Saturday, October 22, 2011

Diamond- Real or Fake?

By Agus Rahman


Ways to inform if your diamond is true or fake.

1) Never look at a loose diamond on a white jewelers'tray. Always look at it on a piece of newspaper or printed material. If the diamond is genuine, you won't be able to read the newsprint through the facets; if the diamond is fake, it's just like looking through, well, glass.

2) One of the best test is thermal conductivity. Diamonds are extremely good conductors of heat and most jewelers have a small instrument that may measure this. No other material will match a diamond in this test.

3) The fog test. This test I like a lot. Put the rock in front of your mouth and fog it like you would attempt to fog a mirror. If it stays fogged for two to four seconds, it�s a fake. A genuine diamond disperses the heat instantaneously for this reason by the time you look at it, it has already cleared up. (Sometimes oil and dirt on the stone might effect its reliability plus the test is not accurate at all on doublets where the top of the stone is diamond and also the bottom is cubic zirconia epoxied together.)

4) Underneath the loop test. If you own some sort of magnifying lens, there are certain things you might look for on the stone that might give away its identity:

A. Look at the rock from the top and see how well the facets (cuts on top of the diamond) are joined. They should be sharp not rolled.

B. Gaze at the girdle and see if it's faceted or frosty (a clear sign it�s a diamond) or waxy and slick (an indication it�s a fake).

C. Whilst you�re looking at your stone underneath magnification, gaze into your stone to see if you detect any flaws (carbon, pinpoints, small cracks). These are typically clear indications it�s the true thing since it�s very hard to put inclusions in a fake.

D. After examining the stone, focus in on the stamps inside the setting. A stamp of "10K, 14K, 18K, 585, 750, 900, 950, PT, Plat" indicates the setting is actual gold or platinum which gives a better possibility that the stone in it is true too. While you�are looking at the interior of the ring, also gaze for any "C. Z. " stamps that would indicate the center stone is not a diamond.




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