scaupus
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I found a diamond stud earring yesterday, but figured it was fake. It's about 3/4 carat in size.
I picked up a UV light today and the stone fluoresces a deep blue, which indicates a diamond, although not a good one, as the lower the quality, the bluer the stone will fluoresce. In addition, it passes all the tests I could do on it without removing it from the mount:
the girdle is frosty, condensed breath evaporates from it almost instantly, I cannot read through it, using a loupe it appears to contain inclusions, and the facets are sharp not rolled, and it scratches glass (not supposed to do that as it can damage the stone). Also the facets are shades of gray, not colored, and you cannot see the bottom through the top table.
So, I think it's a diamond. Here are the tests you can do at home:
[size=10pt][size=10pt]"The transparency test. Flip your diamond upside down and place it over some newsprint. If you can clearly read through the stone, it's not a diamond. (Beware, some low cut diamonds or stones such as emeralds can be read through.)
The fog test. Put your diamond in front of your mouth and fog it like you would fog a mirror. If it stays fogged for 2-4 seconds, it's a fake. A real diamond will disperse the heat instantaneously so by the time you look at it, it has already cleared up. Oil and dirt on the stone can affect reliability and the test is not accurate at all on doublets where the top of the stone is diamond and the bottom is cubic zirconia glued together.
Test for weight. The most popular diamond simulant (fake) is a cubic zirconia. C.Z.'s will weigh approximately 55% more than diamonds for the same shape and size. Use a carat or gram scale to see if the impostor tips the scales too much.
The U.V. test. Many diamonds will show fluorescence of blue if put under an ultra violet light or black light. 99% of all fakes don't do this; so, a positive identification of medium to strong blue would indicate a diamond. Diamonds with blue fluorescence can be as much as 20% less valuable; however, lack of blue fluorescence doesn't mean it's a fake; it could be a better quality diamond.
The under the loop test. With a magnifying lens, there are some things you can look for on the stone that might give away its identity:
Look at your diamond from the top and see how the facets (the cuts on top of the diamond) are joined. They should be sharp but not rolled.
Is the girdle faceted or frosty (yes, then it's a diamond) or waxy and slick (yes, then it's a fake.)
Under magnification, look into your diamond for flaws (carbon, pinpoints, small cracks.) It's very hard to put inclusions into a fake.
Look at the stamps inside the setting. A stamp of "10K, 14K, 18K, 585, 750, 900, 950, PT, Plat" indicates the setting is real gold or platinum. This gives a better chance that the stone in it is real as well. Look for any "C.Z." stamps. This will tell you the center stone is not a diamond. "[/size][/size]
I picked up a UV light today and the stone fluoresces a deep blue, which indicates a diamond, although not a good one, as the lower the quality, the bluer the stone will fluoresce. In addition, it passes all the tests I could do on it without removing it from the mount:
the girdle is frosty, condensed breath evaporates from it almost instantly, I cannot read through it, using a loupe it appears to contain inclusions, and the facets are sharp not rolled, and it scratches glass (not supposed to do that as it can damage the stone). Also the facets are shades of gray, not colored, and you cannot see the bottom through the top table.
So, I think it's a diamond. Here are the tests you can do at home:
[size=10pt][size=10pt]"The transparency test. Flip your diamond upside down and place it over some newsprint. If you can clearly read through the stone, it's not a diamond. (Beware, some low cut diamonds or stones such as emeralds can be read through.)
The fog test. Put your diamond in front of your mouth and fog it like you would fog a mirror. If it stays fogged for 2-4 seconds, it's a fake. A real diamond will disperse the heat instantaneously so by the time you look at it, it has already cleared up. Oil and dirt on the stone can affect reliability and the test is not accurate at all on doublets where the top of the stone is diamond and the bottom is cubic zirconia glued together.
Test for weight. The most popular diamond simulant (fake) is a cubic zirconia. C.Z.'s will weigh approximately 55% more than diamonds for the same shape and size. Use a carat or gram scale to see if the impostor tips the scales too much.
The U.V. test. Many diamonds will show fluorescence of blue if put under an ultra violet light or black light. 99% of all fakes don't do this; so, a positive identification of medium to strong blue would indicate a diamond. Diamonds with blue fluorescence can be as much as 20% less valuable; however, lack of blue fluorescence doesn't mean it's a fake; it could be a better quality diamond.
The under the loop test. With a magnifying lens, there are some things you can look for on the stone that might give away its identity:
Look at your diamond from the top and see how the facets (the cuts on top of the diamond) are joined. They should be sharp but not rolled.
Is the girdle faceted or frosty (yes, then it's a diamond) or waxy and slick (yes, then it's a fake.)
Under magnification, look into your diamond for flaws (carbon, pinpoints, small cracks.) It's very hard to put inclusions into a fake.
Look at the stamps inside the setting. A stamp of "10K, 14K, 18K, 585, 750, 900, 950, PT, Plat" indicates the setting is real gold or platinum. This gives a better chance that the stone in it is real as well. Look for any "C.Z." stamps. This will tell you the center stone is not a diamond. "[/size][/size]
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