Should I bring a 10x or 20x loupe?
Bring a 10x triplet loupe. It is the hand standard, it focuses fast, and you get enough depth of field to see holes, facet edges and inclusions without hunting. Higher power on a loupe slows you down. A microscope is for the lab, not the aisle.
Under 10x, sapphire often shows fine silk and zoning that are consistent with corundum. See our sapphire guide for what we look for. Emerald commonly shows a mossy jardin; our emerald guide explains the look.
Do I need metric hundredths or inch thousandths on my caliper?
Choose a digital caliper with hundredth millimeter resolution. Bead sizes and tags are in millimeters, and that metric readout is finer than thousandths of an inch. You see small size drift quickly without mental conversion.
Zero the tool, measure across the diameter of a few beads spaced down the strand, then measure height on rondelles. Our rondelle shape page shows the diameter by height convention. Avoid measuring compressed end beads.
What sample wires and needles should I pack?
Pack short pieces of the exact materials you string with. Include your standard soft beading wire, a thinner backup wire or micro cable, a couple of the headpins or eye pins you use for drops, and a fine needle pre-threaded with your usual silk or nylon.
Add a small swatch of your knotting thread and a tiny stopper bead. Keep them in a labeled mini bag so you can grab, test and move on.
How do I check drill quality in seconds?
Start mid strand. Thread your standard wire or pre-threaded needle through a few beads and feel for snags, tight spots or gritty resistance. Reverse direction on one bead to check for taper.
Under 10x, inspect each hole rim for chips, breakout and uneven countersink. Look through the hole for off-center drilling or a severe angle. Pull the strand taut and see if beads flip or wobble from skewed holes.
Repeat the thread test at several points down the strand to confirm consistency. If you plan to knot, test whether your knot and thread pass and seat cleanly.
How do I evaluate facet finish fast on corundum and emerald?
Roll the strand under diffuse light. You want even return without dull patches. Under 10x, check meet points and facet edges for flatness, scratches or orange peel. Corundum at Mohs 9 holds a crisp edge; heavy abrasion is a red flag on a new strand.
For emerald, minor pinpricks at the rim can happen because the material is brittle, but rims should not be crushed or flaking. A loupe is also your best first tool for natural features in corundum; see IGS's note on inclusions and growth planes.
If you need a quick refresher on portable gear technique, GIA's field guide to handheld tools is worth a read before the show.
How many 6 mm beads do you need?
Here is fast bead math you can trust while you measure size. An 18 in necklace uses about 70 of 6 mm. A 16 in choker uses about 61 of 6 mm. A 7.5 in bracelet with a clasp uses about 25 of 6 mm.
Other quick counts: an 18 in strand takes about 104 of 4 mm, about 52 of 8 mm and about 41 of 10 mm. Standard Jaipur strands run 13 to 16 inches. A 13 inch faceted rondelle strand will cover a bracelet or choker, and two make a long necklace.
Where can we meet you at the show?
We sell by the strand on the floor and online. Our upcoming InterGem stops: Denver, CO 2026-09-10 to 2026-09-13, Collinsville, IL 2026-09-18 to 2026-09-20, and Philadelphia, PA 2026-09-25 to 2026-09-27. The schedule is on our shows page.
Every listing states stone, shape, size and cut, with photos of the actual strand unless marked representative. You can also review shapes like rondelles ahead of time so your checks go faster.