Advanced Gemology Equipment

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by Addison Rice

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We o en recommend that novice gemologists send gems that are

difficult to iden fy to a laboratory for tes ng. Gemological and
mineralogical laboratories have expensive equipment that requires 
expert knowledge to properly run and interpret results. In this ar cle,
we’ll introduce you to some of this advanced gemology equipment and
explain how it provides informa on that your at-home gem lab can’t.

BY ADDISON RICE
6 MINUTES READ

Gemology labs typically contain advanced equipment like spectrometers hooked up to computers with large
databases. © Stone Group Labs. Used with permission.

Table of Contents:

Why Do We Need Advanced Gemology Equipment?

What is Spectrometry?
UV-vis-NIR Spectrometry
X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry
FTIR Spectrometry
Raman Spectroscopy
LA-ICP-MS


Why Do We Need Advanced Gemology Equipment?
In many cases, advanced equipment isn’t necessary in gemology. Knowledge, experience, and a
good microscope are the most important tools for any gemologist. S ll, there are cases when the
basic tools just aren’t enough to iden fy a gemstone or the treatments it may have received. These
advanced instruments can provide that missing piece of the puzzle.

What is Spectrometry?
If you have an at-home gem lab, you should already be familiar with spectroscopy. A simple
spectroscope will let you see the full spectrum of visible light — as well as gaps in that spectrum
when you view a gem through it. Since certain elements absorb light at par cular wavelengths, a
spectroscope can help you iden fy a gemstone.

Spectrometry is very similar. But, instead of just showing you strong or faint lines in a spectrum,
the machine determines how much light is absorbed at each wavelength. So, what you end up
seeing on the screen is a graph with peaks and troughs.

In addi on, these machines go beyond visible light. While your at-home spectroscope is limited to
what the eye can see, advanced detectors in these spectrometers allow you to “see” far beyond
the visible spectrum.

These machines can also have the proper setup for determining a material’s reflectance spectrum.
So, for opaque gems like pearls, gemologists can measure the spectrum of reflected light.

UV-vis-NIR Spectrometry
First up is the Ultraviolet-visible-Near Infra-Red (UV-vis-NIR) spectrometer. Although very similar
to your at-home spectroscope, this fully digi zed instrument can view a wider range of
wavelengths. Your eye can see light with wavelengths of about 400 to 700 nm, but the range on
the UV-vis-NIR spectrometer is about 180 to 1000 nm.

Since it can “see” far beyond the range of the human eye, this machine can readily iden fy certain
treatments as well as composite gemstones. In par cular, spectral features near the red and violet
part of the visible spectrum can be difficult to see with a spectroscope. That’s because the human
eye sees the middle of the visible spectrum be er than the outer edges. So, differen a ng
between features in this region becomes much simpler, and the extended spectrum into the UV
and NIR region can give you even more informa on about what you’re examining.


 The UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer gives a quick confirma on of cobalt-treated sapphire. © Stone Group Labs. Used
with permission.

X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (ED-XRF) is another useful tool. In the x-ray
por on of the electromagne c spectrum, transi on elements (from the middle part of the periodic
table) are iden fiable. For example, you can measure the amount of copper in paraíba tourmaline
or chromium in emerald. This can also help iden fy treatments.

Gem labs also employ this technology to help dis nguish between freshwater and saltwater
pearls. Since the trace elements in the oceans differ from those in freshwater bodies, the ra o of
certain elements will help dis nguish the two.


 Here you can see the XRF setup at Stone Group Labs. © Stone Group Labs. Used with permission.

FTIR Spectrometry
Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrometry reaches far into the infrared por on of the
electromagne c spectrum. In part of this range, the electromagne c waves might impact not just
the atoms but also the bonds between atoms. So, we can learn a bit about the molecules that
make up the gemstone. Understandably, this technique can have numerous applica ons and is one
of the most useful spectrometers in gemology.


 This FTIR makes it easy to quickly analyze a sample. Photo by Nick Birse. Licensed under CC By-SA 4.0.

For example, many gemstones contain water. The infrared light excites the bond between oxygen
and hydrogen in water, which shows up in the graph on the FTIR. In many cases, this feature can
show the difference between lab-grown and natural gems. In other cases, FTIR can excite bonds
between carbon and hydrogen, poin ng to polymer treatments in jadeite or turquoise.

These FTIR spectra clearly demonstrate the difference between untreated jadeite and polymer-enhanced
jadeite. © Stone Group Labs. Used with permission. 
Another part of the infrared spectrum, when viewed with a FTIR, looks more like what you see
through a spectroscope, yielding unique spectra for different minerals. Like the UV-Vis-NIR
spectrometer, the FTIR can help you dis nguish difficult gems.

Raman Spectroscopy
Of all the machines in a gem lab, the Raman spectrometer is one of the most useful. However, it
can also be complicated and difficult to interpret. These machines shine a laser on your sample,
exci ng the molecules and causing them to vibrate. Then, it measures the shi in energy from the
sample absorbing the laser’s light. This results in a spectrum unique to each gemstone.

But, it’s not always so simple. Some samples fluoresce under the laser light. If that’s the case, the
resul ng spectrum won’t help you iden fy the gemstone but could help iden fy rare-earth
elements present in the sample. Raman spectroscopy many also have difficul es differen a ng
between minerals along a gradient of composi on. For example, dis nguishing between members
of the garnet group can get complicated. Other tools are be er for quan fying a mineral’s
chemical composi on. In addi on, Raman spectroscopy isn’t the right tool for iden fying most
treatments or lab-made gems.

So, why is it so popular? With this machine, you can aim the laser directly at a large or near-
surface inclusion — solid, liquid, or gas-phase — and get a reading. While the reading can vary in
anisotropic minerals, extensive databases can help iden fy gems and inclusions. This technique
doesn’t work in every case, and o en relies on addi onal informa on from microscope studies.
S ll, conclusive iden fica on of mineral inclusions is a big help for origin iden fica on. Raman
spectrometers are also excellent tools for iden fying organic gemstones like amber, pearl, and
coral as well as gemstones with polymer treatments.


 The GemmoRaman is a popular piece of advanced gemology equipment. © Stone Group Labs. Used with
permission.

LA-ICP-MS
Although a slightly destruc ve technique, the Laser Abla on-Induc vely Coupled Plasma-Mass
Spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) is an extremely useful tool for iden fying a gem’s chemical
composi on. It starts by making a very ny hole in the gemstone, usually on the girdle, crea ng a
gaseous sample. Similar to a laser engraving, this is only no ceable under magnifica on. The
sample moves through the machine and enters a plasma chamber. Here, the plasma ionizes the
sample. Then, it moves to a chamber with a mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer contains a
magne c field. As the ions move across the magne c field, their movement curves. The curvature
of each ion’s movement is dependent on its mass and charge. So, when each ion reaches the
detector, its loca on within the mass spectrometer iden fies it. Then, the machine outputs a graph
that shows a mass spectrum, with peaks related to each ion.


 This li le tube is where the plasma breaks the gaseous sample into ions. Photo by Saturnalia0. Public Domain.

This technique is extremely sensi ve, measuring several trace elements at concentra ons below
one part per million. One of its most important uses is origin determina on. Origins in rubies and
sapphires as well as emeralds can o en be ascertained based on trace element chemistry.

In addi on, the LA-ICP-MS can quickly and cheaply iden fy beryllium diffusion treatments in
sapphire. This treatment is par cularly difficult to detect with other instruments because beryllium
is a light element.

While the tradi onal LA-ICP-MS can measure the isotopes present in a gem, a varia on of this
machine, the GemToF, can provide more robust measurements. This addi onal informa on can aid
in origin iden fica on as well.

 About the author

Addison Rice


A geologist, environmental engineer and Caltech graduate, Addison's interest in the
mesmerizing and beau ful results of earth's geological processes began in her elementary
school's environmental club. When she isn't wri ng about gems and minerals, Addison
spends winters studying ancient climates in Iceland and summers hiking the Colorado
Rockies.

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