A jeweler's loupe can tell you a lot about a diamond you are going to buy. It will help you examine any defects that may not be visible with the naked eye and avoid potential disappointment after the purchase. In this guide, you will find out how to inspect a diamond with a loupe and make a good buying decision.

The proper way to use a jeweler's loupe is to hold it close to your eye with your hand making contact with your face. You can hold the diamond or the gemstone you are going to inspect with the other hand. However, you should make sure your hands are clean before touching diamonds with your bare hands. The professional way to handle gemstones is using tweezers, but this requires some practice.

It is recommended to put your elbows on a table to steady yourself and to be able to move the diamond in and out to change the distance between the gem and the loupe to get the best focus.

At first, the image you see through the magnifying glass looks blurry and out of focus. To adjust the focus, you will want to move the diamond inwards and outwards until you get a sharp image. Remember to keep your both eyes open and your louping hand still all the time. Once the image is in focus, check the diamond’s face-up appearance, then inspect the gem from different angles. Finally, verify whatever you see against the grading report. If you see flaws that cannot be identified, ask your jeweler for clarification.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN INSPECTING A DIAMOND ?

HARMFUL INCLUSIONS
Diamond inclusions are natural birthmarks that develop when a stone is formed in the earth’s mantle layer at a depth of 80 – 120 miles. Some types of inclusions can be potentially harmful to diamond structure, while others can be annoying but harmless. For example, black dots, which are simply areas where carbon has not crystallized, apart from being an optical flaw, do not present any real danger to the structure of diamonds. However, dark crystals can block the light entering the stone, resulting in reduced fire, brilliance and scintillation.
Inclusions like cracks and feathers may be dangerous. If they are big enough, they can weaken the stone’s internal structure. With this in mind, you will want to avoid diamonds with long feathers, especially the ones with lines that reach the surface of the stone. Such inclusions make the stone even more prone to damage, meaning the diamond will most likely crack if hit hard enough.