How to Tell if a Diamond is Real
by Angeline Tang
Here is how to tell the difference between a real diamond and a fake diamond:
You can tell if a diamond is real if it has Flaws.
- Cubic zicronia is optically flawless. A diamond always contains some a flaw.
You can tell whether a diamond is real by doing a Color Test.
- A cubic zirconia may display a gray tone when exposed to prolonged amounts of sunlight.
You can tell if a diamond is a fake by doing a Grease Test.
- Mark the stone with a grease pencil or felt-tipped pen. A fake repels grease. Real diamonds attract grease .
You can spot a fake diamond by checking for Clarity.
- It is probably not a real diamond if you can read though it. But, some real diamonds are cut shallow and will fail this test.
- It may not be a real diamond if the edges are not sharp or they are chipped.
You can tell if a diamond is real by doing a Fog Test.
- Create fog on your gem like you would with a mirror. If it stays fogged for two to four seconds, it may be cubic zirconia because. A real diamond disperses heat instantly. However, dirt and oil on a diamond will affect the reliability of this test.
You can spot a faux diamond using a Blue Light Test.
- A high percentage of diamonds look blue under a black light (ultra violet light). But 99% of all diamond fakes do not. However, if you do not see blue fluorescence, you have a diamond with higher value. Diamonds with blue fluorescence are sometimes 20% less in value than those that do not.
You can tell it's a Diamond by how much it weighs.
- Have the stone weighed. Cubic zirconia weighs about 1.7 times more than diamonds.
How a Jeweler can tell if a diamond is a fake.
- Have a jeweler analyze it through a magnifying lens. They should look for the cuts of the diamond (facets), check the girdle (frosty and faceted means diamond, waxy and glossy means it is a fake), spot small cracks and pinpoints (characteristics of a diamond), and locate setting stamps. Stamps that show 10K, 14K, 18K, 585, 750, 900, 950, PT, Plat increase the chances of possessing a real diamond because cubic zirconia is not often set in real gold or platinum.
How Accurate is a Diamond Test?
- Not all the tests are 100% reliable, but a diamond that passes several tests can often be trusted as a real diamond.
