If you’re purchasing a diamond, it is essential to make sure you’re getting the real deal. These days it can be nearly impossible to tell the difference between synthetic diamonds and natural diamonds. This is why our diamond experts created a handy guide to tell if a diamond is real or fake.
How To Test If Your Diamond Is Real At Home
Testing a stone for authenticity with a certified jeweler is the most accurate method, but anyone can perform a few simple checks at home.
Water Test
Water is the easiest of all the tests to determine whether a diamond is real or not. To perform this test, all you need is a small glass filled with water.
Once the glass is filled with water, place the diamond in the water. If a real diamond is dropped into water, it will sink due to its high density. However, the diamond is fake if it hovers at the top or middle of the glass.
Setting Test
Another way to check if your diamond is real is to look for look for markings. Markings are a way to identify if a diamond or material is real. Although these markings can be faked so take this information with caution.
If your piece of jewelry has a marking it will mostlikley be stamped on the setting or body of the piece of jewelry. For example, if you see a piece of jewelry marked with “CZ” this means that the stone is made of cubic zirconia.
Sparkle Test
Diamons are known for their unique sparkle. This is why the sparkle test can be used to determine whether a diamond is real or fake. A simple way to test this is to shine a lamp on the gemstone and see how it sparkles. If the sparkle emits flashes of color and white, it is probable that it is a real diamond. If it does not have a lot of sparkle, then you have a professional inspect the gem to ensure if it is a diamond or not.
Heat Test
Most of you probably already know that diamond is one of the strongest materials in the world but did you also know that diamonds are not affected by heat?
That is why you can use the heat test to see if your diamond is real or fake.
To do this, put on heat-resistant gloves and use tongs to heat the stone before dropping it into cold water. If the diamond is fake, the quick expansion of the and contraction of molecules caused by the change in temperature will cause the gem to crack or shatter. While a diamond a diamond will not break under extreme heat..
Professional Diamond Testing
Although these tests will all weed out stones that are not diamonds, only an expert with professional tools can help you determine whether you own a real diamond. That is why if you want to be completely sure if you purchase a real diamond take your jewelry to a local store that can test the diamond for you.
In addition to training and experience, jewelers have access to loupes, conductivity probes, fine-tuned scales, robust microscopes, and many other tools to test diamonds.
Conclusion
If you are not sure if you have a real diamond or not try some of these at home methods to save you a trip to the jewelry store. But if you do want to have a definitive answer, find a trusted jeweler in your area that will test your diamond for free or for a small fee. Remember it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to making a large purchase such as a diamond or jewelry.