The world of diamonds is filled with imitations that look incredibly similar to genuine stones. Because of this, it can be tricky to spot a fake diamond. Also known as simulated diamonds or simulants, these gemstones can be quite indistinguishable to the untrained eye.
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With over 40 years of expertise, Diamond Registry’s CEO and owner, Nissan Perla, is your trusted guide in the diamond-buying world. Recognized by prestigious publications like The Washington Post and Chicago Tribune, Nissan’s extensive knowledge and experience in evaluating, buying, and selling diamonds are unparalleled. Our commitment to integrity, transparency, and delivering exceptional value ensures that you make an informed decision when acquiring your timeless treasure. Choose Diamond Registry for personalized guidance, education, and a curated selection of the finest quality diamonds, backed by decades of industry expertise and dedication to your satisfaction.
To tell if a diamond is real, perform simple at-home tests like the fog test (breathe on it; real diamonds clear instantly) or the water test (real diamonds sink immediately).
For certainty, consult a professional gemologist.
What is A Fake Diamond?
Before we get to the bulk of this guide, let’s get one thing out of the way first: what exactly is a fake diamond?
Contrary to popular belief, fake diamonds aren’t necessarily “fake.” Most of the time, fake diamonds are simply lookalike diamond alternatives – gemstones that look like diamonds but don’t share the same physical and chemical properties.
What is A Real Diamond?
Now that we’ve got fake diamonds covered, let’s talk about real diamonds.
Real diamonds are naturally occurring gemstones formed under high-pressure, high-temperature conditions deep within the Earth’s mantle.
Over millions of years, carbon atoms bond together to create the hardest natural substance known to man. This process results in gemstones that possess unmatched hardness, brilliance, and thermal conductivity – a.k.a. the diamonds that we know and love today.
Let’s discuss each point in more detail:
- Exceptional hardness. Diamonds score a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale. This means they can only be scratched by another diamond, making them incredibly durable and ideal for daily wear in jewelry.
- Unparalleled brilliance. Brilliance refers to the ability to reflect light. Diamonds have a high refractive index, which causes light to bend and scatter within the stone. Because of this, they create a dazzling, unmistakable sparkle.
- Superior thermal conductivity. Diamonds hold the reputation of being the material with the highest natural thermal conductivity. This means they can transfer heat pretty efficiently. This property makes them feel cool to the touch regardless of the surrounding temperature.
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At-Home Tests to Tell if a Diamond is Real
So, now that you know what real and fake diamonds are, how can you distinguish between the two? Fortunately, there are at-home tests available. These tests are easy to perform and can provide a good indication of a diamond’s authenticity.
1. The Fog Test
- Breathe on the diamond to create fog.
- Real diamonds dissipate heat quickly, clearing the fog almost instantly.
- Fakes will retain fog for several seconds.
The fog test is perhaps the easiest at-home test for testing a diamond’s authenticity. It’s also what we recommend most frequently because it can be used with both loose diamonds and set diamonds, also known as mounted diamonds.
Why it works: The fog test checks a diamond’s authenticity by evaluating its thermal conductivity. Real diamonds can dissipate heat quickly, causing any moisture to evaporate quickly from their surface.
2. The Water Test
- Drop the loose diamond into a glass of water.
- Real diamonds are dense and will sink immediately.
- Fake diamonds often float or sink slowly.
The water test is another easy test that you can use to tell if a diamond is real. However, one downside to this test is that it only works on loose diamonds, as mounted diamonds have other factors that can affect their weight.
Why it works: This simple test helps determine if a diamond is real based on its buoyancy. Real diamonds have a high density and tend to sink when placed in water.
3. The Newspaper Test
- Real diamonds refract light so much that text appears blurry or invisible.
- Place the diamond face-down on newspaper print.
- Look through the diamond. If you can read the text, it’s likely fake.
Why it works: This test works because of a diamond’s high refractive index. Real diamonds bend light significantly, distorting the view of anything behind them. Fake diamonds or other gemstones typically have lower refractive indices, allowing you to see through them more clearly
4. The UV Light Test
- Fake diamonds typically don’t fluoresce or show a different color.
- Expose the diamond to UV light in a dark room.
- Most real diamonds emit a blue fluorescence.
Why it works: About 30% of natural diamonds fluoresce under UV light due to certain mineral impurities, typically boron. This fluorescence is usually blue, though it can occasionally be yellow, green, or red. Most diamond simulants don’t fluoresce in the same way, making this a helpful (though not definitive) test
5. The Loupe Test
How to do it:
- Real diamonds often have small flaws, while fakes may look too perfect or have different types of flaws.
- Use a jeweler’s loupe (10x magnification) to examine the diamond.
- Look for tiny natural inclusions or imperfections within the stone.
- Check for sharp edges and well-defined facets.
Why it works: Natural diamonds form over millions of years and almost always contain tiny imperfections called inclusions. These might appear as small clouds, feathers, or pinpoints. Synthetic diamonds and simulants often lack these natural flaws or have different types of imperfections. The loupe also helps you examine the diamond’s cut quality, which is typically superior in real diamonds
6. The Candle/Lighter Test
What You Need:
- A lighter or candle flame
- A glass of very cold water
- A pair of tweezers to hold the stone
- The loose stone (not set in jewelry)
To check if your diamond is real, the candle/lighter test is one at-home method you can try. Start by using tweezers to hold the loose stone securely, then heat it over a lighter or candle flame for about 30 to 45 seconds. After heating, drop the stone directly into a glass of icy cold water. A genuine diamond, made of an incredibly strong material, will remain unaffected by the sudden temperature. change. However, fake diamonds, such as those made from glass, cubic zirconia, or quartz, are likely to crack or even shatter during this process.
7. The Sparkle Test
The sparkle test is related to the dot test, in that it’s based on the property of diamonds to have a high refractive index. The difference is that it assesses how the diamond sparkles and what colors are visible. The only downside is that this test might not be as effective under artificial lighting, so natural light is best.
Why it works: This test relies on the refractive index of diamonds. Since real diamonds bend and disperse light uniquely, they tend to have distinctive rainbow sparkles, with a high contrast of light and dark areas.
How to do it:
- Hold the diamond under a bright light or in sunlight.
- Observe the diamond’s sparkle. If it reflects a significant amount of light and creates a strong, vibrant sparkle with areas mixed with gray or black, it’s probably a real diamond.
- If the diamond appears dull or does not reflect light as intensely, there’s a chance it’s fake.
Bonus: 8. Conductivity Test (A visit to your jeweler)
The conductivity test is an effective way to determine if your stone is a genuine diamond or a look-alike. Diamonds have a unique property: they resist electricity. This makes testing for electrical conductivity a reliable method, especially when you’re trying to differentiate between a diamond and moissanite. While moissanite can closely mimic a diamond’s appearance and even share the same thermal conductivity, it does conduct electricity, unlike a natural diamond.
To perform this test, you will need to take your loose stone to a jeweler. Most jewelers today have an electric conductivity testing tool, thanks to the increasing popularity of moissanite in the market. By using this tool, they can easily identify whether your stone is a real diamond or a synthetic one like moissanite.
Consulting With Us
If you’re unsure about your diamond’s authenticity, we’re here to help. We have been in the business for six decades, so we know everything you need about real gemstones, especially diamonds. With Diamond Registry by your side, you can be sure that all your diamonds are real diamonds.
Of course, if you want to be sure that the diamonds you’re buying are real, look no further than Diamond Registry. Each and every single diamond we sell are GIA-certified and sold at wholesale prices. So, if you want real, quality diamonds at a fair price, contact Diamond Registry today.
Why You Should NEVER Do A Scratch Test
Many years back, a scratch test was deemed the ultimate diamond test. After all, it was easy to do, can be done anywhere, and best of all, can be done by virtually anyone.
To do it, all one has to do is to get a piece of sandpaper or glass, like the one you find in mirrors. Then, you’ll scratch it against the surface of the gemstone. Diamonds are incredibly scratch-resistant due to their hardness, so if it doesn’t get scratched, then it’s likely a real diamond. If it does get scratched, then it’s probably fake.
At least, that’s how it works in theory. In practice, however, it rarely tells the full picture, let alone the truth.
Why is that? Well, this test only works because we’re assuming that diamond is the only thing that couldn’t get scratched by sandpaper or glass, with their hardness ratings of 7 and 5 respectively.
However, if you remember our discussion about the most commonly used diamond alternatives, you’ll know that many other gemstones actually have high hardness ratings despite not being real diamonds. White Zircon scores 7.5, CZ can go as high as 8.5, and Moissanite as high as 9.25.
In other words, all of these gemstones will pass the scratch test with flying colors, even if they’re not genuine diamonds. The only way to make this test reliable is by scratching your stone with a real diamond – but it does sound absurd if you’re trying to determine whether your diamond is genuine in the first place.
That’s why we recommend using a combination of the methods mentioned above to accurately determine a diamond’s authenticity.
Can You Test a Diamond With Your Phone?
Did you know that you can also test a diamond with your phone? It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true. You can use your phone’s flashlight to conduct a sparkle test. This simple method uses the diamond’s high refractive index to provide you with a quick assessment.
Simply shine the light on the diamond and observe how it disperses the light. A real diamond will show flashes of intense light and sometimes rainbows. While not foolproof, it’s a handy tool for a preliminary check.
Real Diamond FAQs
Can you tell if a diamond is natural?
Natural and synthetic diamonds may be made from the same materials, but they do have slight differences. Through laboratory testing, experts can distinguish between natural diamonds and synthetic or lab-grown diamonds.
What are the characteristics of a real diamond?
Real diamonds have unique properties, including high hardness, exceptional brilliance, and dispersion of light, and they are often clear or colorless.
What does a raw diamond look like in real life?
Raw diamonds, also known as rough diamonds, have a dull, rough appearance and lack the sparkle and brilliance of cut and polished diamonds.
Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes, lab-grown diamonds are still considered real diamonds. They have the same physical, chemical, and optical properties as natural diamonds, after all. However, it’s still important to make the distinction between the two, as they’re still deemed different “types” of diamonds.
What looks like a fake diamond?
Many gemstones can look like fake diamonds. Cubic zirconia, moissanite, and white sapphires are some gemstones that can resemble diamonds but are neither as durable nor valuable.
