PRESIDIUM PGI Instruction Manual

User Handbook
for Presidium
Gem Indicator
(PGI)
2

3

I. Disclaimers, Exclusions and Limitations pg. 05
of Liability
II. About this book pg. 06
III. About your Presidium Gem Indicator (PGI) pg. 07
1. GETTING STARTED with your PGI pg. 11
2. PERFORMING A TEST with your PGI pg. 17
3. READING TEST RESULTS on your PGI pg. 22
4. OTHER FUNCTIONS of your PGI pg. 28
5. CALIBRATING your PGI pg. 31
6. TAKING CARE of your PGI pg. 36
IV. IMPORTANT NOTICE pg. 37
Contents
4

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 from time to time http://www.presidium.com.sg/
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, reseller,
servant and/or agent 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, reseller, servant and/or agent be
responsible for any special, incidental, consequential or
indirect damages howsoever caused.
The tester or Presidium Gem Indicator (PGI) 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
¿tness for a particular purpose.
5

II. About this book
Thank you for purchasing the Presidium` Gem Indicator
(“PGI” or “tester” or “unit”).
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.
6

III. About your Presidium Gem Indicator (PGI)
The Presidium Gem Indicator is an enhanced and more
convenient handheld version of the Presidium Gem
Tester/Colored Stone Estimator based on the invention
of Professor Julian Goldsmid from the University of New
South Wales in Australia. It was developed to distinguish
between diamonds and other colored gemstones using
the principles of thermal conductivity.
Most colored gemstones have their individual color
and distinguishable heat conductivity properties, with
diamonds having the most exceptional heat conductivity.
The Presidium Gem Indicator probe consists of two linked
thermometers: one, which is heated electronically, while
the other is cooled by the gemstone being tested. The
difference in temperature creates an electrical output,
which is then ampli¿ed and displayed on the new digital
organic LED (OLED) display.
The Presidium Gem Indicator is further able to give
indication about the possible colored gemstone
through its color separation capability. As some colored
gemstones have similar thermal conductivity, the addition
of the color separation feature will thus be able to give
a more de¿nitive indication about the type of colored
gemstone.
With this, the Presidium Gem Indicator is now capable
of identifying a wider range of up to 31 gemstones
compared to the previous desktop Presidium Gemstone
Tester/Colored Stone Estimator.
It is to be noted that PGI still does not distinguish between
natural and synthetic gemstones, including diamonds
against moissanites, as they have similar physical
properties (thermal conductivity and color).
The Presidium Gem Indicator has been subjected to
thorough factory quality control, and will generally give a
clear and reliable reading of the gemstone being tested
under proper use. However, you are advised to conduct
further supporting tests.
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The Presidium Gem Indicator (PGI) features the
following:
• Thermal conductivity testing of gemstones
• Color separation function with user input
• Clear quality OLED display screen
• Industry’s thinnest probe tip (0.45mm) for testing
gemstones as small as 0.02ct
• Retractable thermoelectric tip that maintains constant
pressure between probe tip and gemstone
• Patented replaceable probe tip technology, the ¿rst in
the industry
• Metal alert buzzer
• Fast warm-up time of 3 seconds
• Calibration disk for calibration at user’s discretion, to
ascertain accuracy
• USB connection to PC for more value-added functions
• Stylish ergonomic design
• Low battery alert
• Automatic power off after 10 minutes of inactivity
8

1 Protective Cap
2 Retractable Probe
3 Replaceable Probe Tip
4 360o Textured Metal Plated Ergonomic Grip
5 Display Screen with OLED Illumination
6 Battery Lifespan Indicator
7 On/Off Button
8 USB Inlet
9 “Select” Button
10 Navigation “Up” Button
11 Navigation “Down” Button
12 Battery Compartment (beneath the lid with
Presidium wording)
Included in your package:
• Presidium Gem Indicator
• 2 pieces of Built-in Calibration disks –
Disk 1 (Gray) and Disk 2 (Black)
• USB cable
• User handbook
• Warranty card
• Protective carrying case
Fig. 1
9

Functions of your Presidium Gem Indicator
Your Presidium Gem Indicator has 4 functional options
on the main screen menu as follows:
Test
Settings
Calibrate
Library
You may toggle between these options using the “Up”
and “Down” buttons. To activate a function, press
“Select” when the navigation arrow on screen points to
the function.
The rest of this handbook will give further information on
how to use the various functions.
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1. GETTING STARTED with your Presidium Gem Indicator
Powering up your PGI
This tester can be powered either through electrical
power via the Presidium Universal USB Adaptor (not
included in your package) or through the use of batteries.
If electrical power is preferred, please ensure that only
the Presidium Universal USB Adaptor is used.
Connect one end of the USB cable provided to the
Universal USB Adaptor and the other end to the USB inlet
on the unit (Fig.1.1).
If batteries are preferred, please use 3x AAA batteries.
The use of alkaline batteries is recommended as it should
generally give approximately 3 hours of continuous
operation, while the use of ordinary batteries will give a
shorter operating life.
Remove the battery cover lid on the side of the tester.
This is the side of the tester with the Presidium logo
wording on the top (Fig 1.2).
Fig. 1.1
Fig. 1.2
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Turning on your PGI
Press and hold the [ON/OFF] button (Fig. 1.4.1) on the
tester.
“SYS CHECK” will appear on the display screen as
you wait for about 3 seconds for the tip to warm up to
programmed pre-determined tip temperature.
Take note of the positive (+) and negative (-) directions
of the batteries when inserting them into the tester (Fig.
1.3). The use of alkaline batteries is preferred as it should
generally give approximately 3 hours of continuous
operation, while the use of ordinary batteries will give a
shorter operating life.
Fig. 1.3
Fig. 1.4.1
Fig. 1.4.2
Sys Check
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An “Error” message will appear if “SYS CHECK” fails
(Fig 1.4.3). The error can be due to the following reasons:
1. The tip is not connected properly.
2. A new tip has been inserted and its settings are
different as it has not been properly calibrated.
3. There are broken pin connections within the unit or
the tip has been damaged.
In such situations, it is recommended for you to remove,
re-insert and recalibrate the tip. If the error persists,
please contact Presidium.
Fig. 1.4.3
Fig. 1.5a
Cleaning of gemstone prior to testing
Prepare a clean tissue or jewelry cloth. Carefully retrieve
the gemstone with tweezers and place the gemstone face
down on its table facet. (Fig 1.5a)
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Fig. 1.5b
Fig. 1.6
Gently rub the table of the gemstone against the tissue/
jewelry cloth (Fig. 1.5b).
If your stone is mounted in jewelry, please carefully clean
the stone (Fig 1.6).
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Operating Conditions
The gemstone should be clean and dry before testing.
Elaborate cleaning procedures are not normally
necessary.
Recommended Normal Operating Conditions
The recommended testing temperature is between
23°C – 27°C or 73°F – 80°F. Please allow the gemstone
or jewelry piece to adjust to room temperature prior to
testing. Exposure and/or operating the tester outside the
recommended testing temperatures will affect the result
and performance of the tester.
Operating under Extreme Conditions
In the event that testing is done outside the recommended
operating conditions, the tester must ¿rst be calibrated
under the same temperature setting as the testing site.
Please refer to Section 5 of this handbook for calibration
procedure. This calibration is done to ensure the accuracy
and consistency of the testing results.
However please note that the temperature conditions
should be kept between 20°C to 33°C.
15

Battery Information
Battery life is indicated by the icon at the top right-hand
corner of the display screen.
Note: The power-saving feature will ensure the tester
shuts down automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity.
Do not leave worn out batteries in the battery compartment
as the batteries may corrode or leak and damage the
circuitry of tester. Batteries should be removed when
the instrument is expected to be stored for an extended
period of time.
Batteries do not have to be removed when the electrical
power via a power adaptor is used.
4 Bars Battery life is at least 75% or full 100%.
Tester may be used as indicated.
3 Bars Tester may be used as indicated.
2 Bars Battery life is about 25 – 50%. Tester is still
usable but it is recommended for the user
to recalibrate the tester at this stage.
1 Bar Battery life is low at about 0 – 25%. No test
should be performed. It is recommended
for the user to change to new batteries.
Fig. 1.17
16

> Test
Settings
Calibrate
Library
Toggle the navigation and Select “Test” to begin testing
(Fig 2.1)
When prompted on the screen, depress the probe tip
against the gemstone for about 5 seconds. Testing will
begin. You will need the hold the tester in this position till
the testing bar on the screen is completed (Fig 2.2).
You will be prompted to Select “Color” to enable the color
separation function, thereby narrowing down the possible
results.
Note: If you have disabled the Color function (see Section
4 Fig. 4.2), you will not be prompted to input Color.
However, once the results have been displayed, you can
still Select Color to narrow down the possible results.
Fig. 2.1
Fig. 2.2
2. PERFORMING A TEST with your Presidium Gem Indicator
17

Note: Care should be taken when testing mounted
jewelry. Users must ensure that the stones are securely
mounted before conducting the test as the gap between
the stone and setting might lead to an inaccurate reading.
For loose gemstones:
Hold the gemstone with one hand while holding the tester
with the other hand (Fig. 2.4).
Fig. 2.4
Fig. 2.3
For mounted jewelry or gemstones:
Hold the jewelry or mounted gemstone with one hand and
the tester with the other hand (Fig. 2.3).
For proper operation of the tester, the thumb and index
¿nger must always be placed on the metal grip of the
tester.
Press the probe tip of the tester against the gemstone.
Ensure the tip is fully depressed for consistent pressure
between the tip and the gemstone.
18

The probe tip must be placed at a right angle or
perpendicular to the facet of the gemstone for an
accurate reading.
Tests should be conducted on the table of the gemstone.
In the event of any doubt, you may also test on the girdle
of the gemstone.
For proper operation of the tester, ¿ngers must be placed
on the metal grip at all times.
To achieve optimum test accuracy involving very small
mounted gemstones (1.22mm exposed diameter and
below), it is extremely important that no contact is made
on any metal/jewelry setting part of the jewelry.
To achieve optimum test accuracy involving very small
gemstones (10 points and below), it is important to allow
the gemstone to cool down for 5-10 seconds in between
tests.
It is advisable to conduct multiple tests on different points
on the gemstone as thermal conductivities may differ
slightly along different crystal axes of the gemstone.
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