Bidspirit auction | A Collection of Robert M.

A Collection of Robert M. Shipley Jr. Gem Instruments The Gem Refractometer with Original Box and Manual - This collection includes The Gem Refractometer, a precision optical instrument manufactured by Gem Instruments and designed by Robert M. Shipley, Jr. The set comprises the gray-painted alloy refractometer body, its original black paper-wrapped cardboard storage box, an instructional manual, and an amber glass bottle of contact liquid. The instrument features a swinging arm with an adjustable eyepiece and a top-mounted flap covering a glass half-cylinder prism. Raised lettering on the side of the housing displays a diamond logo containing GEM INSTRUMENTS LOS ANGELES USA above the words PATENT PENDING. The box lid is printed with The Gem REFRACTOMETER and includes address information for Glendale, California. The four-page instructional pamphlet, titled THE GEM REFRACTOMETER, identifies Robert M. Shipley, Jr. and the Cloverdale, California manufacturing location. The contact liquid bottle retains a typewritten paper label identifying the contents as XYLENE. Height: 2.5 inches (6.35 cm). The refractometer body shows minor surface dust and small scattered flecks of paint loss. The mechanical swinging arm is operational. The original cardboard box exhibits heavy wear, including scuffing to the exterior paper, edge tears, and structural splitting at the corners. The instructional manual is heavily creased from previous folding and shows age-related yellowing along with a small moisture or oil stain on the first page. The xylene bottle label is yellowed and beginning to lift at the corners. Optical clarity and functional measurement accuracy have not been verified.