Choosing and Using a Jewelry Loupe

What Is a Magnifier

Jewelry professionals use a magnifier, also called a loupe (pronounced loop), to inspect gemstones and other jewelry. These magnifiers have special lenses that allow our eyes to focus on an object at a much closer distance than is normally possible, making the object appear to be larger and revealing tiny details we couldn't see with our normal vision.

One Lens or Three?

One: Loupes made with a single lens are generally of poor quality, distorting the object you're magnifying and adding flashes of color to it.

Three: A triplet loupe is a magnifier that contains three lenses placed together in such a way that distortion and color problems are corrected.

Magnification Power

Loupes are labeled with a number, followed by the symbol "X," which means "times." For example, a 2X loupe makes an object appear two times its actual size and a 5X loupe shows you a times-five increase.

Best Loupe for Jewelry

A 10X triplet loupe is a good choice for viewing jewelry. It is the type of loupe used by professionals to grade diamonds and other gemstones. Anything visible through a more powerful loupe, while interesting, isn't included on a grading report.

Look for a loupe with black framing around the lens, because black eliminates reflections that can alter the color of the object you are viewing.

Photo of loupe courtesy of National Jeweler’s Supplies.