How-To Guides
Last updated: September 2026
Step-by-step guides to gemstone identification — instrument technique, measurement, and testing protocols.
Working through these in order? The free structured course sequences them →
Instrument technique
- How to Use a Polariscope
- How to Use a Jeweler’s Loupe
- How to Use a Darkfield Loupe
- How to Use a Spectroscope
- How to Use a Refractometer
- How to Measure Specific Gravity
- How to Use a Chelsea Filter
- UV Fluorescence Testing
Identification protocols
- How to Identify an Unknown Gemstone
- Natural vs. Synthetic Gemstone Testing
- How to Identify Gemstones in Jewelry (Mounted & Estate Pieces)
- How to Identify Rough Gemstones
- How to Identify Green Gemstones — How Far Your Eyes Get You
- How to Become a Gemologist — Cost, Time & Whether You Need a Degree
- Free Gemology Courses Online — What Is Actually Free & What a Certificate Is Worth