How To Tell If Your Diamond Is A Fake
Have you ever wondered if your diamond is the real thing or a fake? Aside from taking your ring in to the jewellery store, there actually are some ways you can tell yourself. We will show some of them to you.
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You Will Need
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Step 1:
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The Scratch Test
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You've heard that a diamond can scratch glass. That's true, but many other gemstones do as well. So even if your diamond is real, you may damage it by scraping it across glass. So leave this authenticity test for MacGyver.
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Step 2:
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The Fog Test
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Real diamonds disperse heat instantaneously. You can tell if your rock is the real thing by fogging it up like a mirror. If it stays fogged for 3-4 seconds or longer, it's a fake. A real diamond would clear instantly.
Keep in mind, though, for this test work, you must make sure that your diamond is completely clean and free from oil or dirt.
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Step 3:
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The Transparency Test
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This do-it-yourself test only works if your diamond is loose.
After first making sure it is clean, place your umnounted diamond on top of newsprint with the pointy side, the pavilion, facing up. If you can read the newsprint clearly through the stone, then your diamond is a fake (probably a Cubic Zirconium, or C.Z.). Genuine diamonds scatter light as it passes through them, making the newsprint look a little burry.
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Step 4:
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The Inclusion Test
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All fake diamonds have one thing in common, none have any inclusions or internal blemishes. So if you didn't pay an arm an a leg for your diamond, yet it has perfect clarity…chances are you have a lemon on your hands.
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Step 5:
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The U.V. Test
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While it's true that about a third of diamonds turn fluorescent blue when put under an ultra violet light, and 99% of fakes don't, this test isn't that accurate since not all diamonds have fluorescent qualities. So while you could do this test yourself at home with store-bought black light, it wouldn't tell you much unless your diamond has fluorescent qualities.
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Step 6:
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Detecting Treated Diamonds
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Some real diamonds have flaws, that jewelers fix by injecting liquid silicone into the stone. This "clarity enhancement" is similar to the way chips in car windshields are fixed.
The problem is that these diamond fixes aren't permanent. Exposure to sun, heat, and even some household cleaners will turn the silicone different colors or make it fall out altogether. You can often spot filled diamonds with a 10 power loupe, but using a binocular microscope is easier. In most states, it is against the law to sell you a treated diamond without first telling you. -
Again, with this test, you will need to view your diamond unmounted. Turn the diamond onto its face, point side up, and examine it carefully. If you see flashes of single colors, then you are looking at a fracture filled, treated diamond. If you see flashes with many rainbow colors at once, then you are probably looking at a fracture of an untreated diamond.
