Yes, a diamond can break – including a
It's easy to think that diamonds are invincible, after all, they rank as the hardest substance known to man on the Moh's scale. Unfortunately, diamonds are not without their vulnerabilities. So, yes, diamonds can break.
Diamonds can break during normal wear. You may not see anything when the diamond falls, but they can form cracks over time. If your daily job involves doing heavy tasks like lifting weights, farming or nursing, you should avoid wearing your diamonds daily when performing heavy activities.
If you're serious about finding out whether your diamond is real or fake, you can put the stone through a fire test. Use a lighter to light the stone for approximately 30 seconds before dropping it in cold water. If it's a real diamond, the stone will remain unharmed, but if it's fake it will shatter to pieces.
Any forceful impact on diamonds can cause them to chip. When it comes to diamond rings, for example, the diamond cut can impact how easily it can chip. This is because some girdles and points on the diamond are more exposed to being hit off surfaces when going about your everyday life.
Diamonds don't shatter when exposed to high heats.
Fake diamonds, on the other hand, cannot handle heat nearly as well because they are made of weaker materials. To test the authenticity of your diamond, heat it with a flame—like a lighter—for 30 to 45 seconds.
Real diamonds should not float. To perform the floating test, all you need is your stone and a glass of water. Drop the diamond into the water. True diamonds have high density and should quickly sink to the bottom of the glass.
Simulated diamonds are also known as diamond simulants and include things like cubic zirconia (CZ), moissanite, and YAG.
People often mistake a diamond to be cracked when they see a whitish looking line running through the diamond. Instead, the culprit behind this is due to a dirty diamond that has a concentrated layer of built-up grime.
When a diamond is cracked the signs are usually easy to see. It will usually either look like it's broken into two sections, one side being a clean beautiful diamond, the other side looking like a piece of salt…
Diamonds are the hardest substance in nature but also have perfect cleavage. This means they can easily split along cleavage planes. This is a boon for cutting if done properly. Unfortunately, this also means diamonds can chip or shatter with wear.
Cleavage. These are cracks in a diamond that occur in a straight line and are parallel to one of the diamond's crystallographic planes. Cleavages are usually caused by deep internal strain in a diamond and could also have been caused by a strong blow to the diamond.
To determine if your diamond is real, hold a magnifying glass up and look at the diamond through the glass. Look for imperfections within the stone. If you're unable to find any, then the diamond is most likely fake.
While there may not be many naturally-occurring materials out there that are stronger than diamonds, certain man-made metals like tungsten and steel have a higher tensile strength. That means a direct hit with an ordinary hammer can absolutely break a diamond.
They do NOT dull or stop sparkling, they just get dirty. Diamonds are magnets for all kinds of materials which will stick to them and make them lose their sparkle. Finger prints are a prime example. The oils on your fingers can stick to the diamond and make it lose some of its brilliance.
The Mohs scale is a scientific measurement of mineral hardness. Glass is rated a 5.5, and diamonds, the hardest mineral, are a 10. So, genuine diamonds will scratch a mirror. On the other hand, so will quartz (7), moissanite (9.25), and cubic zirconia (8).
It's important to remember that diamonds are the hardest stone on the Mohs Hardness Scale, making it nearly impossible to scratch them unless done so by another diamond. If you're willing to risk it, take a knife and gently scratch the surface of your stone. If it scratches immediately, the stone is synthetic.
A real diamond appears gray and white inside (brilliance) when held to the light and can reflect rainbow colors (fire) onto other surfaces. A fake diamond will display rainbow colors within the stone when held up to light.
However, engagement rings with small diamonds are the most affected since they easily detach and fall. Diamonds with pave settings are the easiest to fall without the owner noticing. Invisible set diamonds and those with bezel settings are also at big risk since these types don't hold gemstones stronger as prongs do.
To perform this test, you'll start by holding the diamond between two fingers and then breathe on it with a puff of air. A light fog will appear on the diamond because of the heat and moisture from your breath. Diamonds conduct heat, so if the stone is real, the fog will dissipate immediately.
However, the best way to spot a fake diamond is to take it to a jeweler for thermal and electrical conductivity tests. This requires an expensive machine, but it can tell the difference between diamond and moissanite.
The oils, lotions and soaps you use everyday can leave traces that accumulate over time and create a filmy layer over the stones, making them lose their sparkle.