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GIA UV Lamp and Viewing Cabinet
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GIA UV Lamp and Viewing Cabinet
General Information
The GIA
®
UV Lamp and Viewing Cabinet (patent pending) provides a consistent long-
wave 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.
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.
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.
Device Advantages
The advantages of the GIA UV Lamp and Viewing Cabinet:
Consistent, stable, long-lived 365 nm LED provides narrowband UV
illumination for stimulating fluorescence in gemstones
Portable, enclosed viewing area for consistent and reproducible
fluorescence observations
Lamp can be removed from viewing cabinet for use as a handheld unit
Reference block with four visual comparisons for blue diamond fluorescence
ranging from “None/Very Faint” to “Strong” that are calibrated to GIA’s
grading standard
Getting Started
Read this section thoroughly before you begin using the GIA UV Lamp and Viewing
Cabinet.
WARNING!
This device includes a light source that emits CLASS 3R
long-wave, ultraviolet-A (UV-A) radiation during operation. Avoid looking
directly at the light-emitting port on the lamp. Doing so may cause
permanent eye damage.
The GIA UV Lamp and Viewing Cabinet has four main components: the viewing
cabinet, the removable lamp, the power supply and 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 blue diamond
fluorescence.
The UV light can be turned off at any time by turning the power switch on the front to
the OFF position.
