What are the best ways to tell a fake or real diamond? Our guide explains the tests you can do yourself, and the differences to look for so you avoid fakes.
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Buying a piece of diamond jewelry is not an everyday occurrence for most people. How can you see if a diamond is real or fake? And how do you recognize a real diamond? Finding out in advance about the authenticity of your diamond jewelry is an important step. These are just a few more ways to verify authenticity yourself.
What is a diamond and how does a diamond come about?
First, let’s clear up a common misunderstanding. Diamond is not a variant of hard coal. Hard coal is created from plant residues. And how do diamonds come about? They originated very early in the history of the earth. They consist of pure carbon in about 150 kilometers deep very high temperatures and pressure was suspended. They originated hundreds of millions to billions of years ago . When a volcano erupts, it sometimes brings diamonds to the surface. Diamonds also developed in other places in our solar system. We know this because pieces of diamonds have been found in meteorites that have struck Earth.
Best ways to tell a fake or real diamond
Is the diamond ring offered at a surprisingly low price? If the offer is too good to be true, it is usually not real. In these cases, be careful about jewelry with fake diamonds. Real diamonds have a seal of quality . This laser inscription can only be seen using a microscope or a diamond magnifying glass.
You can also tell from the shape of the diamond whether it is genuine or fake. If the cut at the top of the stone just is , then you probably have a real diamond in your hand. Fake diamonds often have signs of wear because they are less durable than real, hard diamonds.
A third way to test a diamond for authenticity is to check if the stone is uneven. All natural diamonds have impurities . These stains and cracks on the surface or inside the stone are called inclusions. They are often only visible under the microscope.
What is the difference between a diamond and a brilliant?
A common misconception is that diamond and brilliant are two different gemstones. That’s not the case. A brilliant is a way to cut a diamond. It is the most common cut and can be easily recognized by its round shape . The brilliant shape has a remarkably intense brilliance.
What is the difference between moissanite and synthetic diamonds?
A distinction is made between moissanite and synthetic diamonds. The latter is created in the laboratory , where the natural process of creation is imitated. Synthetic diamonds can eventually become a valuable alternative to natural diamonds, which are becoming increasingly rare.
French chemist Henri Moissan discovered moissanite in one piece of meteorite in Arizona (USA) in 1893. The mineral has some unique properties that make it suitable as a substitute for diamonds . Both have a similar crystalline structure , even if they are arranged hexagonally in moissanite and cubically in diamond. Due to the close connection of the atoms, the hardness is also comparable, with a value of 9.5 on the Mohs scale for moissanite compared to 10 for diamond. Other gemstones such as sapphire and ruby score 9.
Though rarely found, moissanite is much cheaper than the real diamond in your engagement ring – and it all has to do with quality. Where a diamond shines, a moissanite looks rathercloudy due to a further refraction of light. In terms of dispersion, moissanite performs very well, even better than natural diamonds, and that is why the mineral reveals its true “cheap” nature. In natural light, the mineral also gets an undesirable gray or green shimmer .
What reliable tests are there to identify a real diamond?
If you want to test whether a diamond is genuine or fake, for example by using sandpaper or scratching a mirror with it, this can damage the brilliance of the stone. Therefore, only use safe tests like this:
1. Weight test
If you have both a real and a fake diamond, all you have to do is compare the weight. A fake diamond weighs more than a real diamond of the same size.
2. Letter test
Not sure if it is a diamond or glass? Then the letter test is a good choice: place
a single diamond upside down on a newspaper or book. With a real diamond, the letter is difficult to read because the high refraction (not to be confused with reflection or light reflection) leads to scattering. With quartz or glass you can still see the letter.
3. Color test
Check the color of the gem under ultraviolet light, such as the UV light from a sunbed. Diamonds often show fluorescence, which means that the stone glows blue under UV light. Note that there are also diamonds that do not contain fluorescence, so this test does not work with all diamonds.
4. Fog test
What is a fog test? Hold the diamond in front of your mouth and exhale. A real diamond is not fogged because it distributes the heat directly on the stone. Make sure that the diamond is not dirty or greasy, because then the gem will fog up. The results of the fog test must always be evaluated with restrictions, it only works under optimal conditions. Another name for this would be breath test.
5. Water test
If you drop the diamond in a glass of water, a real diamond will immediately sink to the bottom because of its weight and density. A fake diamond hovers and stays halfway up or sinks slowly.
6. Heat test
Warm the loose stone by a heat source (eg a lighter) for 30 seconds and then immerse it in a cold glass of water. No problem for a real diamond, but a fake diamond will break.
Which test gives 100% certainty about the authenticity of the diamond?
The above tests can give you a first impression of the authenticity of the stone, but of course they are not 100% accurate or reliable. In addition, the quality of counterfeit diamonds has improved in recent years. Do you want to be 100% sure whether a diamond is genuine or fake? Then go to a certified jeweler . They will always offer you a certificate of purchase of your diamond. On this certificate you can read everything about the quality and properties of the gemstone.
The certificate not only guarantees good value for money , but also enables you to sell the jewel laterif it is an investment diamond . Have you bought a diamond and are not sure of its authenticity? Then you can have the gem tested for authenticity by an expert.
