How to understand that there is a diamond in earrings?
Diamond jewelry is a jewelry classic. Unfortunately, owners of such products often have questions about the authenticity of the stones. For example, if a ring or earrings were given without tags. Or, if you purchased them yourself, but for a suspiciously low price. Is it possible to independently check the authenticity of a diamond at home? Let’s try to understand this material.
What can a natural diamond be confused with?
- Cubic zirconia (zircon). Artificial stone, zirconium dioxide. It was invented by scientists from the Physical Institute of the Academy of Sciences. Lebedev (FIAN) for laser equipment, but since the 90s of the XNUMXth century it has gained great popularity in the jewelry industry. Visually very similar to a diamond.
- Moissanite (silicon carbide). The stone is found in nature, but only artificially grown ones are used in the jewelry industry. Active production of moissanite began in the 80s of the XNUMXth century. The stone has a brighter shine than a diamond.
- Rhinestone. Natural stone, natural silicon dioxide. Used to make jewelry and arts and crafts.
- Artificial diamond. A complete analogue of a natural diamond from a chemical point of view, but grown in laboratory conditions.
How to determine whether a diamond in jewelry is real or fake
It is rare that unset stones fall into the hands of ordinary people. Most often we are talking about checking the insert in a ring, earrings or other jewelry. There are several ways to test a stone.
Check with water or oil
You need to drop a drop of water or vegetable oil onto the surface of the stone (for example, this can be done by wetting a toothpick). Then you need to try to separate the drop with a needle or toothpick.
- If the drop scatters into smaller ones, there is a high probability that the frame is framed with cubic zirconia, moissanite or crystal.
- If the liquid remains a single drop, you have a diamond (natural or artificial) or moissanite with a special diamond coating.
Breath check
The method is based on the different thermal conductivities of diamonds and their analogues. To test, you need to breathe on the stone. If after several exhalations it becomes covered with condensation, you have cubic zirconia, moissanite or crystal. If the surface of the stone remains dry and does not fog up, there is a diamond (natural or artificial) in the setting.
Pay attention! Thermal conductivity testing is the only option that you can potentially use outside the home, such as in a store or pawn shop, to check the authenticity of a diamond.
Ultraviolet testing: not very reliable
You can find information that by placing a stone under an ultraviolet lamp, you can determine whether this is a real diamond or an analogue. The first thing that is important to know is that natural diamonds can have varying degrees of fluorescence: from bright to completely absent. If you have a luminous stone in front of you, pay attention to the color of the glow: in a natural diamond it will often have a blue tint, less often green or yellow. Moissanite gives an orange-red glow, other stones give a gray one.
Rice. 1. Various options for natural diamonds to glow under ultraviolet light
It is worth noting that luminous natural diamonds are very popular in the USA, so most of the fluorescent stones go to America. As for artificial diamonds, they usually glow under UV, but unlike natural ones, they do not go out immediately, but can glow for up to a minute after the lamp is turned off.
Hardness test: why it no longer works
Diamonds are notoriously hard, so you may hear recommendations to scratch the stone with something hard (such as a diamond-tipped tool). In this way, it is really possible to damage cubic zirconia, but not moissanite, since in recent years the technology of covering them with a super-thin diamond film (CVD technology) has been almost universally used. As for man-made diamonds, they will pass the test with the same ease as their natural counterparts.
Pay attention! We do not recommend testing diamonds for authenticity this way because you may damage the stone if it turns out to be fake.
Where to buy diamond jewelry so as not to worry about the authenticity of the stones
To summarize, let’s say that the only guaranteed way not to make a mistake with a stone is to purchase jewelry only in trusted stores and with diamond certificates. No self-respecting organization will jeopardize its reputation by offering synthetic analogues under the guise of natural diamonds.
Our showroom offers a wide range of diamond jewelry: rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants and necklaces. You can be 100% sure of the quality and naturalness of the inserts: all jewelry has diamond certificates from the independent gemological center of Moscow State University. The certificate contains all the information about the stone: weight, cut shape, color group and clarity. The document must also indicate the number and link to the report from the laboratory.
We are glad to see you on the pages of our jewelry blog. Today we will tell you how to quickly and easily distinguish a diamond from a fake at home.
You will learn:
- What is a certificate and what information should be included in it? What is the difference between a real and an artificial diamond? Moissanite – what kind of animal is it and what is it eaten with =)
- How to buy a real diamond and check its originality at home or in a store?, 7 easiest ways to protect yourself from fakes and determine the authenticity of a diamond.
In Ukraine, diamonds costing over $10 are subject to mandatory certification. A code or symbols are applied to the base of the diamond with a laser, which will be indicated in the quality certificate. This will not only help you be confident in the authenticity of the gemstone, but also in the event of repairs to the jewelry, you will know that you will receive exactly it back. Please note that engraving will in no way affect the jewelry quality of the stone.
A diamond certificate is issued by jewelry laboratories that evaluate a stone based on 4 characteristics: color, clarity, weight and perfection of cut.
The most popular laboratories in Ukraine are GIA, AGSL, LGP, PGGL. A diamond can also be assessed by a certified gemologist, who must be a member of a professional organization.
Of course, smaller diamonds can also be certified, but then their cost will increase significantly.
When purchasing jewelry with small diamonds, pay attention to the tag. It must contain not only information about the metal, but also a description of the precious stones.
(photo of tag)
One of the many advantages of our workshop is that we always issue a certificate for the diamonds that we set in the product!)
So, the main artificial diamond in the jewelry world is moissanite. This stone is grown in laboratories and is completely used as jewelry inserts in precious jewelry. In order not to waste words, let’s compare the characteristics of a natural diamond and artificial moissanite.
| Characterization | Moissanite | Diamond |
| Origin | Artificially grown | Nature |
| Price for 1 carat (stone diameter 6.5 mm) | 300-500 $ | 10 000 $ |
| Refractive index | 2.97 | 2.42 |
| Purity of light | Perfectly clean stone | Possible inclusions and cloudiness |
| Dispersion (play of light) | 0.104 | 0.044 |
| Density | 3.22 | 3.51 |
| Polishing line on the surface of the edges | Unidirectional | Multidirectional |
| Girdle surface | Polished | Matt or beveled |
No matter how they sing odes to us about moissanite and its miraculous characteristics, it is still not a real diamond, but a fake one. Yes, it is much more expensive than cubic zirconia or cubic zircons, which are often used instead of diamonds, it is stronger and has an excellent play of light, but this is not the only reason why a cut diamond is valued?!
Do you want to learn how to quickly and easily check a diamond for authenticity? Remember our simple tips:
- Breathe on the gemstone. On a real diamond, the surface will remain unchanged. Artificial moissanite or zircon will immediately fog up for a few seconds. Moreover, if you exhale several times on a fake, droplets of condensation will begin to collect on the surface. Easy and simple, isn’t it? ,Place the stone on a newspaper or a dot drawn on white paper. A diamond bends and refracts light so sharply that you cannot see a letter or a dot through it. But through a fake you can easily discern what is painted under the stone.
- The reflection of a real diamond lies only in shades of gray. If your stone plays with all the colors of the rainbow, it is most likely moissanite. Moreover, experienced jewelers try to smooth out the excessive play of light and select a blind setting for the stone. Scratching the diamond. The fact is that a genuine diamond cannot be scratched under natural conditions. Some jewelers even recommend scratching with sandpaper, but do not forget that some sandpapers are made using diamond dust, which can noticeably damage the surface of the gemstone.
- An ordinary ultraviolet lamp will help you distinguish the authenticity of a diamond. Most natural diamonds will glow under it with a bright blue color, but the presence of a blue, green, yellow glow indicates an artificial origin.
Always be on your guard when purchasing diamond jewelry. We do not recommend choosing such jewelry in small kiosks/shops in markets or other crowded places. Buy diamonds only from trusted workshops that issue a diamond certificate.
Always yours, Centaurus Jornal
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