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Baby oil as RI liquid
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Author:  Crystal Star [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Baby oil as RI liquid

I seem to remember seeing something about using baby oil instead of RI liquid with the refractometer. Has anyone any experience or info they can share about this? RI liquid has an RI of its own of 1.800, as I understand it; is baby oil the same, or does it affect readings? I appreciate any and all input. :?

Author:  apollo [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:52 pm ]
Post subject: 

Crystal,
Was it using baby oil with the refractometer or using baby oil as an immersion liquid?
I believe, if I am not correct, that it was the second.

Author:  Snizzer [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:59 pm ]
Post subject: 

Crystal Star,

I have two R.I. liquids - one is 1.79 and the other is 1.81. The refractometer only reads as high as 1.81, so that is the maximum R.I. liquid that is manufactured. Anything over 1.81 is considered OTL (over the limits). The 1.79 liquid is less toxic, but it has it's limitations on some stones.

Here is a list of R.I.'s that includes Common Liquids:

http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Techni ... xList.html

Baby oil isn't listed, and I think Apollo is correct - it was used as an immersion liquid by Anatase.

Author:  Crystal Star [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:32 pm ]
Post subject: 

Well that answers that, doesn't it! Leave it to me to remember which function it was used for incorrectly. :oops:

I haven't measured the RI of the liquid, and was drawing that figure from Antoinette Matlin's Gem Identification Made Easy. So I guess we're stuck with the toxic stuff, as I saw nothing on that list you linked for me, Snizzy. Thanks a bunch for straightening my brain out! :lol:

Author:  Snizzer [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:36 pm ]
Post subject: 

Crystal Star wrote:
Well that answers that, doesn't it! Leave it to me to remember which function it was used for incorrectly. :oops:

I haven't measured the RI of the liquid, and was drawing that figure from Antoinette Matlin's Gem Identification Made Easy. So I guess we're stuck with the toxic stuff, as I saw nothing on that list you linked for me, Snizzy. Thanks a bunch for straightening my brain out! :lol:


Not necessarily! People may very well use baby oil for R.I. liquid - I just couldn't find the R.I. of baby oil for you on that list. Someone on the forum may know what it is and post it for us.

I have Matlin's book also and there are other alternatives to the toxic liquid - just as long as you know the R.I. of the particular liquid that you are using and you know the limitations of stones that it will not read if they have a higher R.I. than your liquid.

Author:  Doos [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:42 pm ]
Post subject: 

I believe baby oil has an RI ~ 1.47 which makes it useless for a refractometer (atleast for testing gems).

Author:  Snizzer [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:43 pm ]
Post subject: 

Thanks Doos! I knew someone would know the R.I. of baby oil!

Author:  Crystal Star [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:48 pm ]
Post subject: 

Thanks to all of you! I may have started this with the wrong implementation of the baby oil, but the info from you guys was worth it. You're all invaluable sources of information - I just love our gem family!! :D

Author:  gem-n00b [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:19 pm ]
Post subject: 

How about other kinds of oil? I have access to lots of different nut oils... hazelnut, pistachio, walnut, macadamia...

Author:  Doos [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:22 pm ]
Post subject: 

You can even use olive oil as an immersion liquid. Not as a refractometer liquid though.

Author:  gem-n00b [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:32 pm ]
Post subject: 

I see that the refractive index of Titanium is 2.16

Clearly that is the ideal refractometer liquid.

Author:  Doos [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:56 pm ]
Post subject: 

You are right, it is the perfect solution and I've tried it.
The downfall of it was that I needed to buy a new refractometer and pay the firebrigade bill because I heated the titanium just a touch to much with my torch.

Author:  gem-n00b [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 4:30 pm ]
Post subject: 

Heck, I want a torch that can get up to 1668 degrees Celsius! (the melting point of Titanium). ;)

Author:  anatase [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 4:49 pm ]
Post subject: 

Quote:
How about other kinds of oil? I have access to lots of different nut oils... hazelnut, pistachio, walnut, macadamia...


gem-n00b;

I have read that some people use clove oil. It's about the highest RI of the oils and should almost get you into the quartz/beryl range. The downfall is that I think it's murder on the sinuses.

Hanneman has a few articles on using salts to get larger RI ranges, but I can't remember the exact chemical compound and I don't have it in front of me.

I tend to stick with mineral oil. Same composition and RI as baby oil but usually it's cheaper because you're not paying for the extras that go into baby oil.

Author:  gem-n00b [ Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:56 pm ]
Post subject: 

What's the most "exotic" substance that you could use as immersion liquid... how about "air"? ;)

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