Top 5 Quickest Ways To Tell if Your Diamond is Real

Buying a loose diamond or any kind of diamond jewelry is always a considerably expensive endeavor. A smart person, however, makes sure that he gets his money’s worth or more, when purchasing something, regardless whether it is cheap or expensive. After all, nobody wants to get swindled, right?

It’s well and good to do some pre-purchase research before heading to your local jeweler, but as they say, when you are n the thick of it, everything goes out the window. Shopkeepers can talk fast and talk sweet, and while you can certainly bring your own diamond tester, you won’t easily find a jeweler who will allow you to toy with his merchandise.

Or say you came into possession of a piece and want to make sure if it is of any value, what would be a couple of good ways to put your mind at ease and perhaps, save you a trip to the local jeweler or appraiser?

While nothing will be able to replace the opinion of a trusted jeweler, here are some quick but reliable ways you can resort to.

1. The Dot or Newsprint Test – This can only be done on loose diamonds since you will need to lay the stone on its table, which is the largest flat surface of the diamond. Table face down, put the diamond over a dot made by a marker, or over some print. You’ll be able to read the print through a fake diamond, but it will look like a blur in a real diamond.

Beware of moissanite though; of all diamond stimulants, moissanite imitates real diamonds the closest. If you see signs of double refraction, that is, a distinct doubling of images through the facets, then most probably is moissanite.

2. The Fog Test – This is a good test to use on diamonds which are already mounted. Breathe on the stone as you would to fog glass. The fog should go away almost immediately on a real diamond. Heat disperses a lot quicker on a real diamond because of its unique molecular structure.

3. Check for inclusions – Inclusions are flaws, either internal or external, which occur naturally in a diamond. Although there are flawless and internally flawless diamonds, these are very rare, and inclusions are difficult to replicate in a synthetic diamond. While you are under the loupe, you might want to check the facets as well. The facets of a real diamond should be straight and sharp, not dulled or chipped.

4. Check the metal it is mounted on – A real diamond will only be mounted on metal which is comparable to its value. Only 18k gold, white gold, 900 and 950 platinum is good enough. Check the inside of the ring for stamps which indicate the purity of the metal used.

5. Ask for the Certificate – Why bother with hit and miss methods when you can ask for the diamond certificate? Also known as a diamond certificate, this is the best proof of your diamond’s authenticity. There are a number of gemological labs which issue diamond grading services but your best bet would be to look towards GIA and AGS certified diamonds.