How do tell if a Diamond is real?

Question

How do tell if a Diamond is real withot taking it to a jewler? Is there something you look for in the diamond like writing or colors?
Please help.

Answer 1

Hands down the #1 question I’m asked online is "How can I tell if my diamond is the real thing?" People want to know if there is some simple test they can do at home or little tricks of the trade to tell if the ring they own is a valuable heirloom or of the Cracker Jack variety.

Without question the quickest and most reliable method for authenticity would be an independent appraisal. This can be accomplished easily enough by looking under "Appraisal (Jewelry)" in your yellow pages. When you call to enquire about their services you want to ask three questions:

1.) Can you schedule an appointment or is it first come first served.

2.) Ask the fee; $35.00-$75.00 is considered a fair price.

3.) Ask if the jewelry will always be in your presence. If the appraiser says they will not evaluate the jewelry in front of you, find another appraiser.

If spending 50 bucks seems a little too steep to uncover the identity of your rock, you can head to your local jewelry store and ask their in-house gemologist to take a peek and give you their opinion. Since opinions are like belly buttons (everyone’s got one) understand that in a lot of these quick 30-second evaluations mistakes can be made. Especially since most jewelers won’t charge you for 30 seconds of their time. (Just like with independent appraisals, don’t let the merchandise out of your site.)

There are some less reliable methods you can try but there are no guarantees with these:

1. The old “If it will scratch glass it has to be a diamond.” Well, it is true that diamonds do scratch glass but so do a lot of the other fakes on the market. To boot, it’s possible to injure your rock even if it’s real during your hardness test.

2. The transparency test. If you flip the diamond in question upside down and place it over some newsprint and can clearly read through the stone, it’s not a diamond. (The problem with this test is some diamonds are cut shallow and can be read through.)

3. The fog test. This test I like a lot. Put the rock in front of your mouth and fog it like you would try to fog a mirror. If it stays fogged for 2-4 seconds, it’s a fake. A real diamond disperses the heat instantaneously so by the time you look at it, it has already cleared up. (A down fall to this test is oil and dirt on the stone can effect its reliability and the test is not accurate at all on doublets where the top of the stone is diamond and the bottom is cubic zirconia epoxied together.)

4. The weight test. The most popular of diamond simulants (fake) is a cubic zirconia. C.Z.’s weigh approximately 55% more than diamonds for the same shape and dimension. So if you have a carat or gram scale at your disposal you can see if the imposter tips the scales too much.

5. The U.V. test. A high percentage of diamonds fluorescence blue when put under an ultra violet light (black light). Since 99% of all fakes don’t, a positive identification of medium to strong blue would indicate a diamond. The bad news is if this method proves you have a diamond, it also proves your diamond is worth less. Diamonds with blue fluorescence are as much as 20% less valuable. Remember, lack of blue fluorescence doesn’t mean it’s a fake; it could just be a better quality diamond.

6. Under the loop test. If you own some sort of magnifying lens, there are some things you can look for on the stone that might give away its identity:

A. Look at the rock from the top and see how well the facets (cuts on top of the diamond) are joined. They should be sharp not rolled.

B. Look at the girdle and see if it is faceted or frosty (a clear sign it’s a diamond) or waxy and slick (an indication it’s a fake).

C. While you’re looking at your stone under magnification, look into your stone to see if you detect any flaws (carbon, pinpoints, small cracks). These are typically clear indications it’s the real thing since it’s very hard to put inclusions in a fake.

D. After examining the stone, focus in on the stamps inside the setting. A stamp of "10K, 14K, 18K, 585, 750, 900, 950, PT, Plat" indicates the setting is real gold or platinum which gives a better chance that the stone in it is real as well. While you’re looking at the interior of the ring, also look for any "C.Z." stamps that would indicate the center stone is not a diamond.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

1) Look through magnifying glass
Real diamonds are formed under the earth crust with the help of natural forces acting upon it over million of years. Due to this there are imperfections in the carbon. A real stone will be perfect - absolutely perfect. Even there are synthetic diamonds which is not identifiable. Its better to take it to an expert.

2) Sandpaper test.
since diamonds are one of the world's hardest stone and it won't be scratched by the rough surface. If you scratch sandpaper to a real diamond then nothing will happen but if it's a cubic zirconium, it will scratch it up.

3)Fog Test.
Breathe hot air on your diamond as you would do on a mirror. A fake diamond will fog up for a short period of time whereas a real diamond will not because it won't retain the heat

Answer 4

The only people who can authenticate a real diamond are certified gemologists specializing in jewelry. However, if you are browsing rings at a flea market and want to quickly assess whether a clear stone is probably glass, cubic zirconium, quartz, or leaded crystal, there are a few easy tests you can apply without any special equipment. These tests at least rule out recognizable imposters because they rely on the way a real diamond stone refracts light, conducts heat, and looks up-close.

If the gem in question is loose and unmounted, try placing it over printing. Diamonds refract so much light that they will not work as a magnifying glass and you would see no lines, circles, or letters through them. Other clear stones like glass or crystal will reveal the print clearly. A similar test uses a small light, such as the one that comes with your key ring. If you shine the light through the stone and cannot see it on the other side, but only a bright halo around the rim, it is more likely to be a true diamond.

Diamonds are also very good at conducting heat. Breathe on the surface of the stone and immediately check to see if it has fogged up. Again, quartz, glass, and cubic zirconium will stay hazy for a moment before the condensation dissipates, but you shouldn't be able to see any moisture on a true diamond. However, one rock, called moissanite, will also pass this test, so the best way is to get a complete thermal conductivity evaluation performed by a jeweler.

Looking closely at the specks, ridges, and facets can also give you a clue into the identity of your gem. Diamonds do have inclusions, tiny bits of other minerals that got crushed into the diamond while it formed deep under the earth. However, if the facets have worn or rounded edges, bubbles, or if the gem looks rippled or pitted, it is probably glass. Those gems that are perfectly clear, with absolutely no inclusions, are probably quartz.

Finally, some common sense measures can prevent you from getting pressured to purchase a gem that turns out to be something other than a diamond. It shouldn't be ridiculously inexpensive, or you'll get what you pay for. It also will usually be mounted in an "open back" setting, which means that you can see around the rear of the gem and the back surface isn't coated with any silvery substance. Although it's true that diamonds are the hardest organic substance on earth, the infamous test of scratching diamonds across glass or metal might just give you a damaged diamond.

Even many gemologists cannot distinguish "real" diamonds from cultured diamonds. Cultured diamonds have been artificially manmade in a laboratory, not mined from mountains, yet they are chemically identical to those diamonds. Some companies are developing new kinds of identification methods for those who would like to purchase a mined diamond or for those that prefer a cultured one.

Answer 5

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There's a number of ways to tell, but none of them are 100% guaranteed if you don't have proper measuring equipment. For one, diamonds disperse light -- if you put it in front of a piece of newspaper, you should not be able to read through the diamond. Also, try fogging up the clean stone with your breath. If it is a zircon, then it will hold fog for at least 2-4 seconds, whereas the diamond will disperse the heat almost immediately. You can also try the old hitting the diamond with a hammer test. Watch out though, because a zircon still may not break, whereas a diamond may in fact break!

Answer 6

I'm an apprentice to a jeweler and its very important that we can tell just by our eyes if a diamond is real.

So, first... look at it upside down. If it looks very clear then it is definately fake. Try putting it on a colored piece of paper and if it looks like you are looking through a piece of glass... sorry your looking at a CZ.

If it is mounted.... rule of thumb... why put a real diamond in a cheap mounting? Lets say its in a ring... look on the inside of the ring and see what karat it is stamped...Even a 10 K has diamonds... no stamp? Does it say 925? (925 means that it is silver... silver is cheap and your diamond is most likely fake) If there is no stamp look at the color of the gold... is there a place where it is fading to another coler... then it is plated. Another cheap form of jewelry and your diamond may be fake.

Watch? Is it in a cheap band? look at the back of the watch and if it says stainless steal (even if you think its gold) It is plated! Stainless is the base metal... also cheap thus your diamond is probalby fake.

Another trick by eye is does it have a lot of color. Lots of pink or yellow (you could just have a bad diamond) but it should not hodl those colors.

Look at size and where you got it from... for me a nice 1 karat diamond is about $1000 on up wholesale... so if your holding a 4 karat it may be fake if say: you found it.

Don't want to hassle a jeweler... go to a low grade jewelry store like JCPenney.... they have diamond testers that you touch on the diamond.. beeps if its real or not and its free.

Answer 7

Heres what the streets taught me Real diamonds sparkle blue then red... after one carat... blue yellow red I don't know why but the fakes sparlkle to many colors or none at all and the new curled lights are the same brightness as the lights in the display case making the colors faster and easier to read. try it it takes a little while to get it down but ounce you got it you can spot the real thing with a glance

Answer 8

Diamonds are objects of such value and hence they deserve the strictest quality measures and certifications. Different institutes such as The Gemological Institute of America(GIA), The Diamond High council and the International Gemological Institute(IGI) offer different certifications to ensure that the diamonds you buy are the real deal.

Answer 9

If it scratches glass, it's probably a diamond, though this may damage the diamond

Answer 10

If it cuts glass, it's a diamond. Try it on something you don't mind damaging. Problem is, the way modern settings are, you might not be able to try this without taking the stone out.