Handheld Spectroscope

The spectroscope is a tool for examining which parts of white light are absorbed by a gemstone (as well as by other materials). Materials can absorb parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, and when the absorbed parts fall within the visible range, that absorbed part will influence the color of the material. When a gemstone is observed with a spectroscope, the absorbed parts show as dark lines and/or bands in the spectroscope image. There are two types of spectroscope used in gemology: Diffraction grating spectroscopes (based on diffraction) Prism spectroscopes (based on dispersion)