How To Determine If A Diamond Is Real or Fake
It has been said, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”, which makes them a popular jewelry choice for women. Every woman wishes to have a fantastic pair of diamond earrings or a gorgeous diamond necklace to show off during formal parties and events. The popularity and demand for the perfect diamond jewelry make it the perfect opportunity for a scam artist to sell you a fake diamond. In an effort to prevent yourself from falling victim to fake diamond jewelry, we offer our basic tips to determine if a diamond is real or fake.
Choose a Reputable Jeweler
Your choice of jeweler will be the first step in determining if the diamonds you are buying is authentic. Many reputable jeweler will scrutinize every piece of jewelry they sell to determine its authenticity. This is the reason you should research the jeweler before shopping there to determine if they are a legitimate jeweler to deal with. Those that have a reputation for fine jewelry will tend to have more positive reviews for their shop, plus will likely be feature in jewelry magazines and journals. It may be a bit more expensive to shop at these jewelers than say a discount jeweler, but you can rest assured you will be getting the authentic diamond earrings or necklace you are searching for.
The Fog Test
You have likely seen this test done on reality TV shows that feature pawn shops or jewelry stores, but the fog test is something you can easily do on your own. To perform this test, hold the diamond by the front of your mouth and attempt to fog it up. If it’s fake, it will likely remained fogged up for more than two seconds. Real diamonds disperse heat, so you won’t see much of the remnants of your fog test. Be sure the diamond is clean before performing this test as dirt and oil can create false results.
The Jewelers Tray
When dealing with loose diamonds, it’s best to place the diamonds on a piece of newspaper or printed material. Diamonds that are real, will not allow you to read the newspaper through the diamond. If the diamond lets the print shine through, it’s likely fake, and should be avoided. Often times, the jeweler might place the diamond on a fancy white jewelers tray, but this will only make it more difficult to determine the authenticity.
Thermal Conductivity
Diamonds are great conductors of heat, which is the reason most jewelers will have a small diamond tester that can measure the heat from the diamond. This is non as thermal conductivity. Many of the latest instruments that perform this test, can distinguish between diamonds and moissanite.
Examine the Rock
If you look at the cuts on the top of the diamond with a magnifying lens, make sure they are sharp and not smooth. Also check for pinpoints and small cracks, as these are hard to put in a fake, so with these wear and tear flaws it is likely a real diamond. Examine the girdle, which is essentially the ring that joins the top half of the diamond with the bottom half, and check it see if its faceted or frosty. This is a sign it’s a diamond. If the girdle is waxy or slick, it’s a fake. Finally, check the ring or the setting itself for a “C.Z.” stamp, as this is an indicator that the stone is not a diamond. Keep in mind, those that fake diamonds are constantly perfectly their illegal craft, which makes it more difficult to determine authenticity. Always be sure to check with a diamond expert when in doubt.
Have you been the victim of a fake diamond? Do you have more diamond tips than were listed above? Share them with our readers using the comments section below.
