5 simple ways to spot a fake diamond
Spending heaps on a diamond wedding ring or jewellery piece only to find out it’s fake can turn any bloke’s blood boil like crazy. Who wouldn’t, right?
Sadly, instances like this aren’t as uncommon as you might think. In this day and age, dodgy fellows will do anything for that extra moolah (money)—like making a fool of naive customers.
Fake diamonds are either made from cubic zirconium, moissanite and other synthetic crystals. The biggest difference between a fake and an authentic one is their flaws and perfections. A real diamond will have subtle imperfections like inclusions and blemishes. A fake diamond is completely clear of inclusions.
So, to make sure you bought a genuine one, do these five simple ways to determine your diamond’s authenticity.
Check its transparency
Simply have a newspaper or any paper that has writing on it laid out on the table and try to read through the diamond. If you can see through the diamond clearly, it’s fake. A real diamond refracts light, making it almost impossible to read through it—while a fake one doesn’t.
Fog test
This one is the easiest of the five since you just need your breath and the diamond in question. Simply breathe on the gem and see if it’ll fog up. Since diamonds couldn’t retain heat well, there won’t be any fog created. As for the fake diamond, a fog will appear for a short time.
Fire test
This one is a bit extreme, but if you really want to determine whether it’s real or not—then grab a lighter and a pair of tweezers! Have a glass of cold water ready while you heat up the diamond for about 30-45 seconds. Once heated, drop it immediately and see what happens. An authentic diamond will remain unaffected while a fake one would definitely shatter—or even melt!
*Reminder: Only do this test on diamonds that aren’t attached to any jewellery. *
Use a loupe
A loupe is a magnification scope that you can usually find dangling on a jeweller’s necklace. It has a 10x magnification, or even higher. You can buy one in some jewellery stores or you can just get it online.
As mentioned before, a fake diamond will not have any inclusions or any imperfections whatsoever. It’s completely perfect—which, of course, appeals to anyone who loves perfection. The real gem will have certain inclusions like small crystals and tiny cracks (which are referred to as ‘feathers’).
Scratch test
Diamonds are also famous for their durability, they can’t easily be scratched or broken into pieces. For this test, just rub it on sandpaper and see if there are visible scratches. If there are, it’s a fake.
Only diamonds can cut or scratch other diamonds. In fact, jewellers use diamonds to mechanically cut other diamonds.
It’s unfortunate that fake diamonds circulate the market nowadays. Anyone can be a victim of such a scheme.
So, if you’re currently searching for high quality custom engagement rings, always go to certified jewellery stores. They’ll happily offer you 100% fair dinkum (genuine) diamonds!
