What is a diamond afraid of?

When purchasing products with a real diamond, we want to be completely sure that we are not purchasing a fake, veiled as an original. As the well-known folk wisdom says: “Trust, but verify,” therefore, an important role is given to accessible tests at home or in a jewelry store. We will help eliminate the possibility that instead of a diamond stone you will find yourself the owner of a sparkling fake.

What are the natural characteristics of a diamond?

1. Highest hardness. The diamond is able to withstand many tons of pressure and is not prone to scratches. Its hardness is 10 out of 10 on the Friedrich Mohs scale.
2. fragility. Despite its hardness, diamond is “afraid” of impacts. When struck by a heavy object, it can break like glass.
3. Impressive refraction. Myriads of silvery sparkles can be seen when light falls on the diamond.
4. Dispersion. According to this characteristic, the diamond is a recognized leader. No other mineral tends to produce such shine.
5. Luminescence. Ultraviolet radiation gives the diamond a deep bluish glow.
6. Acid resistance (except hydrofluoric acid).
7. Loyal to high temperatures. Resistant up to 8500C.

It is the above data that will help you independently distinguish a diamond from semi-precious stones if it is not possible to consult with a jeweler.

And how can you distinguish a real diamond or confirm its authenticity?

How to verify the authenticity of a diamond. Counterfeit diamonds. We look carefully and distinguish the real signs of diamonds!

What are the real signs of diamonds?

1. Stone cutting. The unmounted stone is accompanied by a certificate certifying authenticity of the diamond. If it is designed as an insert, then the tags indicate purity, carat, and cut type.
2. Margin of safety. A favorite for durability, treated diamonds have sharp edges, unlike simulants, which have rounder edges.
3. Shimmers in the light and shine. Under the influence of ultraviolet light it shimmers very brightly and multifacetedly. This is its main property, indicated in the name, because brillant means brilliant. And this shine cannot be compared with any other.
4. Has an invisible cut. In a diamond inserted into a product, you cannot see the top of the cut.
5. No wobble. A cut diamond is securely fixed in a piece of jewelry. If the insert is “dangling”, then this should immediately alert you.
6. Has a gold or platinum frame.
7. Format. Diamonds sold in jewelry stores are often round in shape and cut with 57 facets.

Modern technologies have been able to create a number of artificial stones identical to diamonds. By themselves, in jewelry, they look amazing, giving the products shine and charm. But, unfortunately, unscrupulous manufacturers often use them as counterfeits. These are cubic zirconia (zircons), moissanites and rock crystal.

You can have purchased diamonds checked professionally by contacting a jeweler. Express diamond analysis takes 7-10 minutes and is done using a special diamond detector, guaranteeing accuracy of determination for all characteristics. Use all of the above methods together, and the error will be eliminated!

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Engraving jewelry is a great way to add unique charm and originality to a piece of jewelry. An engraved bracelet, pendant or ring acquires additional value, becoming a memorable gift for a loved one for many years. Thanks to elegant fonts and intricate patterns, jewelers are able to immortalize the most sincere feelings. There are two main types of engraving: when making a new product, milling, and laser engraving of finished jewelry. Both methods have their own distinctive features and advantages.

Is it possible to distinguish gold jewelry from a fake without going to a specialized store or jewelry maker? There are several proven methods. We will help you save on specialist services by quickly and reliably testing gold at home. Of course, the characteristics of gold alloys vary, and this will also reflect the reaction of the noble metal to various testing methods. Let’s look at this issue in detail.

TOP 10 reliable ways to determine the authenticity of gold..

The first pair of children’s earrings is always a special and memorable decoration that the little lady will undoubtedly be delighted with. Especially when it comes to children’s earrings with diamonds, shimmering with extraordinary beauty of their facets. No matter how fashion trends change, such a piece of jewelry will forever remain a wonderful reminder of childhood. Earrings for girls with diamonds are the embodiment of the most reverent feelings and emotions associated with the first style lessons, the desire to please, radiating beauty.

Diamond, “how much has merged in this sound for a woman’s heart. ” Most of us immediately imagine a precious diamond, shining with facets and highlights. In ancient times, the origin of this mineral was considered divine; today there are even cosmic theories among scientists on this subject. Which, meanwhile, does not prevent us from inventing more and more new methods for synthesizing diamonds that are almost identical to natural ones.

The ineradicable desire of mankind to acquire these minerals at any cost is due to the fact that this crystalline carbon with a special structure has a number of unique qualities:

– Firstly, the property of diamond that has “made the image” of the mineral since ancient times is maximum hardness, 10 out of 10 on the Mohs scale. No steel, no material in the world can compare with it. And one more thing: noble stone, like gold, does not dissolve in acid.
– Secondly, the unique properties of diamond, which are especially relevant today: it is a dielectric with the highest thermal conductivity, which melts at 800-10000C in oxygen and at 40000C without oxygen.
– Diamond is also capable of luminescing, i.e. shine.

The structure of a mineral – a crystal lattice of atoms connected by covalent sigma bonds – has long been no secret, but how and under what conditions is this structure formed?! The technology of creating diamond has always been interesting because of its demand in the jewelry industry, but today everything is much more serious: this unique material promises special prospects for special electronics. After all, semiconductors created on diamond, unlike silicon, can operate at temperatures above 1000 0 C. So, it is not jewelers, but serious innovative industries that today consume the largest volume of diamonds and stimulate the development of technologies for the artificial synthesis of this mineral. Scientists joke: “if this diamond is good for nothing, we’ll use it for diamonds.”

The classical theory associates the formation of natural diamonds with processes in the upper part of the mantle at a depth of about 150 km, which are characterized by high pressure and temperature. Attempts to recreate these conditions for obtaining the precious mineral began in the 50th century, but only in the XNUMXs of the XNUMXth century were they crowned with success in the USA, South Africa and Russia. Today there are several technologies for synthesizing artificial diamonds:

• The method for producing HPHT diamonds is to maintain a temperature of 14000 C and a pressure of 55000 atm. “Seed” diamond crystals 0,5 mm in diameter are placed on a layer of graphite, on top of which is an alloy of metal catalyst, and then pressed graphite. Under the influence of temperature and pressure, the covalent pi bonds of graphite are converted into sigma bonds of diamond. Synthesis takes from 4 to 10 days, depending on the size of the future stone. By the way, using this technology in 2015, in 300 hours, the New Diamond Technology company (St. Petersburg, Russia) created a record-breaking synthetic diamond weighing 32,26 carats, from which, after cutting, a unique diamond weighing 10,02 carats was obtained, registered by the International Gemological Institute (IGI) in Hong Kong.

• The technique for creating CVD diamonds or film synthesis involves the deposition of carbon atoms from gases. Again, the seed is placed on the substrate under vacuum conditions, which is then filled with a hydrogen and methane atmosphere, which is heated by microwave rays to 30000C. Carbon is released from methane and deposited on a cold seed, forming a very pure crystal without metal and nitrogen impurities, which is almost indistinguishable from natural. The technique is constantly being improved, and although so far the size of the synthesized diamonds is no more than 1 cm, within five years stones up to 10 cm in diameter will be obtained, and their cost per carat will not exceed $5.

• Explosive fusion – this technology is based on the detonation of explosives. True, the crystals are small, but they are practically natural, since this method is considered to be the closest to natural.

• Laser synthesis. In 2015, diamond was synthesized from amorphous carbon using a high-power laser in the United States, and the resulting material, so-called Q-carbon, surpassed diamond in its properties. It turned out to be denser and stronger than the natural mineral, since approximately a quarter of all carbon atoms in it had sp2 hybridization, as in graphite, and the remaining atoms were similar to diamond atoms. In addition, the new material has ferromagnetic properties, and when Boron atoms are added to its structure, it becomes a superconductor!

Needless to say, at such a pace of technology development, the shock and awe of diamond mining companies, accustomed to their monopoly on the world market for these minerals, becomes understandable. Although so far artificial stones make up only 10% of the world turnover, and homological examination almost always distinguishes “diamond synthetics” due to the inclusion of metals, characteristic growth sectors and luminescence, but soon De Beers and Alrosa will be noticeably squeezed out by innovative companies and laboratories.

And one more thing: on the basis of new technologies, a business related to the synthesis of so-called “memorial diamonds” is beginning to develop! Imagine, the body of the deceased is cremated, graphite is made from the ashes, and diamond is synthesized from it using one of the listed methods. All that remains is to cut the stone and insert it into a piece of jewelry, and now the happy customer wears on his chest a shining diamond from the remains of a person dear to him.