How To Determine A Fake From A Real Diamond

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The simplest, most honest answer to the question of how to tell a real diamond from a fake is "get a professional to test the diamond." That may seem brutal, or you may have heard that there are ways that clever people with jewelers' loupes can just take a peek and know which stones are real and which are fake, but the truth is that it is becoming harder and harder to determine a "real" diamond even for trained professionals, and it is dangerously difficult for amateurs.

These are some hard rules to follow. If you are thinking of buying a diamond already in a setting, examine the setting and look for a metal stamp inside the band that will show the grade of gold, i.e., 10k, 14k, 18k, or Pl (platinum), as if you see these markings indicating a quality setting, it increases the odds that the stone mounted in it is real. 

If you have a powerful magnifying glass or a jeweler's loupe, examine the girdle-band and edges of the cut stone. One way to tell if it is not real is to look at the edges, if they appear soft and have a rolled appearance than you can be sure it is a fake. So does a clear, waxy-even strap where the facets get together and alter direction around the "belly" of the stone.

Likewise use the loupe to look into the stone for flaws: minor flecks, inclusions, tiny fractures. These were created naturally and are difficult to copy. Natural diamonds are worth the most when they are flawless and diamonds with minor flaws are not easily seen by most consumers.

Generally, weight may be utilized as a normal indicator for those types of things. Many materials used for fakes are heavier or lighter than real diamond: in particular cubic zirconium, the most common fake diamond, is a bit heavier. You need a precision scale and few genuine diamonds to be able to compare them.

Never try to scratch glass using your diamond. When checking jewelry for content do not use acid tests primarily used on metals. If you smash a diamond it will crush like any other crystalline substance.  You can try fogging the stone: a pure diamond shifts the heat fast enough to clear the stone before you can look at it. Thats a small hint, no more, and its far from fail proof. Be careful about composition diamonds, which have a base of one material and a table top made of diamonds, this will pass a diamond tester, but be relatively worthless.

When you want to know for sure if the diamond is truly real, you must have someone reputable give it his opinion of it. That is why extra caution should be used when choosing a new jeweler, and each new gem or stone should have come with a certificate of authenticity. Each stone is unique and the documentation can go a long way to establish your stone.. A professional jeweler, working with trustworthy sources, would be dependable, helpful, and capable of ensuring you an absolute grade of appraisal.

Not making any negative generalizations, but be quite cautious when having a stone appraised at a chain jewelry store.  These example businesses show the positive aspects of mass production and distribution as well as the negative aspects. Chain jewelry stores while competent in themselves still will not give you the expertise of a higher end store or assessment business.

Make sure to take the time to learn the background, licensing, and experience of the assessor after checking online or in the yellow pages for advertisements. The best indicators of a skilled jeweler, is someone who is licensed, a journeyman from a traditional trade program, or someone who used to be a stone dealer.

Be sure that they test the stone in your presence if you are bringing it in. This is to escape swapping from dishonest jewelers.. If you are turned down, turn around and just walk out. Ask for full documentation if you are purchasing a stone. Identifying real diamonds is difficult enough to make even pros think twice and look three times.

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