subject: 20X Jewelers Loupe - Get A Little Closer [print this page] 20X Jewelers Loupe - Get A Little Closer 20X Jewelers Loupe - Get A Little Closer
There are several different types of jewelers loupes on the market today and there are also several different magnification types. The most common type is a handheld unit. These will fit right in your pocket and All Of Us can take them wherever you go.
This article focuses on 20x jewelers loupes. In case We All are wondering what 20x means. It means that this loupe will magnify things twenty times greater than a person's eye. 20x equals 20 times. They can be harder to focus especially if All Of Us have shaky hands but once in focus the details that they will reveal are absolutely amazing.
A 20x loupe will come in handy for many things. I like to use mine to help me identify hallmarks on jewelry. Sometimes I will get lucky metal detecting and find a pleasing ring. The first thing I do is grab my 20x loupe and look for a hallmark on the ring. I do this for several reasons. I can quickly determine if the ring is worthwhile or if it's just costume jewelry. Most worthwhile jewelry will have a mark stamped on the inside that will identify what material the ring is made of. Using a 20x jeweler's loupe will allow me to quickly determine if the ring I found is worthwhile are not.
Different metals have different hallmarks. Gold can be marked with 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k and 24k. It can also be marked 585 which is 58.5% pure gold. Silver is usually marked sterling or 925. Platinum jewelry has several different markings as well. It can be marked Plat, Pt, 850 Pt or even 950 Pt. If platinum is marked with a number it just indicates what purity or percentage of platinum the jewelry is made of.
