7 Ways To Spot Fake Diamonds
There are certain times when we buy a diamond and question whether or not it is real, wondering if the diamond that we bought is genuine. If the diamond that you bought from a wholesale diamond dealer at Shira Diamonds comes with a certificate from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the American Gem Society (AGS), then you could rest assured that it is legit. But if the diamond that you have is a gift or an inheritance, you are right to wonder. How can you tell if a diamond is real? Should you try the scratch test? Here are 7 ways to spot fake diamonds.
1) The Newspaper Test
What You Need:
*Newspaper
*The stone in question
How It Works:
*Place the stone on top of the newspaper
*See if you can read the word on the page through it
Cubic zirconia is more transparent and you would be able to see through it, a real diamond, on the other hand, will refract light so intensely that you can’t see through it.
2) The Conductivity Test
What You Need:
*Leave the house
*Take the stone to a local jeweler
How It Works:
Diamonds are resistant to electricity, so testing a loose stone for electric conductivity is helpful if you are not sure if your stone is a real diamond, or if it is moissanite. A way to tell the difference between the two is that moissanite will conduct electricity while a natural diamond will not.
3) The Water Test
What You Need:
*A glass of water
*The loose diamond in question
How It Works:
*Drop the loose stone in the water
If the stone immediately sinks to the bottom of the glass of water then it is a real diamond because loose diamonds are so dense. Many fake diamonds, on the other hand, will float or not sink as quickly because they are less dense compared to the real ones.
4) The Temperature Test
What You Need:
*The loose stone inquisition
*A light or candle flame
*A glass of very cold water
*A pair of tweezers to hold the stone with
How It Works:
*Hold the loose diamond with the tweezers
*Heat it over the light or candle flame for about 30 to 45 seconds
*Drop the diamond immediately into the icy water
If the stone does not react, then it could be a real diamond because a real loose diamonds will not react to this extreme temperature change since they are made of extremely strong material. But if the stone breaks off and shatters during the test, then it could be made of glass, cubic zirconia, or quartz.
5) The Magnification Test
What You Need:
*Magnifying Glass with 10 times magnification or higher
*The stone in question
*A diamond that you know is genuine
How It Works:
*Look at your questionable stone under the microscope
*Look at the genuine diamond
*Compare the differences
The genuine diamond would have some internal and external flaws, so if the other stone is cubic zirconia or moissanite, then they would not have internal or external flaws because real diamonds are natural rocks that were formed in the earth, while the other two are grown in labs.
Caution:
If you do not own a real diamond to compare your loose diamond with, you could head to your local jeweler and if the stone that you are questioning is legit and has a clarity grade of Internally Flawless or Flawless, then you wouldn’t be able to see any internal flaws. These kinds of diamonds that do not have these flaws are the rarest and the most expensive diamond clarity grades so it is unlikely that the diamond isn’t certified.
6) The Fog Test
What You Need:
*Yourself
*The stone in question
How It Works:
*Go to a relatively cool location
*Blow hot air on the stone
Your breath should not create a fog on its surface since a real diamond does not retain heat well. But if the stone fogs up, then it might be moissanite and not a real diamond.
7) The Black Light Test
What You Need:
*The stone in question
*A strong UV light
How It Works:
*Hold the stone under the UV light
*See if the color seems to change at all
It is most likely to be a real diamond if the stone emits a bluish glow.
Caution:
This test is not definitive because of the way the fluorescence in real diamonds works.
You won’t be able to see the blue glow even if it was real sometimes since some real diamonds do not have any fluorescence. You could try one of the other tests at home if the stone does not emit a blue glow or glows a different color under the UV light.
There are always ways to test the authenticity of the diamond at home, or you could bring them to some retail shop that could have electricity testing, UV lights, and more tools that would help you in determining the difference between a real diamond and a fake one.
