Diamonds are one of the most beloved gemstones in the world. They’re a symbol of love, status, power, and wealth. They’re used in various forms of jewelry from rings to tiaras, necklaces to brooches. Because of their desirability, there are many imitations out there. Some are pretty easy to recognize, while others are much more difficult to pick out. They can require a discerning and trained eye to spot, but luckily there are tricks to help you figure out if your stone is the real deal or not.

Appraisal

If you can, it might be easiest and best to take your stone to a trusted jeweler in your area. They employ experts who will be able to recognize whether the stone you bring in is a real diamond or a fake.

There are also some at-home tests that can allegedly help you. While they may be interesting to try for your own curiosity, they can't give you a definitive answer as to whether or not your diamond is real. Only a professional can give you true certification. 

The Scratch Test

Diamonds are the hardest stone and material in the world, measuring a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. This means that it has the ability to withstand most forms of damage. To perform this test, you’ll want to use the stone in question to try and scratch a piece of glass. If it leaves a mark there is a good chance that it’s the real deal--though some fakes are known for their hardness as well. You’ll want to perform additional testing to make sure it’s a real diamond just in case.

There are also some versions of this test that ask you to use a piece of sandpaper on the stone in question. You’ll definitely want to skip this one because if the stone is fake you risk causing irreversible damage to it for the sake of finding out whether it’s real or not.

The Newspaper Test

According to this test, it’s impossible to read newspaper print through a diamond. It asks that you lay the loose stone on a sheet of newspaper and try to read the letters through the stone. The claim is that diamonds refract too much light and make it impossible to decipher what’s underneath. Of course, there are a lot of factors that can affect the readability of the paper with this test, such as lighting conditions or whether the stone is clean. Therefore, this test can't give you a final answer. 

The Fog or Breath Test

Some claim that if you breathe on a real diamond it is unable to get foggy due to its chemical makeup. This test is inaccurate because it’s never clearly specified how long you are supposed to breathe on the gem nor does it take humidity into account. Real and imitation diamonds typically react in the same way when breathed on.

Want to know if your diamond is real or not? Our GIA-certified gemologists can perform an appraisal on the stone in our on-site lab. Contact us or call 480.949.9299 to learn about our appraisal service and how we can help you sell your diamond or gold jewelry.