When buying diamond jewelry, or receiving it as a gift, it's important to have it looked at and appraised. There are many instances where a stone may look exactly like a diamond, but is something else. The last thing you want after you spend a lot of money on something so special is to find out it's not real. Ideally, having the stone checked out by a qualified appraiser is the best way to tell if the diamond is a fake. There are also checks you can do yourself. Here is a list of five ways to see if you have a real or fake diamond on your hands.
1. Professional Jeweler Appraisal
While it may be easier to have your diamond appraised by the jeweler you purchased it from, it's always a good idea to have it appraised independently. If you did not directly purchase the diamond, have it appraised by more than one person, just to confirm accuracy. Any qualified jeweler at a jewelry store can appraise it for you. Make sure to ask the appraiser a few questions before handing over the diamond, such as what fee it will cost to have it appraised, where it will be done, and if it will be done without you there. There's really no good reason it should be done without you present, so be wary of appraisers that claim it's necessary to appraise the diamond alone.
2. Use A Tester
Use a tester to help distinguish between a fake and the real thing. These machines are not foolproof though. Some stones, like moissanite for example, are capable of fooling the tester and showing up as a diamond. This test should be one of many that you should make, not the only test.
3. Check For Transparency
A diamond refracts light, therefore not allowing light to pass directly through it. This gives it an unmistakable gleam and shine. A good way to make this test is to place a diamond on a piece of paper with writing on it. Ideally, you should not be able to read whatever is on top of. If the stone you're testing allows light to pass through and you can read the words below, then it is fake.
4. Checking Under A Black Light
When you place the diamond under a black light (Ultra-Violet light), a real piece will fluoresce into various shades of blue. Cubic zirconium, the substance most often used as a substitute, fluoresces into yellow. Glass will not fluoresce at all. The colors should let you easily determine the real one from the fake.
5. Cutting Test
It's a well-known fact that diamonds are used as cutting tools since they are made from some of the hardest material on earth. A diamond cutter is usually used to cut glass. A simple test that you can do at home would be to take the diamond and try to cut a piece of glass. If this makes a mark, the chances are it is most likely real. Again, this is not foolproof so should be used as one of many in a testing sequence.
1. Professional Jeweler Appraisal
While it may be easier to have your diamond appraised by the jeweler you purchased it from, it's always a good idea to have it appraised independently. If you did not directly purchase the diamond, have it appraised by more than one person, just to confirm accuracy. Any qualified jeweler at a jewelry store can appraise it for you. Make sure to ask the appraiser a few questions before handing over the diamond, such as what fee it will cost to have it appraised, where it will be done, and if it will be done without you there. There's really no good reason it should be done without you present, so be wary of appraisers that claim it's necessary to appraise the diamond alone.
2. Use A Tester
Use a tester to help distinguish between a fake and the real thing. These machines are not foolproof though. Some stones, like moissanite for example, are capable of fooling the tester and showing up as a diamond. This test should be one of many that you should make, not the only test.
3. Check For Transparency
A diamond refracts light, therefore not allowing light to pass directly through it. This gives it an unmistakable gleam and shine. A good way to make this test is to place a diamond on a piece of paper with writing on it. Ideally, you should not be able to read whatever is on top of. If the stone you're testing allows light to pass through and you can read the words below, then it is fake.
4. Checking Under A Black Light
When you place the diamond under a black light (Ultra-Violet light), a real piece will fluoresce into various shades of blue. Cubic zirconium, the substance most often used as a substitute, fluoresces into yellow. Glass will not fluoresce at all. The colors should let you easily determine the real one from the fake.
5. Cutting Test
It's a well-known fact that diamonds are used as cutting tools since they are made from some of the hardest material on earth. A diamond cutter is usually used to cut glass. A simple test that you can do at home would be to take the diamond and try to cut a piece of glass. If this makes a mark, the chances are it is most likely real. Again, this is not foolproof so should be used as one of many in a testing sequence.