A DC9-30 FLC HAS AN UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION AFTER EXTENDING THE GEAR. THEY HAVE SOME DIFFICULTY IN ASCERTAINING THE POS OF THE VISUAL GEAR DOWN INDICATOR BECAUSE OF THE ALIGNMENT OF THE 'UP LOCK' STRIPES VERSUS THE 'DOWN LOCK' STRIPES. PIC SAYS OPS MANUAL PICTURES ARE NOT CLRLY DEPICTED.

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ON FINAL APCH; WHEN LNDG GEAR WAS LOWERED; THE NOSE GEAR INDICATED UNSAFE. I COMPLIED WITH COMPANY OPS MANUAL PROCS AS THE FO FLEW ATC ASSIGNED VECTORS. FO ATTEMPTED TO VISUALLY CONFIRM GEAR POS THROUGH THE VIEWING PORT UNDER HIS L FOOT (AS I FLEW THE ACFT) AND WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM A 'DOWN' GEAR ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. I HAD HIM LOOK AGAIN AFTER DISCUSSING THE VISUAL GEAR INDICATOR APPEARANCE AND TURNING THE ACFT TO CHANGE THE LIGHTING ANGLE. HE WAS FAIRLY CERTAIN HE SAW THE INDICATORS ALIGNED THIS TIME. SO WE RETURNED TO DTW TO LAND. I WAS TALKING TO DISPATCH AND MAINT THIS ENTIRE TIME. MAINT RECOMMENDED WE CYCLE THE GEAR AFTER THE FIRST VISUAL INSPECTION. I DID NOT WANT TO AT THAT TIME AS I KNEW IT WAS HANGING DOWN AND THE GEAR DOORS WERE CLOSED. (TWR SAID IT APPEARED DOWN AS WE FLEW UPWIND AND WE COULD SEE GND THROUGH THE VIEWING PORT.) WE RETURNED TO DTW (WITH THE CRASH GEAR STANDING BY) FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I DECLARED AN EMER BECAUSE THE FO WAS NOT 100% CERTAIN THAT HE COULD SEE THE 3 STRIPES CLRLY. THE 'UP LOCK' STRIPE ON THE SIDE OF THE STRUT WAS WHAT CONFUSED THE FO. HE SAW IT IN ADDITION TO (AND VERY NEAR TO) THE DOWN AND LOCKED STRIPES. OUR MANUAL COULD SHOW CLRER; MORE DETAIL AND ACCURATE PICTURES OF THIS.