How Do You Know If You Are Buying A Fake or A Real Diamond
- By Rachael Stone
- Published 09/16/2009
- Shopping
They say diamonds are forever. They say that diamonds are a
girl's best friend. Well, whatever it is that they say,
diamonds are an expensive investment, so one has to take
care not to get fooled when purchasing one. You might be
lured into buying a seemingly cheap one, but do not jump
right ahead and buy it. You might end up on a losing end
especially if you do not how to differentiate a fake from a
real diamond.
So how does one differentiate the two? To begin with, one
has to understand first the basics of diamonds before
shopping for them. This will help you to avoid purchasing a
fake diamond and giving yourself the ability to identify
them. This can save you a lot of time and money, so take
some time first to understand what diamonds are really are.
The Carat of the Diamond
Diamonds have four characteristics, which are carat,
clarity, color, and cut. First, the carat is the weight of
the diamond. There are five carats from every gram of
diamond. Bigger diamonds will increase in carats, thus
making them cost more money. In weighing diamonds, one has
to take the exact weight, for every point is important. To
digress, one carat is 100 points, so if someone urges you
to buy a diamond a few lines away from one gram, do not buy
it as one gram. It is important that the carat of a diamond
is measured with precision and accuracy.
The Clarity of the Diamond
Second is the clarity of a diamond. There is a system of
range in measuring the clarity of a diamond, which is by
the way, answers how clear it is. A diamond with perfect
clarity is said to be flawless, although there are also
internally flawless diamonds, which means they still have
minor blemishes, but only on the outside. Diamonds
classified as VVS1 or VVS2 have very, very small
inclusions, with the latter being more visible than the
former. VS1 and VS2 have very small inclusions while SI1,
SI2, and SI3 have small inclusions. I1, I2, and I3 have
inclusions that could be seen without using any instrument.
The Color of the Diamond
Third is the diamond's color. This can be classified using
the letters starting from D to X. the whitest diamonds are
classified as D, and the color changes, the classification
does too. There are diamonds that are different in color,
so one must not be surprised to come across with blue,
green or red diamonds. These are commonly irradiated, and
in any way, secure the guarantee of the diamond's color and
clarity. There is nothing better than being sure about your
diamonds.
The Cut of the Diamond
And fourth is the diamond's cut. This is also referred to
as the shape of a diamond, which could be oval, pear, or
round. A diamond reflects light more brilliantly if it is
proportionately cut. This can be measured using percentage,
and when you are asking for it, 60% should be good enough.
Identify Real Diamonds
Now that you know the qualities of a diamond, you are all
set to determine whether a diamond is a fake or the real
thing. The first test that you can do is to do the
newspaper test. To try this, put your diamond over the
print on any newspaper. See if you can read the newspaper
through the stone you are trying to test. If you cannot
read it, do not worry, because chances are the diamond is a
real one. Otherwise, if you can perfectly read every word,
then the diamond you are looking through is definitely a
fake.
The next thing that you can do is to do the fog test. Real
diamonds clear away quickly when exposed to fog. Other
precious stones clear out longer. If the diamond you have
just fogged is taking a bit longer to shed off its fog,
then it must be a fake.
Using a diamond tester and a jeweler's loop can also help
in detecting fake diamonds by checking the refraction of
the light and any scratches on the diamond, respectively.
Try to subject diamonds to as many tests as possible. If
the results are rather vague, secure the diamond's
certification. The most reliable certifications are issued
by the European Gemological Laboratory or the Gemological
Institute of America. Certified diamonds are more expensive
because the certification process generally costs at least
$100. Yet, this certification helps create peace of mind.
Buying diamonds is both an investment and luxury. Before
indulging in this activity though, know your real diamonds
first and protect yourself from fake ones.
girl's best friend. Well, whatever it is that they say,
diamonds are an expensive investment, so one has to take
care not to get fooled when purchasing one. You might be
lured into buying a seemingly cheap one, but do not jump
right ahead and buy it. You might end up on a losing end
especially if you do not how to differentiate a fake from a
real diamond.
So how does one differentiate the two? To begin with, one
has to understand first the basics of diamonds before
shopping for them. This will help you to avoid purchasing a
fake diamond and giving yourself the ability to identify
them. This can save you a lot of time and money, so take
some time first to understand what diamonds are really are.
The Carat of the Diamond
Diamonds have four characteristics, which are carat,
clarity, color, and cut. First, the carat is the weight of
the diamond. There are five carats from every gram of
diamond. Bigger diamonds will increase in carats, thus
making them cost more money. In weighing diamonds, one has
to take the exact weight, for every point is important. To
digress, one carat is 100 points, so if someone urges you
to buy a diamond a few lines away from one gram, do not buy
it as one gram. It is important that the carat of a diamond
is measured with precision and accuracy.
The Clarity of the Diamond
Second is the clarity of a diamond. There is a system of
range in measuring the clarity of a diamond, which is by
the way, answers how clear it is. A diamond with perfect
clarity is said to be flawless, although there are also
internally flawless diamonds, which means they still have
minor blemishes, but only on the outside. Diamonds
classified as VVS1 or VVS2 have very, very small
inclusions, with the latter being more visible than the
former. VS1 and VS2 have very small inclusions while SI1,
SI2, and SI3 have small inclusions. I1, I2, and I3 have
inclusions that could be seen without using any instrument.
The Color of the Diamond
Third is the diamond's color. This can be classified using
the letters starting from D to X. the whitest diamonds are
classified as D, and the color changes, the classification
does too. There are diamonds that are different in color,
so one must not be surprised to come across with blue,
green or red diamonds. These are commonly irradiated, and
in any way, secure the guarantee of the diamond's color and
clarity. There is nothing better than being sure about your
diamonds.
The Cut of the Diamond
And fourth is the diamond's cut. This is also referred to
as the shape of a diamond, which could be oval, pear, or
round. A diamond reflects light more brilliantly if it is
proportionately cut. This can be measured using percentage,
and when you are asking for it, 60% should be good enough.
Identify Real Diamonds
Now that you know the qualities of a diamond, you are all
set to determine whether a diamond is a fake or the real
thing. The first test that you can do is to do the
newspaper test. To try this, put your diamond over the
print on any newspaper. See if you can read the newspaper
through the stone you are trying to test. If you cannot
read it, do not worry, because chances are the diamond is a
real one. Otherwise, if you can perfectly read every word,
then the diamond you are looking through is definitely a
fake.
The next thing that you can do is to do the fog test. Real
diamonds clear away quickly when exposed to fog. Other
precious stones clear out longer. If the diamond you have
just fogged is taking a bit longer to shed off its fog,
then it must be a fake.
Using a diamond tester and a jeweler's loop can also help
in detecting fake diamonds by checking the refraction of
the light and any scratches on the diamond, respectively.
Try to subject diamonds to as many tests as possible. If
the results are rather vague, secure the diamond's
certification. The most reliable certifications are issued
by the European Gemological Laboratory or the Gemological
Institute of America. Certified diamonds are more expensive
because the certification process generally costs at least
$100. Yet, this certification helps create peace of mind.
Buying diamonds is both an investment and luxury. Before
indulging in this activity though, know your real diamonds
first and protect yourself from fake ones.