There are several tricks to distinguish a real diamond from a fake with the naked eye. They can provide you with clues, raise or confirm doubts, but be careful, they do not allow for a sure and certain identification.
How to recognize a diamond with the naked eye?
Before seeing How to recognize a real diamond, it is important to remember that this very hard stone (Mohs scale: 10), with its splendid shine, can only be authenticated with a gemstone appraisal by a professional gemologist. Or, you buy a diamond with its laboratory certificate.
For recognize a diamond with the naked eye, do the light test. It simply consists of checking how the stone reflects light. This trick allows you to detect stones called moissanites (SiC). It is less effective for zirconium oxides (ZrO₂), having a brilliance and “fire” quite similar to diamonds. Fire is the dispersion of light into spectral colors, much like a rainbow. And with moissanites, it is more accentuated than real diamonds.
THE fake diamonds are mostly zirconium oxides, synthetic stones that are widespread and imitate the appearance of diamonds very well, but are much cheaper.
Although popular, the fog test is the least reliable of all the small tests you can do yourself to identify a diamond. It's best to use a 10x magnifying glass, which can show you if the stone is damaged, in which case it's not a real diamond. Even though diamonds are very hard, don't try to scratch glass with a stone.
With a magnifying glass power 10, already, you should see if there are possibly small inclusions, which is never the case with the synthetic diamonds and often the case for diamonds. Same principle as for recognize a sapphire.
Generally speaking, even if it does not always allow you to detect everything, of course, a magnifying glass is useful for recognize a precious stone.
Read on our blog: How to propose an engagement?
How to recognize a rough diamond?
It is extremely difficult to recognize a rough diamond of a synthetic diamond, because they look very similar. In fact, it is even more difficult than recognizing a real cut diamond from a fake. Call on our service of gemology in Angers or Paris, and we can help you obtain a certificate, if you are in possession of a genuine diamond.
Good to know, however: a genuine rough diamond is never symmetrically perfect, unlike some imitations. A real diamond does not normally float in water or sink quickly, while fake diamonds are lighter, but this is not always a reliable method.
Also discover: How to recognize a ruby.
How to recognize a diamond on a ring?
To recognize a diamond ring, some find papers allowing the identification of materials, especially the certificate of authenticityOtherwise, light dispersion can sometimes raise doubts, as it is truly characteristic of a genuine diamond.
The stone seems to shine from within, with a beautiful light that seems to reflect on all the facets and then, depending on the lighting conditions, it takes on different aspects.
It's a beautiful, animated phenomenon, and that's what makes diamonds such exceptional stones. But for recognize a beautiful diamond on a ring, or not mounted, a zirconium or another stone, synthetic or natural, it is better not to trust its impression and to resort to an expert appraisal.
