Home > Consumer Reviews > BelOMO 10x Triplet Loupe Folding Magnifier

I bought this loupe to replace a Bausch and Lomb Hastings triplet 10x loupe that I lost. Although this loupe cost $13 (compared to $45 for the B&L) I like this one better. It has a much larger viewing area and is just as clear.

By the way, I know it looks cheap and plastic in the picture, but it actually has a metal frame that has been powder coated. The manufacturer is located in a former Soviet Republic, Belarus. The plant was originally set up to produce optics for spy satellites, but now has diversified into everything optical. Although the companies name, BelOMO, unfortunately sounds like BLAMO, it actually stands for Belarusian Optical and Mechanical Association. Do a Google search on the company and you will be impressed.

By the way, I really think anyone who is thinking of purchasing jewelry should own a loupe. Buying jewelry without viewing it with a loupe is quite literally the same as buying it without looking at it. Diamonds are graded by what can be seen with a 10x color corrected triplet loupe (this item). Once you try it out, you will be amazed at what you can see.

As a final note, I bought this item through an Amazon seller called mgcgmh (I have no idea what that is supposed to stand for) and I was very pleased. I ordered it on Friday and my new loupe was in my mailbox on Monday. This is a $13 item, and it was refreshing to see a seller take the time to immediately ship it. I have lost track of the number of very expensive items I have ordered that took days to ship. I wish all sellers were this eager to please.

I own one of these loupes. While I haven't compared it personally there have been product reviews that compare it to the B&L triplet loupe costing much more and being of equal or better quality. This is a true Hastings triplet loupe. This is very important. As the previous reviewer pointed out if you are buying a diamond you absolutely need to have a loupe and learn how to use it for checking out diamonds. I am an amateur geologist and have a broader use. The only downsides are the price here is extremely high. Do a google and you will find sites that sell it for under $15. It is also held together by machine screws that can come loose. Use some locktite on them and you won't have a problem.

This really is the premiere 10x loupe for hobbyists and amateurs of all sorts, and many professionals as well. It is sturdy and the glass is clear and of a generous size. The price can't be beat either. Fortunately for us, the BelOMO seems to be available pretty regularly, from a number of sellers, which hasn't always been the case.

In my case, I think I purchased four of them at one point, and mine has since been misplaced but my kind hubby loaned me his. I have several other loupes but this one is just my favorite. It was not so long ago that these lenses could be found for $15 apiece... shop around and you should be able to find them for $20 - 25 -- do Not pay $50 unless you have a special fondness for the supplier(!) Note that the BelOMO also comes as a 7x, so be sure to look for the 10x as you are shopping.

My only complaint about this lens is that there isn't a good spot to attach a clip or lanyard. You can clip or tie some things onto a bar opposite the swing-hinge, but nothing very thick or the lens won't close.

If you haven't used a loupe before, you generally hold it very close to your eye, and then hold the object (mineral, gem, dead insect, whatever) very close to the lens, and focus by moving it closer or farther away. Good luck!

I am a aircraft maintenance inspector and what I like about this loupe is
the large viewing area. I have used other inspection loupes but I prefer
this one.

I use my Belomo loupe for nusmismatics, art and antiquities.

As others have said- shop for a better price. Unfortunately, the early days of $13 Belomo's are gone. Still, even at todays prices, there isn't a loupe at this price point that's anywhere in the same universe as the Belomo. Matter of fact, there are loupes that cost twice as much that are arguably inferior to the much cheaper Belomo.

I now use my Belomo loupe more than I do my (much more expensive) Nikon. Why? Simply put, in two years, I have yet to figure out what the Nikon does better than the Belomo. If the Nikon loupe does indeed do something better to justify its much higher price, it must be something done 'in theory' because in practice, the two are almost identical in terms of real world performance.

Improvements: The encasement construction isn't as robust as I'd like it to be. I actually wound up machining a new encasement hub out of solid aluminum for mine. Belomo could provide a solid encasement like mine for $3 or $4 added cost, which I'm sure would be greatly preferred and happily paid by the customers. If Belomo would do this, they would pretty much put all other Loupe makers out of business and cement their place as the best around... Also, the "crackle" paint finish isn't very durable over time.

Still, the Belomo loupe is one of those rare instances where you can lay a beat on 'the system' and actually get much more than you pay for. If you're searching for a loupe, your search just ended here. The ridiculously high optical quality you get in a Belomo loupe for a "flea market loupe" type price makes this a no-brainer.

Buy.