As Seen in Las Vegas: GIA UV Lamp & Viewing Cabinet – Comes with a Comparison Strip
Gary Roskin –
Press Release –
GIA –
For those of you who have an ultraviolet box for checking the fluorescence of gems, we have a question for you… When was the last time you changed the bulbs?
At the JCK Las Vegas show, first floor showplace, GIA had an instruments booth where we stumbled across their latest UV box.
Not only will it come with a new, long-life Long Wave LED source, but it also comes with – and here is the addition that caught our attention – a fluorescence reference strip, a comparison master for None, Faint, Medium, and Strong blue fluorescence!
Here is what GIA has to say about their new UV Lamp and Viewing Cabinet:
The GIA® UV Lamp and Viewing Cabinet (patent pending) provides a consistent longwave
ultraviolet light source and viewing environment for observing fluorescence
in diamonds and other gemstones both loose and mounted in jewelry. An included
reference block (patent pending) allows for easy visual categorization of blue
fluorescence from diamond into the four intensity categories reported on GIA
laboratory reports.
Natural Diamond Grading
Many natural diamonds give off blue light when placed under an ultraviolet lamp.
This blue light, called fluorescence, is produced by nitrogen impurity defects within
the diamond structure. Different defects may cause other colors like green, orange,
or yellow, but blue fluorescence is by far the most common. When diamonds
show extremely strong blue fluorescence, some people in the jewelry industry
think that the color of the stone itself is affected. As a result, fluorescence is
sometimes used as a factor in the pricing of colorless to near-colorless diamonds.
Many gem laboratories, including GIA, provide fluorescence information on their
diamond reports.
Standard Observation
Fluorescence grading is most commonly performed by visual observation. The GIA
UV Lamp and Viewing Cabinet provides a consistent and stable UV light source, as
well as a controlled viewing environment for observing gemstone fluorescence.
By using an LED as the source, the UV energy emitted is carefully constrained and
consistent for all users, providing an industry standard for fluorescence observation.
Stability
UV lamp output variation can significantly affect fluorescence color and intensity observed in diamond. This device utilizes a very stable, narrow band UV LED (365 nm) whose output will not fluctuate over time compared to traditional mercury based UV lamps. Fluorescence is an important factor in gem identification and the GIA® UV Lamp and Viewing Cabinet provides the same evaluation environment used by GIA and includes a compact viewing enclosure and calibrated references for the intensity of blue fluorescence in diamond.
Features:
*Consistent, stable, long-life 365 nm LED provides narrow band UV illumination
*Compact desktop viewing cabinet provides reproducible environment for observations
*Reference strip with four visual comparisons shows blue diamond fluorescence ranging from None, Faint, Medium, and Strong
*Lamp and reference strip detach from cabinet for handheld use
*Universal 100V – 240V for global electrical compatibility. Plug configurations included for Australia, China, Europe, North America and United Kingdom.
Four Components
The GIA UV Lamp and Viewing Cabinet has four main components: 1.the viewing
cabinet, 2.the removable lamp, 3.the power supply and 4.the reference block.
To get started, select the appropriate region-specific plug adapter and attach to the power
supply. Next, connect the power supply cable to the port on the back of the lamp
(in the viewing cabinet) and connect the other end to a working electrical outlet. To
turn on the UV lamp, simply flip the power switch at the front of the unit to the ON
position. The red LED on the switch will light up and UV light will shine from the lamp
into the viewing cabinet.
To view diamond fluorescence, simply place a diamond into the cabinet and observe
any color that you see coming from the stone. Tweezers work well to get the stone
into and out of the viewing cabinet. The reference block can be placed into the
cabinet for a real-time, side-by-side evaluation of the intensity of diamond
fluorescence.
The UV light can be turned off at any time by turning the power switch on the front to
the OFF position.
Tap here for a Gems & Gemology report on the causes of fluorescence in diamond.
And Tap here for the Gem Instruments page on GIA’s website.
