They say Diamonds are forever. But are they?
Diamonds occur naturally and there is no dearth of fake diamonds in the market. Distinguishing the fake sparkle from the genuine thing is quite an arduous task and involves various chemical tests and determination of the physical properties of the stone.
The prospective diamond hunters must equip themselves with the impeccable knowledge of 4C, the diamond clarity, cut, colour, and carat before investing their life savings in one.
Even if you lack the sophisticated equipment used to test the integrity of a stone, use these five basic home tests to determine if the diamond is fake or real!
1. Observing through the Loupe
Loupe is a type of magnifying glass easily available in the market. It can be used to observe the diamond as well as its setting.
Being a natural stone, diamond has some imperfections. On the other hand, the fake diamonds are quite flawless. Even then, a perfect stone must not be discarded immediately for it might be a lab-grown diamond. Also, observe the edges of a diamond. A real diamond has sharp edges while a fake diamond comes with rounded edges.
2. Sandpaper vs. Diamond
Most of the counterfeit diamonds are the cubic zirconias. When rubbed against the sandpaper, its shiny surface would be scratched up. On the other hand, being the world’s toughest material, a natural diamond will not be scratched by the rough sandpaper.
3. The Fog Test
The good heat conductivity of diamond implies that is you breathe on a the surface of a real diamond, the fog will dissipate immediately. Cubic Zirconia and other stones are not as good conductors of heat as diamond and thus the warm breath will condense on the surface before dissipation. However, fake diamonds fashioned from Moissanite depict the same behavior as a diamond so further testing is needed to verify if the stone is real.
4. The Sparkle and Fire Test
High refractive index of the diamonds make them sparkle more than the other stones. White and grey colours are seen inside a real diamond and are referred to as the brilliance of the diamond. Rainbow colors, called fire, are observed outside the diamond due to the dispersion effect. Fake diamonds show rainbow colours inside.
The low refractive index of other stones like cubic zirconia or quartz does not allow them to bend the light as diamond does.
5. The Read-Through Test
If the stone has not been set yet, place it on a piece of paper with writing on it. You will not be able to read anything through a real diamond for the light will be scattered. Conversely, the fake diamonds will magnify the writing and enable you to read it. The intricate structure of a real diamond will not allow the light to pass through.
Next time you are out hunting for a diamond, use these basic tests to ascertain the