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Authenticity of a diamond at home. Useful information about precious stones: signs of a real diamond

One of the easiest ways to avoid acquiring a fake is to contact jewelers with an impeccable reputation. If there are none in the environment, before buying a diamond, ask for a certificate of authenticity. In the absence of such a stone, you should not buy: you run a great risk of running into a fake.

If a stone or jewelry with it has already been purchased, then it is possible to conduct an examination for the authenticity of a diamond. Professional appraisers in special laboratories will not only tell you whether your diamond is real or not, but will also evaluate its value.

Colored or fancy diamonds are especially rare and expensive. They are mined in very small quantities - only a few dozen pieces per year.

Intimate luxury: how can diamonds reflect your style?

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Checking the diamond yourself

1. At home, you can conduct a fairly simple test. Polish the diamond with a special cloth and just breathe. Perspiration does not linger on a diamond for a second, unlike the surface of a fake.

2. A real diamond will never be cut in silver or other inexpensive metal. A sure sign fakes are also scratches on the surface of the stone - the diamond is strong enough, and there should be no damage on it.

3. A diamond should not shine through - if you could read letters through a stone, for example, newspapers, then this is definitely not a diamond. However, the opacity of the stone is also not a guarantee of authenticity.

4. Properly cut diamonds sparkle and reflect light, unlike fakes, which will always look dull against a real diamond, despite the perfect cut.

5. There is also an electronic tester that can always distinguish a fake from a real diamond, with the exception of moissanite (diamond simulant). But in this case, to figure out whether it is moissanite or a diamond, this method can help. If a stone is lowered into a liquid with a specific gravity greater than 3.17 ( specific gravity moissanite), the diamond will sink to the bottom while the moissanite will float.

Moissanite is not inferior to diamond in its properties. And if all you need in a decoration is sparkle, color or white flashes, then this jewelry stone may well replace an expensive diamond for you

Diamond or cubic zirconia

Zirconia is an artificial diamond, or a non-precious synthesized stone created from zirconium dioxide. Their similarity exists not only in form appearance, but also for some physical indicators. But, despite this, it is still possible to distinguish them. First of all, cubic zirconia is much heavier than a diamond. True, when we are talking about a piece of jewelry, it is quite difficult to estimate the weight of the stone itself. You can try to identify the stone by its facets - cubic zirconia has somewhat rounded edges, unlike a diamond. Diamond, as a rule, has even, pointed and straight edges.

Any owner of a diamond or who wants to become one will not refuse to verify its authenticity. Especially if not small funds are invested in the purchase.

It is rightly considered that a competent assessment is only possible for specialists: jewelers, gemologists. However, there are ways to establish the origin without the use of "special equipment", at home.

Let us consider in more detail how to distinguish a diamond from a fake visually or using the usual means.

Visual Methods

These methods are simple, accessible to everyone, describe how to identify a diamond quickly and 100% safely. Let's consider them in more detail:

Testing at home

Eat simple ways how to determine the authenticity of a diamond using ordinary objects or devices, for example:


NEVER test a diamond for strength with a hammer: genuine and fake will crumble in the same way.

Think carefully before scratching less valuable items. The needle will leave a mark on them, but why spoil the beautiful and expensive pebbles?

Myths and special verification

The ingrained belief that a genuine diamond is not visible in water (“diamond clean water”) is erroneous: water and diamond have different refractive indices of light. An exceptionally pure crystal can become invisible in a glass of water, only from a side view and through the glass.

It is believed that a gemstone can be assessed at home by weight and size. But the weight of diamonds is measured in carats, and even a large five-carat specimen is only one gram. Only a “ruler” with the same jewelry scales can measure its diameter with the required accuracy. It is unlikely that in the house, if its owner is not a gemologist or jeweler, there will be such ultra-precise devices or comparison tables.

Another way to distinguish a real diamond from a fake has been invented - by X-ray. He will not "see" a real diamond, but he will recognize imitations. The method is effective, but it is available only in the laboratory or in the X-ray room of the hospital.

A successfully acquired "diamond" during the test may turn out to be:

  • glass;
  • quartz;
  • cubic zircon;
  • lead crystal;
  • white topaz;
  • white sapphire;
  • cubic zirconia;
  • moissanite.

The question of how to distinguish a diamond from natural white topaz or sapphire is easily solved: the first is softer, the second has no contrast between light and dark edges.

More difficult with cubic zirconia or moissanite. These artificial diamonds are also attractive and almost identical to natural ones in physical properties (for example, they can scratch glass).

Fianite is a crystal of zirconium dioxide. Dishonest people make it "brilliant" cut. However, there are signs that reveal the origin:

Moissanite delivers even more trouble: it is found in nature, but only in space, and on Earth it is present mainly in the remains of meteorites. They learned to grow it so well that this synthetic stone shines brighter than a diamond.

It is not affected by hydrochloric acid. Differences are only in a gray-green tint and inclusions in the form of needles or prisms. Effective method identify it without special equipment - direct the light. If the stone begins to shine like a rainbow, then it has a double refraction. This is not the case with a diamond.

Technology is advancing, and even gemologists find it increasingly difficult to distinguish natural stone from man-made. Their chemical or physical properties are almost the same, their external attractiveness is also impeccable. In parallel, chemists are improving in how to identify a diamond, to distinguish it from a fake.

Both natural and artificial crystals. Beauty, craftsmanship, exclusivity are always in demand.

In this article:

A diamond is the most expensive gemstone used in jewelry making. The brilliance of diamonds fascinates every person, but it is worth remembering that this stone is not the only one that can have radiance and brilliance. A copy of a diamond may be cubic zirconia, which costs many times less, but this is not the most worst case. It is not uncommon for a diamond offered to a customer to be a piece of ordinary cut glass. Every person who has diamond jewelry at home or wants to acquire such a luxury item is wondering how to identify a diamond at home.

diamonds

framed stone

It should immediately be clarified that self-checking the authenticity of a diamond will not allow you to get 100% reliable result. The thing is that for a thorough analysis of the stone, you will need special equipment, reagents and, of course, experience and knowledge. Therefore, if a person wants to conduct a professional examination of a diamond, then he should show the stone to a gemologist.

The framed diamond is the stone that instructs jewelry: rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets and more. How to test a diamond? You can determine the authenticity of such a diamond using the following methods:

  1. Breath test: diamond, which is the raw material for the production of diamonds, is able to dissipate heat directed at it. This property of a stone can be used to determine its authenticity - just breathe on a diamond. If condensation forms on the stone or the surface fogs up, then most likely the diamond being checked is a fake.
  2. Examination precious metal: products with diamonds a priori cannot be made of low-grade gold and silver of any even the highest standard. You can check the authenticity of a diamond by examining the appearance of the entire product. First of all, attention should be paid to the stigma with a sample. If the item is made of gold, the standard of which starts from 585, or platinum 900-950, then there is a high probability that a real diamond is present in the jewelry. But the stamp with the letters C and Z should alert a person, since such a mark is placed on products instructed by cubic zirkonia - synthetic diamonds.
  3. Jeweler's Loupe Test: The stone to be tested should be carefully examined through a magnifying glass. A real diamond cannot be perfectly transparent, so the presence of impurities of other metals, even if they are microscopic, is considered the norm for a diamond. Also, under a magnifying glass, you can see that in fact the color of the diamond is heterogeneous, which is also a characteristic of a genuine stone. If a person found that the gem is absolutely transparent, then most likely it is an imitation.

Jewelry loupe test

If the diamond has no setting

How to distinguish a diamond from a fake if the stone is not placed in a frame:

  1. Evaluation of the refraction of light by a stone: You can recognize a diamond by its property, such as the refraction of light that passes through the stone. A diamond is a stone that has highest score(index) of refraction of light, so its radiance does not change even after professional cutting. An exception to the rule may be the case when the stone has a disproportionate cut. How to determine the authenticity of a diamond: you can take a newspaper and put a stone on it with its upper side. If letters are visible through the stone, then this can be regarded as a sign of a fake. The thing is that through a genuine gem it will not be possible to see the font and individual letters. How can you still check a diamond at home, using the features of its light refraction: you need a white sheet of paper and ball pen. A dot is drawn on the sheet, and the stone itself is placed on it. After the point should be considered through the stone. If the gem is true, then the image cannot be seen.
  2. Reflection Check: The reflection (it's not sparkle!) of a true diamond has gray shade. If a person sees iridescent highlights on a stone, then there is a high probability that he does not belong to diamonds.
  3. Test with a glass of water: if you throw a gem into the water, it will immediately sink to the bottom. Imitation glass will float on the surface.
  4. Temperature contrast: for 30 seconds, the stone should be heated over an open fire, after which it should be abruptly lowered into a glass of ice water. Any other mineral, including an imitation of a diamond, will turn into crumbs.

It is not uncommon for a product to contain moissanite instead of a diamond, a precious stone that has much in common with a diamond. It is unlikely that these 2 gems can be distinguished from each other at home, so in this case it is advisable to contact a gemologist.

Gemstones have always been the object of desire for most people. And now many are not averse to acquiring beautiful decorations with shining crystals. However, scammers, who are always ready to use any opportunity to enrich themselves, use various ways for deception. And the most popular is to sell ordinary cheap glass under the guise of a diamond. Therefore, it is very important to have an idea of ​​how to distinguish a real diamond from a fake.

Gemstone professionals know exactly how to determine the authenticity of a diamond and give helpful tips. By following them, you can learn how to tell a diamond from glass and make sure your crystals are real.

You can find out in front of you whether a diamond is real or not, using bright light. For this test, you need to direct a beam of light at the sample that you are testing. If you have a glass fake in front of you, then the light beam will be reflected from the surface. And if this sample is genuine, then the beam will penetrate inside the crystal, concentrate at one point and spread from the center, uniformly illuminating each facet.

The next way to distinguish diamonds from fakes at home is also based on the inherent properties of this mineral. physical properties. natural crystals have the ability to noticeably distort the rays that pass through them. Therefore, if you put a pebble on a piece of paper with a printed text (you can take a newspaper), then you can check this method, how to distinguish a diamond. Through a genuine sample, you will not be able to make out the letters, and if you have a piece of glass in front of you, then you can easily read the inscriptions through it.

Well, if you have the opportunity to compare your sample with a really real stone and a well-defined fake. To do this, you need to look very carefully and carefully at the crystals, using a good magnifying glass with a sufficiently powerful magnification. If we compare diamond with zircon, then the latter's edges are not so sharp, and sometimes you can even notice their bifurcation. In glass imitation, the edges are completely blurred and covered with tiny cracks.

Other methods for detecting a fake

The question of how to check the authenticity of diamonds at home has always worried the owners of such jewelry. Therefore, it is clear where so many ways came from, many of which really work, and some can only sow doubts.

It has long been believed that a diamond reveals its authenticity best in water. It is believed that a crystal placed in a liquid will become completely invisible, which will prove that it is real. However, this method will work only if the test sample belongs to a small number of stones that are of the highest purity and the absence of any defects. But using this verification method, you can also identify another fraud that unscrupulous jewelry manufacturers resort to. So, in the water it will become clear whether the stone is prefabricated, namely, it will be possible to determine the place of docking of a real mineral and a cheap imitation. Therefore, if a diamond is lowered into water, its maximum reflection angle will increase or decrease, we can clearly say - no.

The next way to determine whether a diamond is real or not is to test its hardness. As you know, diamond is the hardest material. Therefore, if you draw on its surface, for example, with corundum, then no traces should remain. The same result should be if you use sandpaper.

If you do not know how to check a diamond in a ring, then pay attention to how this crystal shimmers. It is a mistake to believe that such a jewel will shimmer brightly with all the colors of the rainbow. Natural mineral will shine beautiful shades gray color. Bright overflows will mean a fake or a stone of very low quality.

Signs of a real gem

If you buy diamond jewelry in a jewelry store, then you must be sure to provide a certificate for stones indicating the number of faces, which should be 57. In addition, the crystal frame cannot be made of cheap metal either and must have an appropriate mark (sample). There should also be data that will allow you to determine the size (in carats) and determine the clarity of the diamond. In a laboratory or workshop, there is more than one device for this.

If you doubt the authenticity, you can contact the specialists who will use a special device during the verification. This is important, because an unscrupulous seller may not say what is in front of you, whose properties are very similar to the original.

There are a few more signs of how to identify diamonds:

  1. Even if you are in a jewelry store, you can breathe on the piece. The real crystal will not fog up, and the glass imitation will fog up immediately. Another method of verification is based on the existing properties of thermal conductivity - a natural stone stays cool in the hands.
  2. If you put a drop of oil on a stone, then natural stone she will be able to stay on the glass surface, and the fake will not be able to repeat this.
  3. It also matters how a diamond behaves in ultraviolet light. If a real mineral gets under the radiation, it will glow brightly and sparkle with blue light. Fakes will not give such an effect.

Even after learning how to identify a diamond, in case of any doubts, it is best to give it for verification to specialists who will establish its authenticity with a 100% guarantee using special equipment.

These tips will help you distinguish between a direct copy and a . Get ready to carefully examine the diamond, from all sides, carefully considering it unique opportunity refraction of light.

1) A stone that is not enclosed in a frame can be put on a sheet of a newspaper or magazine, it doesn’t matter, the main thing is that there is a text. If letters are visible through, and even more so they increase in size, this is a fake. A true diamond will not allow you to see either numbers or letters, and even more so will not work as a magnifying glass.

2) By shining a flashlight on the stone, you can also check it for authenticity. A real diamond does not transmit light through itself, but only a light areola around will tell about the genuineness of the diamond.

3) you can check the diamond by breathing on it, if it remains clean and transparent, then in front of you genuine stone because diamonds are excellent conductors of heat. But glass, quartz and others will instantly be covered with fog. But it should be noted that there is a stone called moussanite, which, most likely, will stand up to such a test.

4) Having looked closer at a true diamond, you can find on its surface various inclusions, quite scanty, of other minerals that were formed as a result of its formation. However, bubbles are not related to this, they can only be on fake stones.

5) A real diamond cannot have worn edges or rounded edges.

6) When buying a "diamond" know for sure - in front of you is a fake of pure water, because real diamond costs a lot of money.

7) If you purchase a product with , please note that backside it should be open so that you can view the stone from all sides, besides, it should not be mirrored.

8) Despite the super strength of a diamond, it can be easily scratched by a piece of metal or glass, so it is better not to resort to similar method checks.

9) There is an erroneous opinion that a diamond should shimmer differently. All shades of gray - that's what testifies to the authenticity of the diamond.

10) By placing a diamond in water, you will be able to see if your stone is made from a combination of real and fake material, which is also practiced. A seam will be visible in the water, if any.

Sources:

  • diamond in water

Diamond- this is a precious stone, the most expensive of all existing. In nature, it occurs as a mineral whose distinctive property is its exceptional hardness. Jewelry with a diamond were and remain the most desirable. Only a gemologist or an expert in the field can verify the authenticity of this stone. jewelry art. However, if you need to purchase a diamond without the involvement of specialists, apply several tests to verify its authenticity.

Instruction

Gently rub the diamond sandpaper. If scratches appear during this process, then this is a fake. However, this paper should not include diamond chips, otherwise you can ruin the stone.

Weigh the stone. Often passed off as a diamond, zirconium is much heavier than a gemstone. You can use this verification method if you have a table that indicates the correspondence between size and weight in grams or carats.

If the stone is in a setting, then check how it corresponds to the status of the stone. A genuine diamond is not set in a cheap frame. It should have a stamp indicating the quality of the metal.