Don’t we all love the glimmer of diamonds and the timelessness and elegant classiness that they stand for? Besides, diamonds are pretty precious too. That’s why every time before we invest in them we want to know their authenticity.
This is pretty normal since there are several fake ‘diamonds’ that can be mistaken for real ones. These include zircon, colorless topaz, and white sapphires, etc. They look quite similar to diamonds but gradually with time, they lose their sheen and start looking grimy. But this is what you get to know after you have made the purchase.
So how do you test the diamond that you are about to purchase for its authenticity? Here are some simple but proven ways to know for sure:
- Do the fog test: Diamonds disperse heat very fast, which makes it impossible for them to fog up. This is where the ‘fog test’ comes in. To test whether a diamond is genuine, fog it with your breath. If the fog clears up instantaneously, say within a second or two, then the diamond is real. If it stays fogged for more than three-four seconds, you’re looking at a fake.
- Try the water test: This is probably the simplest way to ensure that your diamond is real. Take a glass of drinking water and fill it halfway with water. Now gently drop your stone into the glass. If it sinks immediately, it is real and if it floats down, it’s a fake. This happens because real diamonds have higher density, hence are heavier and sink fast.
- Check the stone’s mounting: If you want to check the authenticity of a diamond that has already been mounted in a ring, check the quality and type of mount that has been used. A real diamond ring will be set only in precious metals like yellow or white gold or platinum. Look for markings like PT (Platinum) or 10K, 14K, 18K, etc. that denote the quality of gold. If you see C.Z (Cubic zirconia), .925 (silver), etc., this means that the stone is not real.
- Read through your stone: This is a way to test the genuineness of the diamond by testing its refractivity. Place your stone by its flat side on a newspaper and ensure that no shadows are being cast on it and it is clean. If you can clearly read the newspaper’s letterings, the diamond is fake. If you see rainbow-like colourful streaks of light and cannot read the letters, you have a real stone in hand.
- Use a magnifying glass: Using a good-quality magnifying glass and hold up the stone in front. If you don’t find any imperfections and the stone appears to be flawless, you have a fake stone. Almost all of the real diamonds have flaws, which are known as inclusions.
- Try the fire test: This fire test is one of the most accurate tests to know about the authenticity of a diamond. Use a lighter to light up the stone for around half a minute and drop it in cold water. If it’s real, the stone will remain unharmed. If it’s a fake, you will soon see it shatter to pieces. This happens because diamonds can withstand very high levels of heat, almost up to 3,500°c!
So now that you know how to check if your stone is real or fake, go ahead and buy that solitaire ring without second thoughts! However, since the investment is huge and a diamond is an emotional purchase, we recommended that you combine a few tests to be doubly sure. And if you are still unsure, you can always see a jeweler to review your stones.
