How to Tell if a Diamond is Real

Diamonds are a woman’s best friend, so says some ancient saying. While we love our diamonds, most of us prefer other things as a best friends – such as actual friends. However, we all want to know whether or not a diamond is real from time to time. If you need to test a diamond to see if it’s real, you can try a few different methods of testing diamonds.

The Fog Test

You can test a diamond for authenticity by putting it in front of your mouth and breathing on it. By the time you move the diamond to look at it, it should be clear. If it’s still foggy when you look at it, it’s a fake. Real diamonds instantly disperse heat; fake diamonds do not.

Weigh the Diamond

Most fake diamonds are cubic zirconia. You can weigh your diamond to find out whether or not it is real. The best way to do this is with a carat or gram scale. A real diamond will be right on target with what it’s advertised (i.e.: 3 carats will weigh 3 carats). However, a fake diamond will be approximately 55 percent more than the weight it is advertised.

The U.V. Test

Real diamonds will turn a shade of fluorescent blue when placed beneath a UV lamp. Fake diamonds will not. If you have a light such as this, you can test your diamond’s authenticity with ease. It’s a great way to see whether or not your diamonds are real or fake.

Have it Tested

Most jewelers are happy to take a diamond and do a few tests to see whether or not it is real. Take your diamond to the jeweler and ask them to do so for you. They can typically tell whether or not your diamond is real within a few minutes.

The Glass Test

This is a test that works sometimes, but not all the time. It’s not recommended since it can damage your diamond whether or not it’s real or fake. However, real diamonds are supposed to scratch glass. Some fake diamonds are good enough fakes that they can do the same. If you are not careful, however, you could actually do more harm than good when attempting this test.

Here is a simple video that can help you:

(Photo by Paul O’Driscoll/Getty Images)

Comments

Leave a Reply

Loading…

0