Gemstones are precious and beautiful and therefore they are expensive. There are over 200 varieties of gemstones available in the market. It is important to examine them carefully before wearing them. The market is flooded with many duplicate gemstones which simulates genuine gemstone. It is impossible to judge them with unaided eyes.

Polariscope Strain Viewer is a device in gemology to test gems minerals with single refraction, double refraction, Poly-crystalline material. The Polariscope as the name suggests Polar-Scope shows that a method to see the gemstone from poles or axis using the scope.

A Polariscope constitutes two lenses. One is on the top side known as Analyser. The other being at the bottom known as Polariser. There is a tinted plate above the Polariser. Stone is put on the Polariser and analyse through Analyser. Tint plate is used to rotate so that gems can be viewed by 360 degrees.

Why it works: As stated above, the polariscope works by transmitting plane polarized light into a gemstone. When you turn both of the polaroid plates to the dark position, a single refractive gemstone will not change the path of that light, and the stone will remain dark in all positions.

There is a lot of technical gemology that we do not have room to cover here regarding the polariscope and what it is actually telling you. But if you will take a few minutes and learn what it is saying, perhaps later we can spend more time and understand the why it is saying it.

Method to test the gems are:

Turn the analyser and verify if there is complete darkness

Keep the gem on the Polariser

Turn the tinted plate at 360 degrees

Keep a note of the light refraction spectrum on gems

Method to test for further confirmation is:

Turn the analyser and verify if there is complete darkness

Place the gem on the Polariser

Keep the gem in full light condition

Quickly turn the analyser one time and view the final condition of light on a gem.

More jewelry making tools such as calcite dichroscope at Jewelerstoolsmall .