Have you ever been skeptical of the authenticity of a loose diamond you wished to purchase? Have you wondered whether or not your local jewelry store is offering you a real deal? Even in the case of a gift or inheritance, you will want to know that you have got a true diamond and not a counterfeit piece!
Purchasing a diamond is one of the most significant investments you will ever make, and it is utterly devastating to be deceived with a diamond hoax! Although a diamond is indeed a precious and unique stone, it can still be mimicked. To protect yourself against such deals, here are a few tests that can help you know the authenticity of your stone!
1. The Fog Test
Unlike your windshield, mirror, and even your sunglasses, a real diamond can’t get fogged easily! Try blowing hot air from your mouth on the stone and if the fog disperses within a second or two, thank goodness your diamond is real! But if the layer of fog stays any longer, the chances are that the stone you are holding is not a diamond as only the non-diamond stones can hold the heat longer. However, before you begin with your test, make sure that the piece in question is completely clean and free of any oily substances.
2. The Magnification Test
It’s time to scrutinize your piece of stone even more closely. Put the piece in question under the microscope and evaluate its appearance. A real diamond has flaws, except a rare few! These imperfections or inclusions take shape both on the interior and exterior surfaces as the diamond is formed naturally, sustaining all the environmental pressures. Other stones such as cubic zirconia or moissanite are created in labs to look like a diamond and will have no imperfections whatsoever. To understand the imperfections of a diamond, you’ll first need to evaluate a real diamond and then compare your stone in question with it! If you don’t have any diamond with you, you can visit your local jeweler for help!
3. The Fire Test
Diamonds are formed over billions of years under intense heat and pressure. This means a real diamond won’t get damaged if it is put through a fire test. Hold the diamond directly on the flames for about 30 seconds and immediately drop it in cold water. A real diamond remains unharmed while a fake one will shatter into pieces. The reason: the minerals weaker than the diamond can’t handle this fast expansion and contraction rate, and thus their particles collapse easily.
4. The Black Light Test
Most diamonds have fluorescence in them that can cause your diamond to give out a blue hue when exposed to ultraviolet or black light. On the flip side, a fake diamond remains unchanged under the UV light! However, you must also know that this does not happen with all the diamonds. And so the result of this test should not be deemed conclusive.
5. The Conductivity Test
This last test requires you to take your piece of diamond to a trusted local jeweler as it is performed using electricity. With the increasing invasion of moissanite in the diamond market, most jewelers keep an electricity tool handy to tell the real apart from the lab-created quickly. While a finely crafted moissanite can look like a natural diamond and deceive the naked eyes, it can’t resist electricity like a real diamond. This amazing quality of the diamond can help you be sure that your piece is real!
Contact Loudoun Exchange & Jewelry If your diamond fails in all the first four tests, you have likely got a fake diamond. Whereas, if your diamond passes any of the first four tests, there is a good chance that it is a real diamond! In order to be completely sure of your piece of diamond and for the fifth test, take the diamond in question to a gemologist or your local jeweler such as Loudoun Exchange & Jewelry. An official jewelry appraisal can help you easily determine whether the suspect diamond is genuine or not!
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