The safest practise when buying diamond jewelry is to go to a reputable jeweler, who will always advise exactly what you are buying. And whenever you buy a diamond over half a carat (50 points), you should always ask for an independent certificate from a reputable gem laboratory like the GIA or a reputable valuer. That way you can always be confident that when you buy a diamond, it will be a genuine one.
But what if you buy smaller diamonds, or find loose stones from an heirloom piece, how do you tell if they are real diamonds or not without going to a lot of expense? Here are five rough and ready ways to help you tell if your diamond is a fake or the genuine article.
The Print Test
Place your loose gemstone, top side down (pointed side up) onto a piece of newspaper so that it covers some of the print. You will not be able to see the print of newspaper through a genuine diamond. However, you will be able to read the newspaper through fake diamonds, such as cubic zirconia.
The Breath Test
This test needs another gemstone for comparison to work. Breathe on the gemstone and note how long it takes for your breath to evaporate. Genuine diamonds repel water vapour noticeably faster than other gemstones, whereas fake diamonds do not.
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The Wear and Tear Test
Diamonds are the hardest known natural substance on Earth. So the flat facets and sharp facet edges of a genuine diamond will not smooth off over time. In contrast, fake diamonds such as cubic zirconia will show signs of wear or even damage along the facet edges.
The Flaw Test
Unless it is a very rare flawless gemstone, genuine diamonds contain flaws. These can be colored specks of carbon, wispy feathers or white curled lines, or included crystals. Flaws are a sign of a genuine diamond. Imitations invariably have perfect clarity.
The Refraction Test
Genuine diamonds and moissanites are the only two gemstones which can pass a thermal probe test. However, you can still tell a genuine diamond easily from a moissanite with this test. The internal facets of a diamond refract light entering the gemstone better than almost any other gemstone. However, moissanites refract light twice over. This means that when you look into a moissanite gemstone, the number of back facets seems to be doubled, giving a blurred double vision effect. This effect is absent in genuine diamonds.
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