Loupepronunciation

A loupe is an optical tool used to magnify and view objects more closely and clearly. Gemologists and gem enthusiasts use loupes to inspect external and internal features of gemstones, minerals and gem materials. In fact, some refer to loupes as a gemologist’s best friend! Gemologists or anyone with time and practice can use a loupe to look at the external features of a gem: luster, facets, fractures, scratches, cleavage, or even surface clues for gem material treatments. A loupe can also be used to search for inclusions inside gemstones.

Loupe

There are different levels of magnification like 5x loupes, 10x loupes and 20x loupes that come in various sizes from 10mm to 30mm and more. We recommend that any beginner who wants to pick out a loupe should choose a 10x loupe. Unlike a 20x loupe or one with even higher magnification, a 10x loupe is easier to focus on gemstones and minerals with a better depth of field, easier to avoid shaking while viewing specimens and is simple to use with good lighting.

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JTV offers affordable loupes in a variety of magnifications, styles and sizes. Finding the right, high-quality loupe for your gemstone observation needs has never been easier.

The origins of loupes can be traced back to lenses in ancient Egypt as far back as 2500 B.C.E. followed by Mesopotamia, ancient Greece and Rome. These first lenses were certainly simple compared to today’s advancements. Lenses that could magnify up to 2.5x were discovered much later in ancient Rome and by the Middle Ages, lenses improved with the creation of spectacles or the wearable eyeglass by Friar Salvino D'Armate in 1284 C.E. Lenses continued to advance with the double lens telescope created by Hans Lippershey to view stars in 1608, and later on, the microscope was created for inspecting objects and insects.

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Loupes with lower magnification, such as 5x loupes, can make it difficult to see gemstone and mineral specimens as clearly. In some cases, higher magnification can be harder to keep in focus and even cause eye strain or headaches.

Moreover, there are different magnifications for different loupes. 10x loupes magnify what you are seeing by a factor of ten and are the most popular and easy-to-use loupes, especially for beginners. A 10x loupe is also an affordable, portable and reliable tool for almost any basic gemstone observation.

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Learn about the loupe, the go-to tool for gemologists and rock enthusiasts! When it comes to observing gemstones and minerals, the human eye is always a good start. However, using a gemologist loupe is the best next step for observation (especially for gemstone features), and observation should always occur first for gemstone identification.

Loupé in French

Examples include surgical or dental loupes used in the medical field for a closer look at the human body. Loupes are often used for inspecting smaller items in electronics, and scientific research in subjects like biology and geology, and magnification loupes can even be used by watch and clock makers to place small gears and machinery.

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When choosing how many lenses you want your loupe to have, there are many options: single, doublet and triplet lens loupes.

Since then, the first “loupe” that inspired modern ones was a surgical loupe with two lenses created by a German doctor in 1876. Since then, loupes have been widely used in the medical field for both surgery and dentistry, and the gemology community has come to value the observational abilities of loupes as well.

Gemstone inclusions can be described as imperfections or the presence of different material in gemstones that can interfere with light, and inclusions are also internal damage within gemstones caused by the presence of different material. Some examples of inclusions are solids, liquids or gasses trapped within. These inclusions can also occur within each other known as monophase, two-phase or three-phase inclusions depending on how many are present. Other inclusions can be color zoning, shaped inclusions like rutile needles or hollow growth tubes, healed fractures or internal treatment (dye or fillings) to help identify them as well.

Lastly, loupes can appear in different forms such as monocular loupes, binocular loupes, attachable loupes, head-mounted loupes and loupes that can even be placed on stands to view through.

Not finding what you need?  Many major retailers may sell jewelry loupes online and occasionally, jewelry stores, scientific supply stores or specialty stores may sell loupes. Lastly, gemology organizations like the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the Gemological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) may offer loupes for sale or for free through their classes.

Not all loupes are created equal, so here’s a couple of the key differences to keep in mind when looking for the right look for your gemstone observations.