Fake Vs. Real Diamonds - Know the Difference - By: Rachael Stone

If diamonds are a girl's best friend, and they say they last forever, shouldn't we make sure that the expensive investment of purchasing a diamond is carefully planned? It's very easy to be fooled into purchasing a fake diamond, especially if one is not knowledgeable beforehand about diamond shopping. Don't end up being fooled, and purchasing what you thought was a real diamond but is really a fake one.

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. With this, bigger diamonds tend to increase in carats, thus making them more expensive. 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. Cut is measured by percentages, so when you ask about the cuts percentage, 60% is a descent percentage and is reasonably balanced for most shapes.

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 one you can try is known as the newspaper test. To try this, put your diamond over the print on any newspaper. Try to read the newspaper through the diamond. If you cannot read it, do not worry, because chances are the diamond is a real one. If you can not read the newspaper, don't worry as the chances are higher that the diamond is a real one.

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 linger 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. It's important to test your diamonds with as many possible tests you can, to insure that your expensive purchase is real. 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.

About the Author

Many enjoy diamond stud earrings as a beautiful accent to almost any outfit. They are one of the most desired gifts one can give.

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