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Diamonds – Are They Real or Fake?

Diamonds are costly treasures. The majority of people in the market for one are looking for a good stone that is still a bargain. These days’ shoppers often look to online auctions, estate sales, and online jewelers. For the most part all these options are honest businesses, but we still might worry about the diamond’s authenticity.

Now that so many manufactured diamonds are available, this really is a good question. Most people have a hard time picking the real diamond from the phony one. When they’re made of glass, crystals, or colorless stones, they aren’t too hard to scope out. When manufacturers use cubic zirconium or Moissanite, the job gets tougher.

Ideally, you should have any diamond checked out by a legitimate jeweler or certified diamond cutter. It’s hard to do that when you’re buying from an online auction site but it’s worth it to find a way. You could lose a lot of money and be dreadfully disappointed if you learn you bought a fake. There are some things to do if you think you’re being shown a cubic zirconium.

The first test is to breathe on it and see how long the fog from your breath lasts. If it’s gone in an instant, the stone is a diamond, but if it stays for a minute, you know you’re being duped. Next, write on the stone with an ink pen. If it forms a ball, it’s a cubic zirconium. If it’s a diamond, you’ll be able to draw a line. The third test is to turn the stone over and try to read some newsprint. If you can make out the words and they look pretty clear, then you more than likely are holding a fake. Keep in mind though, that some real diamonds are of a shallow cut. In that case you could probably also be able to read the paper through it.

Another test is to check the weight. A cubic zirconia stone will weigh 55% more on average than a real diamond. If you have a similar size and shape diamond or have a gram or carat scale, the stone’s weight can be compared to help you determine – real or fake. Many real diamonds have fluorescence blue when placed under a black light but 99% of the manmade diamonds do not. Therefore, try holding the stone under the black light, looking for a medium to strong appearance of blue. If you see this, then the stone is real. While this will tell you if the diamond is real, keep in mind that the bluer the color, the lower quality the diamond.

You can also place the stone under a magnifying glass. Look at the facets from the top and see how they are joined. In real diamonds the facets have sharp rather than rolled edges. The girdles should be faceted or frosty, rather than clear looking. If they are too resinous or slippery, you know the stone is not a real diamond. These tips should help you make sure you get your money’s worth when you buy a diamond.

Copyright 2006, Joy McDougle, All Rights Reserved. This article may be published on web sites or in newsletters provided this notice and the resource box is included without ammendment.

Article Source: http://www.a1-articledirectory.com

Joy McDougle runs the Raja Diamonds, web site that focuses on a range of resources about real diamonds. For more details, go to: www.rajadiamonds.com

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