Patent ID: 7468786

Claim:
An engraved gemstone viewer for viewing a gemstone with a flat, smooth surface, to visibly reveal an inscription, such as an identification number, engraved or etched into the otherwise flat, smooth surface, the inscription being of such a small size as to be invisible to a naked eye, said engraved gemstone viewer comprising: an opaque container having an outer shell, a viewing portal, an inside surface and an internal compartment, said inside surface being coated with a light absorbing material, and said container being adapted to substantially prevent ambient outside light from striking the flat, smooth surface of the gemstone when the gemstone is cooperatively received by said container; a magnifying lens having a focal point, said magnifying lens being oriented over said viewing portal to allow viewing of the flat, smooth surface of the gemstone when the gemstone is cooperatively received by said container; a light source emitting a light directed to travel through said internal compartment of said container along an incident path toward the flat, smooth surface of the gemstone, said light specularly reflecting off the flat, smooth surface to produce specularly reflected light, said incident path and the flat, smooth surface of the gemstone being positioned and oriented to direct said specularly reflected light to travel along a specularly reflected path through said magnifying lens and to a focal point, and a portion of said light traveling along said incident path diffusely reflecting off the inscription and travel away from said specularly reflected path; and, wherein said specularly reflected light produces a light image that reveals the inscription as an absence of light in the image, said image and inscription being viewable at said focal point of said magnifying lens.