Beginners and Loupes

A loupe (pronounced loop) is a special magnifying glass that is used to inspect diamonds. You may not think that you need to use a loupe before purchasing a diamond, but even a beginner can find that using a loupe can be helpful.

A beginner will not be able to judge a diamond with the same precision and expertise that a professional would, but there are things that a beginner can see by using a loupe.

· The first thing that you can tell about a diamond is the workmanship. This includes the symmetry of the diamond, proportion, and balance. You should also be able to tell if the stone has the correct number of facets for the cut.

· You can also tell if the diamond had any damage like chips and cracks. This is also a good opportunity to make sure that the diamond is real because it should not have any scratches since diamonds can only be scratched by another diamond.

· You should also check the sharpness of the facets. This is another factor that can help you determine if the diamond is real. A hard stone, like a diamond will have very sharp boundaries between the facets and softer, imitation stones will have rounded boundaries between the facets.

· With some practice, the beginner will be able to also identify flaws that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

If you use a loupe when shopping for your next diamond you will be able to make sure that you are getting a real diamond, and not overpaying for a fake.