9 replies to this topic

[bonkety]

I was looking at our new engagement ring under a fairly powerful dissecting microscope and noticed at the tips of the prongs (4 - that hold in this 1.6 ct Princess cut stone) there looks like a small bit of either glue or tiny flap of material. Is this a mounting adhesive or a small flap of clear sheet materials used in getting a good grip on the stone?

[barry]

Lint residue from the buffing machine that sometimes gets caught under the prong.
Nothing to be concerned about, especially since you needed considerable microscopic magnification.

[bonkety]

Thanks Barry. This looks less like lint and more like a small film that extends a VERY small distance from each prong (in a, what appears to be, uniform direction and distance). Yes, it cannot be seen at all and I can't even imagine it being seen with a regular loupe. Just a curiousity thing.

[barry]

What area of Life Sciences are you in?

[jan]

Occasionally I've seen some jewelers use glue in mounting. I would think that would be an unexperienced one though. Stones shouldn't need to be glued in place.

[bonkety]

Histology and Cell Biology in the health sciences.

[barry]

Sounds very interesting.

[bonkety]

OK, I'm now thinking that I was merely looking at it at WAY TOO high a magnification. I'm pretty sure it was just a bit of water film (dried) that hadn't been rubbed off! Gads, there's such a thing as too much mag. :-)

[Princess Tess]

Egads back:

Find a diamond that looks fabulous to your naked unencumbered eye for goodness sakes, stick it on her finger and get back to looking at mitochondria or something.

Princess Tess

[bonkety]

Been there... did that. ;-) My point, again, was a curiosity thing. I agree that it should "look good" (presuming one knows at least a little), and that, for me, "VS2" is fantastic. Heck, I suspect I could have accepted an SI diamond.