The Floating Test Drop the diamond into the water. True diamonds have high density and should quickly sink to the bottom of the glass.
Diamonds are dense and will sink quickly, while certain imitations will sink more slowly. If your gem doesn't immediately sink to the bottom, it's likely a glass or quartz imitation.
Water Test
If you have a loose diamond to test, fill a regular glass about ¾ of the way full with water. Gently drop the diamond into the glass. If the diamond sinks to the bottom, it's real. If it floats at the surface or just underneath, it's likely a fake.
The floating test:
For the floating test, you need a loose diamond and a glass of water. If the diamond is real, it will drop to the bottom of the glass due to the high density of the stone. If the diamond is a fake, it will float on the surface of the water.
Carefully drop the loose stone into the glass. If the gemstone sinks, it's a real diamond. If it floats underneath or at the surface of the water, you have a fake on your hands. A real diamond has high density, so the water test shows if your stone matches this level of density.
This water test is easy if you have a loose diamond: Get a glass and fill it with water (it doesn't matter what type of water you use). Drop the diamond into the glass of water. Due to the high density of diamonds, when dropped into the water a real diamond will sink.
Using cold water is a much simpler and safer way to test the validity of a diamond. If you place the stone into water, a real diamond will sink to the bottom due to the density. Fake diamonds are far more likely to float or bobble around.
The Floating Diamond Setting
The term 'floating' refers to the fact that diamond appears to be floating in the setting rather than being held in place by prongs or a bezel. Though the diamonds aren't actually floating per se, they are placed in an open setting, where only two sides of the diamond are held by metal.
In cut stones, cubic zirconia tends to have dull, rounded edges, while diamonds' facets stay sharp. Diamonds rarely show polish marks, but if they do, they will be in different directions on different facets. On the other hand, cubic zirconia will show polishing marks in the same direction on adjoining facets.
A tension-set diamond is attached to its band with metal prongs, while a floating diamond has no prongs to hold it in place. Floating rings are also lighter and more comfortable than tension rings because there's no metal squeezing down them from above or below.
Water Test
If it sinks, it is probably a real diamond. If it floats underneath or at the surface of the water, you deal with a fake diamond. Although this test might seem quite simple, it is based on the gemstone's density level. Diamonds are very dense (3.51 g/cm³) and usually outmatch the fakes in the density test.
While diamonds don't lose their sparkle, they do tend to get dirty. Use the following tips to keep your diamonds brilliant and clean: Clean your ring regularly. The best way to make sure your diamond is nice and shiny is to clean it at least once a week with a mixture of water and mild dish soap.
So you see diamond is the hardest of the mineral! So, though genuine diamonds will scratch a mirror, its other counterparts such as quartz – 7, Moissanite – 9.25, and cubic zirconia – 8 all being hard, will also scratch the mirror.
One carat weighs the same as 200 milligrams, which is equivalent to 0.2 grams or 0.007 ounces. That means a 5-carat diamond weighs 1 gram. Since even larger-sized diamonds are relatively lightweight, it's likely diamond carat weight will mostly affect the jewelry's look and price.
Another significant difference between these two diamond cutting styles is that Rose Cuts are flat on the bottom and domed on top, while Brilliant Cuts have culets (pointy bottoms) and tables (flat tops).
If you're looking for that telltale diamond sparkle, however, you won't find it in a cubic zirconia stone. The sparkle you see in this real diamond by James Allen won't be seen in a cubic zirconia. Cubic zirconia can also be color treated with different elements, resulting in a rainbow of hues.
It's important to know the differences between cubic zirconia vs diamond so you can make an informed choice about which to purchase. While they are both interesting and beautiful items, diamonds retain much more sparkle and value.
Cubic zirconia appears white and sparkly just like diamonds. Most casual observers can't tell it's not real just by looking at your ring. But if you place your CZ next to a diamond, you'll notice that it sparkles in a different way. Cubic zirconia emits more rainbow sparkles, instead of a diamond's white sparkles.
A diamond with a poor clarity grade has multiple inclusions, which directly affects sparkle. Because inclusions hinder the refraction and return of light, the lower the clarity grade, the cloudier the diamond will appear.
Look and Look Again. Diamond facets are like mirrors: they reflect what's around them.
Moissanite is an interesting gemstone, because it is both synthetic, and a diamond simulant. It is not, however, a synthetic diamond. It is a diamond simulant because it is made to look like a diamond. It is synthetic because it is made in a lab, but it is synthetic moissanite.
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Feb. 27, 2013 – Owners of Android phones and tablets like the Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy can now benefit from GIA's (Gemological Institute of America) free interactive diamond app for consumers and retailers, available in both English and Simplified Chinese.
Minerals are assigned a number between 1 and 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale to describe how resistant to scratching they are. Diamonds are given the highest number, a 10. There is nothing that can scratch a diamond except another diamond. A mineral like talc, on the other hand, is a 1 on the scale.
The Fog Test
Diamonds are made completely of carbon, an organic material. They conduct heat so if you blow on a diamond the foggy surface will dissipate immediately. If you blow on a stone and the foggy surface sticks around, then the stone isn't a real diamond.