|
|
|
| |
How to Identify a Real Diamond |
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.
Ideally, you should have any diamond checked out by a legitimate jeweler or certified diamond cutter. It’s hard to do that when you’re buying from an online auction site but it’s worth it to find a way. You could lose a lot of money and be dreadfully disappointed if you learn you bought a fake. There are some things to do if you think you’re being shown a cubic zirconium.
The first test is to breathe on it and see how long the fog from your breath lasts. If it’s gone in an instant, the stone is a diamond, but if it stays for a minute, you know you’re being duped. Next, write on the stone with an ink pen. If it forms a ball, it’s a cubic zirconium. If it’s a diamond, you’ll be able to draw a line. The third test is to turn the stone over and try to read some newsprint. If you can make out the words and they look pretty clear, then you more than likely are holding a fake. Keep in mind though, that some real diamonds are of a shallow cut. In that case you could probably also be able to read the paper through it.
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.
|
|
|
