How to Identify a Real Diamond
by Joy McDougle
Diamonds are costly treasures. The majority of people in the market for one are looking for a good stone that is still a bargain. These days? shoppers often look to online auctions, estate sales, and online jewelers. For the most part all these options are honest businesses, but we still might worry about the diamond's authenticity.
Now that so many manufactured diamonds are available, this really is a good question. Most people have a hard time picking the real diamond from the phony one. When they're made of glass, crystals, or colorless stones, they aren't too hard to scope out. When manufacturers use cubic zirconium or Moissanite, the job gets tougher.
Your best option when buying diamonds is to have it examined by a certified diamond cutter or jeweler. While difficult when buying through an online auction, this step could save you tremendous heartache and money should the ?diamond? turn out to be something other than real. If you suspect you are being shown a cubic zirconia, you can do a few things to tell.
First, breathe on the stone. If the fog created lingers then you know the stone is a cubic zirconia but if the fog disappears quickly, the stone is real. Then, with an ink pen, try to write on the surface of the stone. If the stone is a cubic zirconia, the ink will ball up whereas it would stay in a clean line if real. Another test is to flip the stone upside down, looking through it over a piece of newspaper. If the print can be read easily and clearly, the stone is more than likely fake. Now, the one exception to this rule is that today, some shallow cut diamonds are more transparent.
Checking its weight is another way to test a stone. Cubic zirconium weigh about 55% more than a comparable diamond. Comparing it with a diamond the same size, or accessing a gram or carat scale, will help you in this situation. Another telling feature is the color. The majority of manmade diamonds (99%) look clear when viewed under a black light. What you want to see is a fluorescent blue color. Blue indicates a true diamond, but too much blue indicates one that's of inferior quality.
One more test is to place the stone under a magnifying glass. Look down on it from the top and make sure the facets are well joined and look sharp rather than rounded. In a real diamond the girdles will look frosted, instead of clear. If the stone is phony, the girdles will be waxy and slippery. There are a lot of ways to check for diamond authenticity, but these are some good little insider tips.
Copyright 2006, Joy McDougle, All Rights Reserved. This article may be published on web sites or in newsletters provided this notice and the resource box is included without ammendment.
Joy McDougle runs the Raja Diamonds, web site that focuses on a range of resources about real diamonds. For more details, go to: http://www.rajadiamonds.com Click here for other unique 'diamonds' articles.
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