This handy piece of equipment is perhaps the most important tool in gemology. The spectroscope breaks up the light transmitted from a gemstone into its spectral colors, allowing the gemologist to see the various wavelengths absorbed by the gemstone. This process reveals the elements contained in the gemstone that cause the absorption, making it one of the most essential tools for identifying gemstones.

Elements within a gemstone absorb certain levels of energy, and light is a form of energy. Therefore, specific elements in a gemstone will absorb certain colors of light based on the energy levels they are absorbing. The spectroscope allows us to see which colors of light, or energy, are being absorbed, thereby indicating which elements are present in the gemstone. This, in turn, helps us determine more about the gemstone, such as its identification, origin, and the cause of its color.

The prism spectroscope consists of three optical-grade glass prisms in optical contact with each other. Spectroscopes allow you to analyze the spectrum of a loose or mounted stone. They help distinguish naturally colored diamonds from those that have been irradiated and differentiate natural stones from synthetics based on the stone's selective absorption of certain wavelengths.