter knives have no place on the table simply because they're useless for steak. All things in their place and time ^_^ Cheers
Very nicely done. Great as usual, and I think you have successfully found a way to continue with your youtube channel and also point those who are interested toward your business. Hopefully the change is both profitable and fulfilling for you. I like the change. I think it was worth the long dry spell while you figured out how to change things. Score one for Peter Nelson.
Thank you William~ The process of "figuring it out" is definitely worth the challenge. Cheers~
Nice violin skill ❤
Thanks Anna~
Your channel name attracted me to subscribe, I love gem's and I love schmuck's.
Thank you for your kind words~ welcome to the channel.
Got one of these, and a dichroscope on order. Good stuff.
Absolutely must have tools in my opinion ~ cheers.
Very cool. Spectroscopes also can tell you the composition of stars. Even the Sun, depending on how good your spectroscope is you might see the pattern from sunlight overlay the gemstone pattern. A good light source like xenon headlight bulb reference light to shine through the gem stone has a continuous spectrum and won't have any distracting interference.
Spectroscopes are indeed pretty close to magic in my eyes. I dont advise staring directly at the sun in most conditions however ^_^
@@GemologyforSchmucks yeah the sun is too close for this design, but a star at night would be fine. There are designs that display the spectrum on projection panel instead of projecting the image right into your eye. There's several kinds of diy designs to for different purposes. Might make for a fun video to see if one of the diy spectroscopes that use a dvd can accurately identify gems. Be a real schmuck going around with your cereal box and dvd spectroscope 😁 all for fun.
Great channel! Question: equipped with a diffraction grating spectrometer and a high-quality loupe, can you really be confident about the authenticity and quality of most gemstones? Can you distinguish other features like whether they are treated or not, and the presence of some imperfections and impurities, or do you need much more expensive devices? THX
With certain gemstones, yes, and others no. The question is how developed the treatments are in any given stone. For example with garnets, there are no known synthetics and the treatments are minimal to the point of not entering the conversation, so a loupe and a spectroscope is enough. For corundum (ruby sapphire) - you have to be very strong with a loupe, and even then, some samples are too clean for you to know for sure.
What a style!🎉
Thanks~
I went to gem-A (I’m studying with gia but living in London) and got a spectrometer pocket size, but returned and then orderd a opl teaching one which is larger, and with the book 2n edition from opl, got it from the manufacturer. My eyes are a bit weaker. 😆 I am going to figure out how to use it properly. How do u see the lines more clear? For some reason I always see them blurry. Also got other tools now in my kit. Going abroad to find some stones 🌹🌹
Hallo~ the teaching spectroscopes are definitely convenient, in a classroom/office setting, particularly with the stand accessory. I was reading in the OPL book that these versions have a fixed focal distance, which explains why some of the colours can be difficult to see. My suggestion is to keep practicing with known, obvious stones such as almandine, zircon and spessartite, and your eyes will learn to resolve the patterns more effectively. It takes time and exposure.
@@GemologyforSchmucks thank you, I will do this, definitely need more practice 🌹🌹
Thank you for another Great video. The geek in me is very happy. Light, color and our perception of it is a life long fascination because of my photography. Now it reaches to gems and butterflies.
I can see needing to know how to use a Spectroscope would come in handy when buying estate jewelry to possibly recycle the gold and gems. Now that you have my attention what about the light source when using?
Plus this would be a fun party trick at my family’s annual CaCa show in which we show off our purchases from the Tucson Gem Show.
Hi Coleen~ I definitely agree that it's a deeply fascinating topic. The "ideal" light source would be a full spectrum light bulb like a halogen bulb. That said, as long as you know what wave lengths are missing from your torch/flashlight, and what pattern to anticipate from the stone you're inspecting, an LED or even your phone's flashlight can work in a pinch. For example - if i'm trying to distinguish a nice garnet from a spinel... those patterns are still visible with both my phone or other flashlight.
Excellent question from coleen and excellent informative reply. Thank you both from a schmuck who seems to know less the more she learns. 😊
Wow, that's a small but very powerful instrument, thanks for the useful information. You play the violin so well that one of your ancestors must have been a Hungarian gypsy.🎼🎵🎶🎻kind regards Peter♥💎🖖
Thank you for your kind words~ and yes, it is a powerful instrument. Its also exciting that it can be used just as effectively with rough.
Thanks.. got me enthusiastic about it
Excellent ~ i'm glad.
Your videos are awesome. Thank you so much. I’m currently studying Gemology and find it interesting the things that my GIA courses don’t really go in depth on. Can you suggest any other less common methods, tools or reading materials?
I appreciate your kind words. Each school definitely has their own flavour and protocol. The other reading materials would depend on which stones you want to dive into deeply. Most people in the market don't actually have a deep understanding about a large array of stones. Some actually may only know a lot about one specific stone. Otherwise my recommendation is to see as many stones in person as you can, in varied light and under magnification when possible.
The Queen said,,,,Reflections may Very
Sounds pregnant with meaning. How wonderful XD
Excellent video.
Thank you~
Great video!
Thanks Aaron~
It's great to have you back Peter an excellent gemologist 🙂 I was wondering if you know anything about tanzanites as I heard they have been working on lab grown ones and I heard they might have made them but aren't available yet to customers any information you have on this would be helpful as I don't mind some lab grown gemstones but they had never had tanzanites available just yet ?
Hi Oakley ~ to my knowledge there are still no true synthetics for tanzanite (mineral: zoisite). The simulant that they use most often is synthetic forsterite, (a man-made cousin of peridot). These can look like Tanzanite, but have quite importantly different properties from tanzanite/zoisite. A competent gemologists with appropriate instruments can distinguish them.
What's a style!🎉😊
Much appreciated.
I LOVE Pyrope!
@@danasimcho310 it can be shocking, indeed
So if Ruby's or sapphires have the same composition and the spectrum then how do you tell them apart what do you really use besides looking for the inclusions like crystals i to tell them apart from natural or sentetic gems? what if it doesn't have any crystals some of them are really clear and they're real .
Natural and synthetic stones are typically distinguished through the inclusion scenes, yes. There are some inclusions that are unique to certain synthetic growth processes. If the stone is completely clean and without inclusions, then trace element chemistry analysis in an advanced laboratory is necessary.
in toronto we may call this Malasian Garnett
Interesting - I wonder what the story behind that one is.
Can you see the spectra with a rough stone? Or do they have to be polished?
As long as the stone has some transparency, it definitely works on rough. Excellent question.
@@GemologyforSchmucks thanks. I find a lot of different colored stones. Not sure what they are. I think I found morganite but not sure it’s clear orange
Do you have a suggestion on someone to identify uncut gems? I have a good bit and some diamonds that I am NOT mailing to someone for a certification.
@@bethprice1426 The process of identification would involve narrowing down the list of “likely possibilities” based on their properties. id suggest starting with polariscope and probably a specific gravity test. I have both of those videos here on the channel. The pen-type tester would be a helpful step forward for diamonds, and then there are a few other diamond specific electronic devices that should work on rough aswell.
Hi there! Can we use this tool for gemstones that are set in jewelry?
Absolutely ~ thats one of the major advantages of the spectroscope.
I’m waiting on the book in the video and I’ve been playing around with a $32 spectrascope that had 4.5 stars on Amazon. I’ve tried multiple light sources and just have a hard time seeing the lines. I would be willing to buy a more expensive spectroscope, but I don’t think it’s the spectroscope, I think it’s me. ☹️ Advice?
@@lorettapolaski4916 it could definitely be the stones you’re using at the moment also. The intensity of the spectra depends on a few factors. I have a set of stones available for spectroscope mastery on gemshepherd.com that would help get you over that hurdle. We check each of the stones first to confirm that the spectra is clear and visible.
www.gemshepherd.com/product-page/spectroscope-mastery-kit
@ You are right! I just didn’t have stones with good bands. I kept trying darker stones thinking the results would be better. Today I put on a light pink stone and Wow! The bands were very prominent. Too bad I don’t have my book yet to figure out what it is! Lol Morganite? Pink sapphire? Pink Spinel? Synthetic? My book is supposed to be here tomorrow. 😊 Thanks! See you on UA-cam!
What is that audio split interrupt @6:03-6:04. Is it just my headphones or is something a bit off?
@@chrisschutte9943 that was a ghastly sound effect. Your headphones are fine.
Hey can u tell me where to find a brass spectroscope
You might need a time machine, or an exceptionally good friend in the British Museum in London. They probably have one.
Great presentation!! Could you work up a teaching on proper eye / hand / light angles etc, tips that you have learned ?? I have bought the same OPL. Plus the book is great , need too acquire the other one you showed also. GIA doesn't really teach this instrument & or the Chelsea Filter !! Blessings on your ever changing life !! P.S. Great Attitude.
Thanks David. On the eye/hand/lighting side, I mostly keep moving the stone around until I find something, or can't find anything, at which point I move on to a different test.
New Subscriber, Nice video!!
Thanks Nikki~ welcome to the channel
Welcome backkk
Thank you Burak~
What is the best instrument to use to detect Natural from lab grown gemstones. ( not diamonds)
With coloured stones, generally i'd say a loupe. The inclusion scenes in different lighting conditions are what we base our final judgement on. This is part of why its sooooo important to loupe as many stones as you can, natural and synthetic both. The differences start to become quite familiar, though it can still definitely be tricky. The cleaner the stone, the harder the call. Loupe clean stones effectively have to be sent off to a major lab for further analysis.
Amazon says the book is out of print... any ideas on how I can get a copy?
@@lynnhorner7646 I believe it can be bought directly from the author.
www.oplspectra.com/shop/a-students-guide-to-spectroscopy-up-dated-2nd-edition/
I tried the link to the book and it says out of print
It's definitely possible. My suggestion would be to keep your eyes on Ebay, or wherever it may show up. This is not an affiliate relationship, so I unfortunately can't promise you availability for the book.
Love to ya man...
Cheers~
Ciao carissimo Maestro, mi puoi dire il titolo e dove poter acquistare il libro che hai mostrato nel video e che appunto consigli? Grazie
Hi~ I would check on amazon first. Otherwise, there may be some second hand book resellers that have a copy.
I have bought one opl, but a guide book couldn't be found... plese how can I have one ?
The guide books should be available on amazon, otherwise there are second hand book websites that will likely have a copy.
ok... Thank you...
I drink coffee the exact same way near a window
Windows are a delight - as long as the sun isn't too direct XD. I avoid that spot in the afternoon
Do you also work with Raman spectroscopy?
I have yet to experience that instrument. For the general gemologist, its not neccessary, and it is definitely not within my budget (particularly when I keep putting my liquidity in gemstones, metals and tools).
Is your birthstone garnet ? My favorite is zircon , which is not my birthstone, but i had a spiritual calling to it.
Follow the calling ~ at some point i'll make a video regarding my perspective on the so-called birth stone thing.
@@GemologyforSchmucks lol I feel you. In defense of the birthstone hype, the cultural practice did actually lead me to pearls,moonstone and then alexandrite (my month), a little while after zircon called me from the deep.
to offer my 2 rubles on the topic: I think it would be cool if each month had 1 stone 1 metal & 1 mineral/gems. As a way of introducing the categories to our brains. Increasing the chances of callings
@@GemologyforSchmucks or 1 gem from the sea & 1 from the mountain .2, To start
Which would also likely add to sales & jobs, if adopted culturally. In the near future...
You mention working with a 'full-spectrum light source,' which I'm guessing is not a standard grocery-store bulb?
Also: What's a good source for synthetic ruby and sapphire? It's hard to find synthetic stones 'on purpose' instead of being falsely claimed as natural.
I got my synthetic ruby, sapphire, emerald from Kohl's dept store...they had an 80% off sale as they were trying to get rid of their jewelry dept...lots of their stones were synthetic and disclosed as such...they are great references because they (often) represent the best transparancy/color /clarity possible...
I also wonder what Peter identifies as a full spectrum light...the one in his video looks like an incandescent source? OR is it better to use a LED full spectrum?
@@superfluity-of-naughtiness777 The one i'm using in this video is not full spectrum, you are correct. Full spectrum, such as "halogen" bulbs, are the ideal. That said... practically speaking, as long as you know what patterns you are looking for, and what is missing from the light source you use, other light sources such as LED are definitely practical.
Excellent observation - a full spectrum light source would be something like a halogen bulb. I'm told there are full spectrum LED, but i've yet to use one with the spectroscope, so i cannot confirm. That said - the LED im using in this video, or even your phone's flashlight can be useful depending on what spectrum you anticipate seeing from a stone. Almandine garnet covers so much space on the spectrum, that its quite clear, even if it is distorted by the light source.
also - for synthetic, anything claiming to be "lab grown" is synthetic. Anything that looks like a jolly rancher candy is likely to be synthetic and worth an inspection, if you're trying to find synthetic.
Hey, how are you doing? I’m trying to reach you via Mail but there is no response. Is there a better way to contact you or somewhere you are more available?
Email is generally the best way. Perhaps double check the address? thegemshepherd@gmail.com
What reference book is in this book
Video
Hi Patricia, there is a link to the OPL Student's Guide to Spectroscopy in the description. It is not an affiliate link, and feel free to buy wherever you prefer.
I tried sending you an email it said failed let me know if you got it
strange. For the sake of double checking the address thegemshepherd@gmail.com
Thank you for your videos I find them very educational and informative. but your email address dose not work it say not a valid address can you help with that?
Thanks, and im glad that you’ve enjoyed my work. Perhaps you can clarify which email address you used? Thegemshepherd@gmail.com
👍
Cheers~
Did anyone else hear that 6.03? What was that?
I also heard this wearing headphones. Sounds very freaky, like a whisper into a microphone. In general this entire video had lots of background noise from the room he was recording in.
That was a sound effect I through in on a whim. I say the word "esoteric" around the same moment, and the thought made me laugh, so I included it. Anyhow ~ I have my quirks.
Purple is not a color and is a term used by crayola.
Well identified!~ it's something i've also brought up in my other videos. In fact, in my dialect, there isn't a clear distinction between violet and purple, so when I studied gemology is where I began to put a verbal distinction between what I saw and what I said. Violet has a number on the electromagnetic spectrum as a wavelength, purple is something our eyes and our brain makes possible.
@@GemologyforSchmucks I love gem nerds, too💜
Sir I'm a certified gemologist in Pakistan and I need your help in different aspects
Glad to hear that you are certified, and if my services are needed, we can discuss the details in an email. thegemshepherd@gmail.com
@@GemologyforSchmucks sure sir why not
The rainbow has been turned into a dirty thing 😪 just doesn't have the same pasaz that it used to have.😓
Association can be a difficult thing at times. I'm just glad that the spectroscope makes good use of all the colours.
You have spoke a lot, but didnt show any example.
Thanks for your comment. Most of the examples that you will need come from the stones that I talked about in this video. To see these spectra effectively, you will need to use your own eyes, not a camera. Once you try it, hopefully you will understand why I spoke a lot.
Less than love more than talk Light than carats examples than lots answers than trues..why nature rubies have smoky bubles and colorant shadows under lens Sir thank you.
Please talk less and show the actual introspection of a stone instead of showing just demo pics from a lame book
@@suryanshsandeepkhatri Im an ideal world, i would indeed. When you yourself invest in the time to look through a spectroscope at any of the stones i have recommended in this video, hopefully you will come to understand the gap in between what you suggest and what is readily demonstrable.
@@GemologyforSchmucks Please write less and to the point
👍
Cheers~