| We live in a world full of fakes. From handbags to | | | | see how it sparkles and reflects from a side angle. |
| cellphones to cd's. Whatever your heart fancies, | | | | A veritable gemstone will be as reflective all |
| chances are, you can always find a knockoff. This | | | | around, whereas a fake will appear dull when |
| is also true when it comes to diamonds. | | | | viewed from the side. |
| Unfortunately, there are a few bad apples in the | | | | - View The Light Show - This is the number one |
| business who will try to pass off glass stones or | | | | way, and also the quickest way to differentiate |
| cubic zirconium as the real thing. To be certain | | | | real diamonds from fakes. Jewelers can look at a |
| that you are buying real diamonds, here are some | | | | stone and know it has been manufactured in |
| simple tests that you can perform. | | | | about 2 seconds. Stones that are created have |
| - Look Through It - If it is a loose stone, place it | | | | less flashes of white light (brilliance) and more |
| upside down on a newspaper. If you can read the | | | | flashes of colored light (fire) than a genuine |
| print through it, or see distorted black smudges, | | | | gemstone. If you can see tons of rainbow colors |
| then it probably isn't real. If it is mounted, you | | | | dancing out of the diamond, then it is not the kind |
| should not be able to see the bottom of a | | | | of light show you would want to see. |
| genuine stone when looking directly from the top. | | | | - Simulated Gems Are Flawless - This is also a big |
| - Fog It Up - Bring the stone to your mouth and | | | | clue. When viewed with a 10x jeweler's loupe, you |
| breathe on the surface. If it remains foggy for | | | | won't be able to see any inclusions in a simulated |
| several seconds, it is definitely a man-made fake. | | | | gem. They are perfectly clean. Diamonds have |
| Because real diamonds are very good at | | | | flaws, and only about one percent of them are |
| conducting heat, the resulting fog should clear up | | | | considered "flawless". Truly flawless gemstones |
| quickly. | | | | are extremely rare. While you are inspecting for |
| - Fakes Are Colorless - This means they are pure | | | | flaws, also check the edges and cuts. On a |
| white and their body tone is void of any color, or | | | | synthetic, the edges are smooth and rounded off. |
| off white, like most natural gemstones. Synthetic | | | | On a real gem, they will almost resemble a knife |
| stones are the same shade as a "D" colorless | | | | edge; crisp, clean and sharp. |
| diamond, which is rare and almost impossible to | | | | It is said that diamonds are a girl's best friend. |
| find. Most diamonds that are found on the market | | | | Whether you are looking to buy jewelry for |
| have a near colorless rating, which falls in the | | | | yourself or someone special, you now know how |
| G-H-I-J range. | | | | to separate the natural from the manufactured. |
| - Make A Side Observation - Most lab-created | | | | After all, fakes are never in fashion and you can |
| stones are made to sparkle at the top. Check to | | | | rest assure knowing that you have real diamonds. |