Forget the proposal, probably the scariest question you’ll ask yourself is whether or not the ring you ordered online has a real diamond or a fake. After all, don’t you just want to make sure? While most people would only trust this kind of work to a professional jeweler, you definitely don’t have to.
All you need to know is know about these simple tricks to find out if your diamond is the real deal, or a dud.
Trick #1: It’s All in the Breath
That’s right, just breath on the sucker.
You can use the fog produced by your breath as a way to tell whether or not the gem is real. That’s because most gems, diamonds in particular, have an excellent ability to disburse head and moisture across its surface.
Real diamonds won’t allow the fog to coalesce around them for longer than a couple of seconds. If you perform this test, and the fog sticks to the gem longer than a few quick moments, it’s probably a dud.
In fact, with each puff, a fake diamond will get foggier and foggier with each puff. Real ones will stay nice and clear.
Trick #2: Check the Engraving
If you check the setting or the band, real precious metal will have some kind of number on it with a ‘K’ indicating carat. If the ring is platinum, it will have either a PT or a Plat stamp inside.
If pure metals are used to hold the gem in place, then it’s likely to be a real gem. Fake gems won’t get the royal treatment when it comes to settings and bands.
And, if the band says C.Z., that means that the gem is Cubic Zirconia, or, fake diamond.
Trick #3: Can you read through it?
A diamond’s refractivity is very strong. That means that light which enters it is heavily distorted. Glass, on the other hand, has little to no refractivity, enabling you to see perfectly through it.
With that in mind, there are two really good ways to see if what you’re holding is fake by measuring its refractivity.
The first method is to place the stone on a newspaper or a book and see if you can make out the letters beneath it. If you can, it’s definitely a fake. A diamond will completely distort the text, making it impossible to read or make out.
The other method is to draw a small black dot and see if placing the diamond on top will obscure it. With a real diamond, you won’t be able to tell it’s even there.
Trick 4: It’s Black and White
Real diamonds don’t reflect colors; they reflect various shades of gray. In order to really tell, you’ll have to stare directly down into the diamond. If you see a rainbow, it’s fake.
Trick #5: Light it up
Place the stone under a lighter’s flame for about 30 seconds, then drop it into a glass of cold water. There are two things to look out for.
First, if the stone shatters when it enters the water because of a fast temperature change, it’s fake.
Second, if the stone floats at all, it’s fake.
Diamonds are extremely tough and their atomic structure is one of the densest on Earth. It’s virtually unbreakable, so it won’t shatter the same way other glass or quartz would. And, because it’s so dense, it will sink to the bottom of a glass of water every time.
Author’s short Bio:
Diamond and Gold Warehouse was founded by Barry Hirsch over 35 years ago in South Africa. After crafting his knowledge in all facets of the diamond industry, Barry expand his diamond business to Dallas, TX over 25 years ago. Since then, Diamond & Gold Warehouse has been built by excellent customer service, and has established itself as a major supply of diamonds to companies across the US, and abroad. Diamond & Gold Warehouse is an A+ rated member of the Better Business Bureau and are members of accredited diamond & gemstone associations.