Lighting question

[SneakyCuttlefish]

Hi all. I am due to take delivery of a new Hall Extra faceting machine in a few weeks. So excited!!!!!

However, this machine doesn't come with a light from what I can tell. I have noticed that different kinds of light reveal different characteristics of the material being worked on. Some show scratches better, others show flaws better etc. Any suggestions on a good spectrum and source? LED, halogen, incandescent, fluorescent etc.....? I am mostly looking for a light that will really show up scratches during the polishing stage and won't be too hot to work under.

Thanks in advance

 

[fossickeract]

Hi SneakyCuttlefish,
You need a point light source no reflector behind the bulb. Halogen bulbs give a good bright light, LED's have too much blue wavelengths. A stand which allows you to move light position. A low voltage set up allowing the light to be dimmed is good as bright CZ needs less light than dark sapphire. An old recycled dentist or surgery light is ideal. Cheers Ted