5 Ways To Spot Fake Diamonds

Diamonds are natural stunners, whether dug out of the ground or grown in a laboratory. But fake diamonds! They can be a living nightmare for every jewelry lover. As a matter of fact,  without a little know-how there’s only so much you can do to find out whether your diamond is real. If you’re having doubts about the authenticity of an inherited or gifted loose diamond, you’re in luck because we bring you 5 ways to  spot fake diamonds.

Before you take the plunge with any of these ways, clean your gem with a lint-free cloth. A clean, dust-free gem is easy to examine by performing the following tests.

Thermal Test

Diamonds are extremely good conductors of heat. They disperse heat quickly because of their dense crystalline structure which is not the case with fake diamonds. The thermal test determines the thermal conductivity of the stone in question. To perform the thermal test, you will need a diamond tester. A diamond tester is a portable, pocket-size device with a needle tip. Follow these steps to perform the test: 

1. Set the diamond tester to the Diamond setting and wait for about 30 seconds for the needle tip to heat up. 
2. Directly place the needle tip on the stone and notice the electric LED bar while doing that.
3. If the electric LED bar goes all red, the stone could be a real diamond or moissanite. On the contrary, the stone is a fake diamond if there’s not much reaction with the LED bar.

Diamond testers test positive for both diamond and moissanite because moissanite is also an excellent thermal conductor. As per the International Gem Society, synthetic moissanite has been used as a gemstone since the 1990s. So, if you have an antique loose diamond that passes the thermal test, there are chances that it’s a real thing. On the contrary, if your diamond isn’t from an earlier era, you might want to get it examined by a trusted jeweler.  

Facet Doubling Test To Spot Fake Diamonds

Diamond is a single refractive gemstone with a high refractive index. However, many diamond imitations feature facet doubling. Therefore, one of the best ways to tell fake diamonds is by checking their facets with a jeweler’s loupe or magnifying glass. Take a jeweler’s loupe or magnifying glass and examine the stone through its table facets.

Look from multiple angles through the crown facets to see whether the stone has sharp, clear-cut facets instead of frizzy or squiggly facets. If the facets aren’t sharp and precisely cut, there’s a high chance that the stone is a fake diamond.

The Water Test

The diamond’s crystalline structure comprises tightly-packed carbon atoms. The relative density of a diamond will make it quickly sink in water. In that sense, you can tell fake diamonds by dropping them in water. Take a glass of water to perform the water test. Drop the stone in the glass and notice the time the stone takes to sink to the bottom of the glass. If the stone doesn’t immediately sink to the bottom of the glass, it’s not a diamond.

The Fog Test To Tell Fake Diamonds

As with the thermal test, the fog test determines the thermal conductivity in a stone. To perform this test, pick the stone and breathe on it. How long does it take for the fog to disappear? If the fog disappears within a couple seconds, your stone isn’t a fake diamond. On the contrary, if the stone stays foggy for a while, there’s a high chance that it’s an imitation.

The Newspaper Test

The newspaper test is based on the high refractive index of diamond. To perform the test, you simply need a newspaper with a dot marked on it. Place the stone face down on the newspaper covering the dot. Then, look through the stone and try to spot the dot or read the letters. If you can spot the dot or read through the stone, there’s a high chance that it’s a fake diamond.

When light passes through a diamond, it slows down and bends because of the stone’s dense crystalline structure. The high refraction of light in a real diamond would distort letters or figures, making it impossible to read through the stone.

Final Words

While these at-home tests fit the bill for pre-owned, inherited or gifted jewelry, you can’t perform them when buying a diamond engagement ring or other jewelry item to be confident in your purchase. The only super-easy trick to buy an authentic diamond jewelry item instead of a fake diamond bling is shopping from a reputed jeweler like us.

To begin with, we offer only certified natural & lab-grown diamonds and natural color gemstones. All our gemstones are certified by independent and credible gemstone laboratories such as GIA & IGI. When you buy a diamond or color gemstone jewelry piece from us, you get a certificate of authenticity with your purchase.

Moreover, our prices are more than 50% lower than that of the other retailers because we directly sell to end-customers, avoiding the overhead costs of traditional retailers. So, a GemsNY diamond jewelry piece should definitely be on your checklist if you can’t compromise with authenticity & budget!