Contents

(English Version)

I. Disclaimers, Exclusions and

Limitations of Liability pg. 04

II. About this book pg. 05

III. About your Presidium Refractive Index

Meter II pg. 06

IV. IMPORTANT NOTICE pg. 08

1. GETTING STARTED with your Presidium

Refractive Index Meter II pg. 10

2. PERFORMING A TEST with your Presidium

Refractive Index Meter II pg. 14

3. READING TEST RESULTS with your

Presidium Refractive Index Meter II pg. 16

4. TAKING CARE of your Presidium Refractive

Index Meter II pg. 18
I. Disclaimers, Exclusions and Limitations of
Liability

PLEASE READ AND NOTE PRESIDIUM WARRANTY

TERMS AND CONDITIONS as stated in the warranty
card. Presidium warranty for its testers are subject to
proper use by its users in accordance with all the terms
and conditions as stated in the relevant user handbook
and shall cover only manufacturing defects.

Due to continuous product improvement, Presidium

reserves the right to revise all documents including the
right to make changes to the handbook without notice and
without obligation to notify any person of such revisions
or changes. Users are advised to check Presidium’s
website at http://www.presidium.com.sg/ from time to
time.

Presidium shall not be responsible for any damage or

loss resulting from the use of this tester or handbook, and
under no circumstances shall Presidium, its manufacturer
or any of its subsidiaries, licensors, distributors, resellers,
servants and/or agents be liable for any direct or indirect
damages, resulting from the use of this tester.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY

APPLICABLE LAW, under no circumstances shall
Presidium, its manufacturer or any of its subsidiaries,
licensors, distributors, resellers, servants and/or agents
be responsible for any special, incidental, consequential
or indirect damages howsoever caused.

The tester or Presidium Refractive Index Meter II

(PRIM II) referred to in this handbook is provided and/or
sold on an “as is” basis. Except as required by applicable
law, no warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied,
including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
II. About this book

Thank you for purchasing the Presidium Refractive Index

Meter II (“PRIM II” or “tester”).

This handbook is designed to help you set up your

tester and describes all you need to know about how to
use your tester accurately and take care of it in line with its
requirements. Please read these instructions carefully
and keep them handy for future reference.

This book also contains the terms and conditions in

relation to the use of the tester including the
Disclaimer, Exclusion and Limitation of Liability
clauses stated above in Section I
III. About your Presidium Refractive Index Meter II

The Presidium Refractive Index Meter II detects the

quantity of light (intensity) reflected from the surface of
cut and polished gemstone. This intensity reading is fed
into a microcontroller in which a calculation is performed
and converted to obtain the refractive index reading of the
gemstone

This tester was designed with the following

objectives:

• Reconfirming the identity of colored gemstone using

Refractive Index
• Universal SI units
• Provide fairly consistent and reliable test results under
proper use;

The Presidium Refractive Index (R.I.) Meter II features

the following:

• Separates diamond, moissanite and gemstones in

seconds
• Refractive Index reading from 1.000 to ~ 3.000
• No waiting time between tests
• USB power inlet with International Voltage
Compatibility
• Low battery Indicator
• Automatic power off
• Online software updates
Included in your package:

• Presidium Refractive Index Meter II

• Protective Carrying Case
• Quick Guide
• Refractive Index Reference List
• USB Cable
• QR Code Card

4 1

5 6 7

1 Display Window
2 Test pad
3 Cylinder
4 Refractive Index chart
5 Flap
6 On/Off button
7 USB Inlet & USB cable
IV. IMPORTANT NOTICE

• Keep the tester dry. Precipitation and all types of

liquids or moisture can contain minerals that will
corrode electronic circuits. If your tester gets wet,
remove the battery, and allow the tester to dry
completely before replacing it.

• Do not use, store or expose the tester in dusty and

dirty areas. Its moving parts and electronic
components can be damaged.

• Do not use, store or expose the tester in hot areas.

High temperatures can damage or shorten the life of
the tester, damage batteries, and warp or melt certain
plastics.

• Do not use, store or expose the tester in cold areas.

When the tester returns to its normal temperature,
moisture can form inside the tester and damage
electronic circuit boards.

• Do not attempt to open the tester other than as

instructed in this handbook.

• Do not drop, knock, or shake the tester. Rough

handling may break internal circuit boards and fine
mechanics.

• Do not use harsh chemicals, cleaning solvents, or

strong detergents to clean the tester.

• Do not paint the tester. Paint can clog the moving parts
and prevent proper operation.
If the tester is not working properly, kindly contact our
Customer Service at [email protected] or

Presidium Instruments Pte Ltd

Unit 7, 207 Henderson Road
Singapore 159550
Attn: Customer Service Executive
1. GETTING STARTED with your Presidium
Refractive Index Meter II

Powering up your Presidium Refractive Index Meter II

This tester can be powered either by the use of an AC

power via USB connection (optional item sold separately)
or through the use of batteries. If AC power is used,
connect one end of the USB cable to the tester (Fig. 1.1).
and the other end of adaptor into a suitable electrical
outlet. Please ensure that only the adaptor supplied by
Presidium is used.

Fig. 1.1

If battery is used (1 x 9V battery), take note of the positive

(+) and negative (-) directions of battery when inserting
the battery into the tester (Fig. 1.2). The use of alkaline
batteries is preferred, as it should generally give
approximately two and a half hours of continuous
operation, while the use of ordinary batteries will give a
shorter working life.

Fig. 1.2
Turning on your Presidium Refractive Index Meter II

Remove Recessed Cylinder from the left hand side of

the housing by unlocking the latch (Fig. 1.3). Pull open
the Flap with your thumb and index finger, the Refractive
Index Chart will be visible. Remove the Protective Cover
from the Test Pad.

Fig. 1.3
Press the ON/OFF button to turn on the unit (Fig. 1.4). To
ensure that the unit is functioning properly, cover the test
pad with Recessed Cylinder. The display should show
1.000.

Fig. 1.4
Calibration

All testers have been calibrated during the manufacturing

process and no further adjustment or user intervention to
the unit is required.

Self-calibration should not be attempted. To minimize any

risks associated, users should contact Presidium at
[email protected] or its service center for
assistance. In the event that users require the
manufacturer to re-calibrate the unit, the users will bear
the associated to/fro freight cost for the shipping of unit to
the service center.

Recommended testing conditions

The gemstone should be clean and dry before testing.

However, elaborate cleaning procedures are not normally
necessary.

The recommended testing temperature is 18°C – 27°C or

65°F- 80°F. Please allow the gemstone to adjust to room
temperature prior to testing. Exposure and/or operation of
the tester outside the room temperature would affect the
results and performance of the tester.

Battery information

Batteries generally can still be used, provided that the

“Low Batt” indicator does not light up.

Stop using the unit when the low battery indicator is

displayed to prevent inaccurate measurements.

Do not leave worn out batteries in the battery

compartment as the batteries may corrode, leak, and
damage the tester. Batteries should be removed when
the tester is expected to be stored for any extended
period of time.
To prevent inaccurate readings, replace with new battery
if the “Low Batt” indicator lights up. A test should not be
performed when the battery power is low or weak.

Batteries do not have to be removed when the AC

adaptor is in use.

Cleaning your gemstone prior to testing

Prepare a clean tissue. Carefully retrieve the gemstone

with tweezers and place the gemstone face down on the
table (Fig. 1.5).

Fig. 1.5
Gently rub the table of gemstone against the
tissue/jewellery cloth and place the gemstone on the
centre of the Test Pad. Do not use fingers to place the
gemstone on test pad as fingerprint will affect the test
results. (Fig. 1.6).

Fig. 1.6
2. PERFORMING A TEST with your Presidium
Refractive Index Meter II

Remove the cylinder and place a well-cleaned, polished

gemstone at the centre of the pad. Make sure that the
gemstone is well centered to prevent reading error
(Fig. 2.1).

Fig. 2.1
Cover the gemstone with the recessed cylinder (Fig. 2.2).

Fig. 2.2
The display window (Fig. 2.3) will show the Refractive
Index of the gemstone.

Fig. 2.3

Due to infra-red light source, it is essentials that the facet

placed over the test pad hole is at least 3mm in diameter.

PC Connectivity

Presidium Refractive Index Meter II comes with a

downloadable software providing access to more
gemstones selection. Go to www.presidium.com.sg. This
software is not yet compatible with Mac OS platform.
3. READING TEST RESULTS with your Presidium
Refractive Index Meter II

The test results are indicated as follows:

• A Refractive Index Reference List is provided for

easy reference to end-user. This list comprises
common gemstones available in the market. The
gemstones are arranged according to descending
Refractive Index. Please refer to attached table.

• The list includes the range of refractive index of

gemstones with respective tolerance provided in
brackets.

• The tolerance in refractive index is due to the

tolerance from the photo-sensor used.

• Example: The refractive index for sapphire is 1.757

(-0.016) – 1.790. The reading in bracket refers to the
tolerance. In other words, the R.I. reading of sapphire
from the unit ranges from 1.741 – 1.790.

• In case of a borderline reading, clean the stone and

pad again before the next test and/or move stone
slightly off center. By repositioning the stone, a
distorted reflection from a scratched area of the
surface may be avoided. Repeat the test.
Synthetic Spinel/Synthetic Sapphire and High Zircon/
GGG have overlapping Reflectivity Index. If performing
a second test using the Presidium Gem Tester for further
separation, the results indicated will be as follows:

• Synthetic Sapphire: needle goes to a high position in

the red zone.

• Synthetic Spinel: Needle goes about halfway into the

red zone.

• High Zircon: Needle goes 2/3 into the red zone.

• GGG: Needle goes 1/3 into the red zone

4. TAKING CARE of your Presidium Refractive Index
Meter II

• Always keep the Test Pad free from dust and replace
the Protective Cover immediately after use.

• Do not use the tester when “Low Batt” indicator

appears. Change to new batteries before performing
any test.

• Do not leave worn out or dead batteries in the battery

compartment as they may corrode, leak or damage
the tester. Batteries should be removed when the
tester is to be stored for an extended period of time.

Your tester is a product of extensive design and

craftsmanship and should be treated with care.

Thank you for taking time to go through the user

handbook which will enable you to understand your
recent purchase better.

Presidium also recommends that you register your warranty

by sending the warranty registration card to us or
registering online at http://www.presidium.com.sg/