Buying a diamond is one of the emotional purchases, so it is essential to check whether the diamond is real or fake before making the payments. But how can you get to know whether a diamond is real or fake? Here, in this article, we are going to tell you some easiest tricks to test whether the diamond is real or not.
You should be careful in purchasing diamond earrings, bangles, or engagement rings as there are full of fake diamonds sneaking into the jewelry market. You may be sometimes a risk of procuring imitation stones thinking them to be real stones.
Real vs. Fake Diamond: What You Need to Know
Diamonds have various fake counterparts so they can be easily mistaken for real diamonds. There are some natural gems such as white sapphire, colorless zircon, and white topaz that are a strong resemblance to real diamonds. There are also some artificial gems created in labs such as GGG( gadolinium gallium garnet), CZ( synthetic cubic zirconia), YAG( yttrium aluminum garnet), etc. also a resemblance to real diamonds. So, it is very difficult to understand the real one among the various look likes.
It is suggested that you need to do some homework to identify the real diamonds among several substitutes of diamonds. But some of these substitutions have their unique values but others are worthless. A real diamond has some quality that can’t be copied.
Mounted vs. Loose Diamonds: What’s the Difference When Testing
It is essential to know about the difference between mounted diamonds and loose diamonds. There are several factors based on that diamonds can be distinguished as real or fake whether as mounted or loose diamonds.
The loose diamonds are easy to test before being mounted on settings. For both authenticity and deciding if there are any flaws or not. Sometimes, a mounted diamond’s setting hides potential flaws. Mounting usually reflects light into diamonds which is why it is difficult to distinguish you. But a reputable jeweler can determine the stone’s color, clarity, and carat. If you are purchasing a mounted diamond it is difficult for you to inspect it; so you should inspect it while it’s loose.
Experts say; this misconception usually takes place due to looks. The real and fake diamonds are looks alike. But in a short period, fake diamonds will lose their brilliance and look damaged. So, if you are getting confused to determine the real and fake diamonds here we are providing some tests that can be done at home too to test your stone.
Here are 10 tricks How to telling if a Diamond is Real or Fake
Here we are providing some easier tests that you can try on mounted as well as loose stones. But you will find it easier to distinguish between real and fake diamonds on loose stones.
1. With the fog test
To test if a diamond is real, you just place your diamond in front of your mouth and fog it up with your breath. A real diamond won’t be fogged easily because the condensation will not be stuck on the surface of the diamond. If your stone is fogged for a while then it is a fake diamond.
2. With a magnifying glass
If you want to check whether your diamond is real or not then you can take a magnifying glass and look at the diamond through the glass. Check for the imperfections present in the stone. If you cannot see any imperfections then it seems to be fake. Because real diamonds are full of imperfections; these are called inclusions.
3. With a Loupe
A loupe is a small magnifying tool that is used by jewelers to check small details up close. A loupe’s lens frame is more conical than a magnifying glass. You can check the inclusions of the stone through the loupe. Mined diamonds have small, natural imperfections that indicate the diamond is real. Then you can check if there are small color changes and small flecks of minerals. If there are slight color changes and small flecks of minerals then the stone is seemed to be real. But some real diamonds are flawless as well. So don’t rely on this method before taking a final determination.
4. Water test or floating test
In this method, you just need to drop your diamond in a glass of water and observe it. Whether it sinks to the bottom or keeps floating over the water. The density of a real diamond ensures that it should sink to the bottom of the water. If your diamonds float over the surface of the water then you may have a fake one.
5. With a heat test
To conduct this test you just need to have a pair of pliers to hold the loose diamond over the heat. After 50 seconds of heating it, drop it down into cold water. A real diamond is the hardest substance on the earth and also has higher heat resistance. So, a real diamond will remain unaffected by the extreme change in temperature. Whereas, a fake diamond will shatter by this change of temperature.
6. With a sparkling test
You can keep your stone under a lamp to check how it refracts white light. The way real diamonds sparkle and shimmer is the brightest thing in a real diamond. When compared to a fake diamond, it looks dull.
7. UV light test
To test a real diamond you can place your diamond under UV light and observe the reaction. Most real diamonds will emit blue-colored light, but all the real diamonds may not emit blue glows. So, the stone does not emit that is not indicating the stone is a fake one.
8. With a Dot test:
A real diamond usually refracts light. It gives the diamond sparkle and brilliance. To conduct a dot test you need to take a piece of paper and draw a small dot on it. Now, place the stone over the dot and if you can see the dot through your stone then it is assumed to be a fake stone. A real diamond won’t allow you to see the dot through it as the image will be refracted.
9. Based on its settings
This is a quickly determining trick to check whether your stone is a real or fake diamond. Real diamonds are usually made up of precious metals such as white gold, yellow gold, or platinum. The type of gold such as 10K, 14K, and 18K are inscribed inside of the band. If there is no such marking is found then it seems to be a fake stone.
10. Using a diamond tester
A diamond tester will test your stone’s conductivity and determine if it is a real diamond. Moissanite is a material that will give the same result; so you just need to examine a second electrical conductivity test by using Moissanite to determine a real diamond.
Is the Scratch Test Reliable to Ensure a Diamond is real?
Usually, people opt for a scratch test thinking of the easiest test to determine a real diamond. This test is very simple; you just need to scratch the stone against a mirror. The fact is that if the stone is hard enough to scratch the mirror then it probably seems to be a real diamond.
Mohs scale is a scientific measurement of minerals’ hardness. In terms of the Mohs scale, this test is proved inaccurate. There are some other stones whose hardness is rated as the same as the real diamond.
How to Spot Other Stones That aren’t Real Diamonds
- Synthetic stones or fake stones do not sparkle as much as real diamonds; in light refractions, they look for shades like grey.
- Natural diamonds reflect more greyish shades whereas synthetic stones sparkle with more iridescent colors.
- If heat is applied to the synthetic or fake stones and then they are submerged in cold water, they will quickly shatter while a real diamond will not react.
- A fake stone will probably float over the surface of the water while a real diamond will go to the bottom of the water.
- In the black light test, most diamonds will reveal blue fluorescence under black light. You can see a medium to strong color of blue and it determines the stone is a real diamond. If you can see a green-colored fluorescence then it can be assumed as a fake stone.
Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Fake?
It is a contradictory part of popular beliefs that lab-grown diamonds are not fake. They are made in different forms. But there are still some minor differences present between real and lab-grown diamonds.
Real diamonds are mined from the earth; the lab-grown diamonds are made using some techniques known as high-pressure crystal formation or Chemical Vapor Deposition methods. While making these diamonds, in a chamber carbon atoms are extracted in a high-pressure vapor. This process creates the layers of the diamond over time. Generally, it takes 3months or longer period while natural diamonds take thousands of years to form on the earth.
Conclusion
To check whether a stone is real or not you can try these home experiments and can observe how your stone is responding to the experiments. But you should remember that they all are not foolproof. They can provide you with an idea about the stone and whether you should be suspicious of your diamond or not.
Moreover, if you have some doubt about the trueness of your stone and it has not passed through a few tests, then you should not go for purchasing the stone immediately. You can visit a reputed jewelry shop for a professional evaluation.