Diamonds are some of the most sought after gems on Earth. Their dazzling shine is attractive to many cultures and this adds a premium to the value of a genuine diamond. Because these rocks are highly valuable, many who buy and wear them want to be sure that what they possess is a genuine diamond and not a facsimile. No one wants to pay for a leather coat and receive polyester, and no one wants their hard earned money to go to a fake diamond when they wanted the real deal. How can someone tell a real diamond from a fake one?

If you are not sure how genuine your diamond is, then the best course of action is to take it to a professional jeweler for proper appraisal. These pros have been through extensive training and are in possession of the latest technology and equipment to support their analysis when they must determine the authenticity of a diamond. You must be positive that the purity of your diamond is actually important to you because a professional appraisal will likely bring a fee of 50 to 70 dollars. If that is too much to handle at the moment, there are some methods that you can utilize on your own to tell if a diamond is real or fake.

A quite simple thing you can do to tell if a diamond is real or fake is to use the transparency test. Here, you will place the stone on a newspaper or magazine that shows easily seen text. If the words are very discernable, then the diamond is probably not the genuine article. The fog test is another easy procedure you can perform. Simply wipe the rock clean and breathe on it as you would a window to try to create a cloud of condensation on it. Real diamonds will instantly transfer the heat away and no cloud will form. Fake diamonds will retain the cloud of condensation for a few seconds.

Holding a diamond under an ultra violet light or a black light (if one is available) is another effective test for the authenticity of a diamond. True diamonds will produce a moderate to strong shade of blue under the light’s rays. Almost all fakes are unable to glow blue, so if the coloring is present, the diamond is most likely real. Furthermore, even though prisms are pretty, the presence of one when light is shone and refracted through a diamond likely exposes a fake. Real diamonds will refract light into several shades of gray.

Using these basic tests, you can quickly determine the genuineness of a diamond. They are not all that scientific, however, so there may be some errors. If you want to take the guesswork out of the equation, then you would be best served to consult a professional.

Further reading – Diamond Earring

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