GEMSTONE APPRAISAL THREE MAIN TOOLS YOU NEED.
THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IT TAKE A CLASS WITH GIA, DISTANCE EDUCATION IS OPEN TO THE WORLD AND COST LITTLE TO START, JUST DEPENDS ON HOW FAR YOU WANT TO GO. BUT EDUCATION IS THE KEY,
THERE ARE FINGER PRINTS FOR EACH GEM WE SELL,
FIRST OFF THEY NEED TO BUY THIS BOOK AND TREAT IT AS THE GEMSTONE BIBLE,
GEMSTONE IDENTIFICATION MADE EASY BY: ANTOINETTE MATLINS, P.G. & A.C. BONANNO, F.G.A., A.S.A., M.G.A.
THAT IS A BOOK NOBODY SHOULD BE WITH OUT AND ONE IS NOW CONSIDERING TAKING GIA CLASSES.
ANYWAY

1. LOUPE MAKE SURE IT HAS A BLACK HOUSING 'CASE' NOT CHROME OR GOLD SINCE BLACK CASING PREVENTS A DISTORTED VIEW AS LONG AS YOUR USING A TRIPLET X10 MAGNIFIER. OF THE LOUPE IS NOT TRIPLET YOU MAY AS WELL THROW IT IN THE TRASH A CHEAP LOUPE WHICH DOES NOT SHOW THE TRUE GEM, SHOWS A DISTORTED VIEW WITHOUT FLATNESS OF VIEW.
ONE MAIN THING TO MEMORIZE IS 'GEMSTONE FINGER PRINTING' MOST GEMSTONES HAVE THERE VERY OWN FINGERPRINT PER GEM TYPE, LIKE THE PERIDOT HAS A WHAT IS CALLED LILY PAD INCLUSION' MANY CEYLON SAPPHIRES HAVE A DISC LIKE INCLUSION REFERRED TO AS HALOS, THESE ARE SMALL FRACTURES AND THEY ARE ALSO SEEN IN GARNETS.

2. A DARK FIELD LOUPE IS ANOTHER TOOL, WILL ATTACH TO A STANDARD MAGLITE AND DETECTS FLASH EFECT IN FILLED DIAMONDS , EMERALDS 'FILLED WITH RESIN OR EPOXY, AND SHOW OTHER INTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS IN GEMSTONES YOU NEED TO SEE WHEN ON THE ROAD AND CANNOT TEST.

3. A CHELSEA FILTER IS VERY GOOD TO HAVE, USED FOR COLORED GEMS, BOTH TRANSPARENT AND OPAQUE, 'BUT THIS MUST BE USED WITH OTHER TOOLS , CHELSEA USE TO BE USED FOR EMERALD FROM THERE LOOK ALIKES BUT TODAY THERE ARE SO MANY SYNTHETICS THAT WILL PASS WITH THIS TOOL IT IS NOT THE BEST TO DEPENDS UPON AS IT ONCE WAS BUT IT CAN BE USED FOR OTHER COLORED GEMS. LIKE TELLING THE DIFFERENCE IN REAL AND SYNTHETIC SAPPHIRES, SPINEL FROM SAPPHIRES, AQUAMARINE, , JADE FROM JADEITE, MANY FREQUENTLY CONFUSED GEMS. A COSTLY MISTAKE CAN BE PREVENTED USING THIS TOOL CORRRECTLY,
CALCITE DICHROSCOPE, MAKE SURE YOU GET THIS TYPE AND NOT A POLARIZING DICHROSCOPE,
BUT WITH A CHELSEA FILTER AND CALCITE DICHROSCHOPE CAN HELP MANY BUYERS OR SELLERS DISTINGUISH ONE STONE FROM ANOTHER. VERY SMALL TOOL, DICHROSCOPE WILL SHOW TWO SMALL BLOCKS AT THE END OF THE TUBE AS LOOKING INTO A STONE AND SHOW TWO DIFFERENT COLORS,
ANOTHER ISSUE IS THE USER NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT COLORS TO LOOK FOR...

SO BASICALLY THOSE THREE TOOLS
A X10 TRIPLET LOUPE CASED IN BLACK HOUSING ONLY, 'MAKE SURE TRIPLET AND NOT OVER X10, LARGER MAGS MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE THE STONE REALLY.
A CHELSEA FILTER
A CALCITE DICHROSCOPE
http://www.gemrockauctions.com/auctions ... item-28652

THOSE THREE ARE ESSENTIAL AND THE BOOK !!
THE SELLER / BUYER DOES NEED A KNOWLEDGE OF GEMS THOUGH. IF THEY HAVE NO GEMOLOGICAL EDUCATION THEY CAN TAKE ONLINE COURSES THRU GIA. VERY EASY AND SHOULD BE A REQUIREMENT, IF NOT THIS SCHOOL ANOTHER GEMOLOGICAL SCHOOL.