Yes, some diamond simulants can pass a diamond tester. For example, moissanite, a man made gem, may pass as a diamond on a standard tester pen. This is because moissanite also has very high thermal conductivity! Other diamond simulants, such as
Common diamond simulants include cubic zirconia, white zircon, white topaz, white sapphire, moissanite, white spinel, quartz (rock crystal), and glass.
True diamonds have high density and should quickly sink to the bottom of the glass. Fake diamonds are not as thick, and therefore, more likely to float in water. This test is not always foolproof. Some materials that make up fake diamonds, such as cubic zirconia and moissanite, can sink if they are heavy enough.
The way that diamonds reflect light is unique: the inside of a real diamond should sparkle gray and white while the outside should reflect a rainbow of colors onto other surfaces. A fake diamond, on the other hand, will have rainbow colors that you can see inside the diamond as well.
Artificial diamonds have certain inclusions that are not clear even under a loupe. Jewelers and gemologists use special equipment to determine a diamond's origin. But, some lab-grown diamonds have inclusions that may appear under a loupe. If you need a lot of training to discern between the two.
This means that diamond jewelry is often imitated and sold as a real diamond. If you have been sold a fake diamond it is most likely to be CZ (Cubic Zirconia), an imitation created in a lab. While some choose to knowingly buy and sell CZ gems, others attempt to exploit the industry and sell them as real diamonds.
A fake diamond will have rainbow colors that you can see inside the diamond. “People have a misconception that diamonds sparkle like a rainbow, but they don't,” Hirsch said. “They do sparkle, but it's more of a gray color.
Because loose diamonds are so dense, they should sink to the bottom when dropped in a glass of water. Many diamond fakes – glass and quartz included – will float or not sink as quickly because they're less dense.
Using a flashlight is a good way to start on how to tell if diamonds are real. Testing diamonds in this way will give a good indication of whether to proceed with further tests. Hold the diamond in the light from the flashlight, and observe how the light reacts with the stone.
While it's true that most diamonds, as products of nature, will have inclusions, it is a myth that diamond imitations, whether they are natural or synthetic, will not have inclusions. Inclusions are the result of a gem's crystal growth process. In fact, inclusions help gemologists identify natural and synthetic gems.
A diamond tester uses a heated needle tip to cause heat transference when placed on the stone. This is based on the tester's principle of operation, where different gemstones have varying degrees of chemical structure that allow them to conduct heat and electricity inversely.
To test if a diamond is real, you will need to place the tip of the tester on the stone's surface and detect the rate at which heat or electricity moves through the gem. If the diamond is genuine, the device will indicate that on the display and give a sound signal.
We all love how a diamond shines in the sunlight. Test your stone by putting it in direct sunlight and examining the colors it reflects. A real diamond will reflect both rainbow colors as well as white light. If you only get one of the two, then the diamond isn't real.
Ultraviolet Light: About 30% of diamonds will glow blue under ultraviolet lights such as black light. Fake diamonds, on the other hand, will glow other colors or not at all.
When you place a real diamond underneath an ultraviolet light, the stone with fluorescence in it will turn blue. But it's important to know that this will only happen with about one-third of all diamonds. A fake diamond, on the other hand, will almost never look blue under a black or UV light.
While the market for lab-grown diamonds isn't as large or powerful as earth mined diamonds, there is still a resale value for lab-grown diamonds. The resale value typically depends on the carat and quality of the diamond. But it also depends on the commodity market for diamonds which is constantly fluctuating.
Simulated diamonds are also known as diamond simulants and include things like cubic zirconia (CZ), moissanite, and YAG. They can also include some natural clear gemstones like white sapphire, white zircon or even clear quartz.
The most common diamond simulants are high-leaded glass (i.e., rhinestones) and cubic zirconia (CZ), both artificial materials. A number of other artificial materials, such as strontium titanate and synthetic rutile have been developed since the mid-1950s, but these are no longer in common use.
Get a glass full of water and simply drop your diamond into the glass. If the diamond is real, it will drop to the bottom of the glass due to the high density of the stone. If it's a fake, it will float on the surface of the water.
The Heat Test
A real diamond will show no reaction; a fake is likely to shatter. This rapid expansion and contraction of heat will cause weak materials like cubic zirconia to crack and shatter.
One carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams. A 1 carat diamond is about 6.5mm in diameter on average. Whereas a 2 carat diamond is approximately 8mm in diameter.
The free 4Cs app for Android is downloadable in English and Simplified Chinese. The GIA app is also available for iOS. A retailer version, designed for use at point of sale, is downloadable for free from GIA's retailer support site www.retailer.gia.edu.
Will Lab Made Diamonds Pass The Diamond Tester? So, because both earth-mined and lab-grown diamonds are formed from crystallised carbon, lab-made diamonds will pass any diamond tester they come across.