It is well known that dermoscopy improves the diagnostic accuracy of pigmented skin lesions. Many dermoscopic criteria can be found both in nevi and in melanoma. For the correct interpretation of those criteria, formal training and clinical experience in dermoscopy is needed. This paper reviews the global and local dermoscopic features seen both in nevi and melanoma and focuses on the interpretation of those findings in order to differentiate between benign and malignant melanocytic skin tumors.