Diamonds have always made for fantastic gifts and are a great way to express your love to someone.
The very first record of diamond used as engagement rings was back in 1477 by Archduke Maximilian of Austria as he proposed to Mary of Burgundy.
Since the Archduke proposed diamonds weren’t as widely used until 1947 when De Beers advertised them for their impressive longevity and diamond’s popularity skyrocketed.
Purchasing a diamond is a very emotional purchase as you will be most likely buying one for a person you love or as a gift to someone you appreciate.
Sadly, diamonds can be faked, which can easily have you wondering if whatever you purchased is real or not.
There is more than one type of fake diamonds, which makes it harder to discern whether what you purchased is authentic or a fake.
A diamond is not cheap and purchasing a fake one can affect you both emotionally and economically. If you are worrying whether a diamond in your possession is the real deal or just another stone then let me provide you a few great ways to determine a diamond’s authenticity.
Always ask for the diamond’s certification:
A certified diamond will always give you proof that your purchase was indeed authentic.
The certification provided must also have no grammatical errors, have good quality paper, have information on the diamond’s grading (Color, clarity, and cut) and also be within the three top grades: IGI, AGS, and GIA.
Be sure the certification you are receiving is authentic and printed properly. If unsure you can always head to another diamond expert to verify whether the certification you got is real or not.
Testing a diamond’s authenticity:
Usually, it is very easy to determine if a diamond is fake or not if you know what tests to perform.
A loose diamond will always be easier to test as one already mounted on a setting is usually expected to hide some imperfections such as inclusions or stains.
The following tests can help you determine the authenticity on a diamond, though always remember that testing a loose one will provide favorable results than a mounted one:
The fog test:
Real diamonds don’t fog easily, so you can determine whether what you have is a diamond or not by breathing at it.
The best way to perform this test is to place the diamond on top of a mirror and check if the mirror clouds along with the diamond or not.
If the diamond stays fogged for a few seconds after you breathe on it then most likely the diamond is fake.
Be sure to measure with the mirror and check if both diamond and mirror fog and de-fog at the same time, if the diamond doesn’t fog or quickly de-fogs then there is a good chance the diamond is authentic.
The magnifying glass test:
Another good way to test the authenticity of a diamond is via the magnifying glass test. Real diamonds have imperfections known as inclusions; even high-quality ones do.
If you carefully check the diamond with a magnifying glass and you can’t find a single imperfection then most likely the diamond is fake. Only a diamond graded FL (Flawless) will have no imperfections, and these are very rare and expensive.
Inclusions on diamonds are very hard to see with the naked eye from grading VS2 and anything above. Check your diamond’s certification and if it is not clarity graded FL and still appears without a single inclusion, then yours is most likely a fake one.
The water test:
One of the easiest ways to test the diamond is by using a glass filled with water. Simply grab the diamond and place it into the glass, if the diamond floats then it’s fake and if it sinks its real.
A real diamond has a high density and will always sink when dropped into water. If the diamond floats either on the top or middle of the glass then do not think twice, because what you got surely isn’t a real one.
Looking for both authentic and affordable diamond jewelry can be quite a challenge if you don’t know where to purchase it.
Be always sure you properly test any diamond you are unsure of and ask for its certification when purchasing a new piece.
A diamond is a great purchase but always be sure you properly test it to ensure what you are getting is the real deal.
