How to Tell If a Diamond is Real
When shopping for fine jewelry, top notch quality is expected. The last thing you want is to find out years down the road, you paid real-diamond prices for fake cubic zirconia or moissanite. The only way to conclusively spot a fake is to have an expert examine the gem under specialized equipment. Still, you can perform several at-home tests to help you tell if a diamond is genuine or not. If you still have questions, contact our highly skilled jewelers and talk to us about quality estimates.
- Sparkle test: Hold the gem under a lamp or in direct sunlight. If you see bright shimmers of white and colored light coming off of it, the stone is probably a real diamond. Cubic zirconia sparkles less and gives off a more orange-tinted sparkle.
- Fog test: Breathe hot air on the gem as though you’re trying to fog up a window. If the fog dissipates quickly, it’s a real diamond. If the fog lingers, the gem is likely a fake.
- Setting and mount: Diamonds are highly valuable, so they’re only set in bands of high-quality materials. Check the inside of your diamond ring for markings such as 10K, 14K, or 18K, which indicate the gold karat, or “PT,” which refers to platinum. If you see a “CZ” engraving, the gemstone is cubic zirconia.
- Water test: Drop a loose gem into a glass of water. If it sinks, it’s a real diamond. If it floats, you have a fake on your hands.
- Transparency test: Draw a small dot on a piece of paper and set a loose gem flat-side down on top of it. If you can’t make out the dot through the pointed end of the stone, it’s a real diamond. If you see a circular reflection inside the gem, it’s a fake.
- Magnification test: While not as powerful as the loupe a jeweler uses to examine diamonds, a magnifying glass can help you tell if a diamond is real. Look for blemishes and imperfections called inclusions, which are only present in natural diamonds
- Blacklight test: Most diamonds emit a blue-colored glow under a black UV light, though not all do. Also, some fake diamonds give off a green, gray, or yellow fluorescence. Because the results are not conclusive, you’ll need other ways to tell if a mounted diamond is real.
- Heat test: Hold the gem with pliers and heat it with a lighter for 30 to 40 seconds. Then, drop it in a cup of ice-cold water. A genuine diamond will not react, while a cheap fake will shatter.
At DazzleMe.com, we deal in real diamond earrings and other gorgeous jewelry sure to suit your fancy. Every piece we sell has been examined and priced by a trusted, in-store jeweler boasting decades of industry experience. To shop for fine jewelry at consignment prices, please check out our online store today. One of our jewelers would be happy to answer your questions about a piece that catches your eye.
