Buying jewellery is an experience in itself, but it has its downsides too. Due to the increasing number of fake jewels in the market, users are often apprehensive about putting their money down. There are a variety of options that you can try to figure out whether a diamond is fake or real. Here's a sneak peek on all that you need to know...
If you thought only designer handbags or sunglasses are the major targets of fakes and knock offs, you might have just underestimated the jewellery market. Fake jewellery is often sold to unsuspecting customers at a much higher frequency than sunglasses or handbags.
Yes, buying an imitation will definitely hurt your pocket real bad, more so because diamonds have large price tags and are often faked for this reason. Sometimes it might get difficult to distinguish between a real stone and a fake one. Now that you know the risks you can face while buying a diamond, how do you distinguish a real one from an imitation? Here's some knowhow.
How to Weed Out the Fake Diamonds
Cubic Zirconia
Also colloquially called 'American diamonds', these are fake diamonds that can be spotted easily. Cubic Zirconia stones are way heavier in weight than typical diamonds. Any jewellery appraiser can easily measure this with the right set of equipments. These diamonds are much softer and prone to scratches than the real ones.
Diamond merchants use ultraviolet lights to spot a Cubic Zirconia as well. When kept under UV lights, this fake diamond glows with a mustard yellow color.
Moissanite
Unlike a Cubic Zirconia, a Moissanite Diamond is comparatively difficult to distinguish from a genuine one. This is a naturally occurring crystal that has been constantly replicated industrially as it closely resembles a diamond. This is the reason why even appraisers who are skilled fail to recognize this crystal.
This synthetic gem requires specific equipment that can help jewelers distinguish it from a real diamond. If you are plagued by doubts that the jewellery you have purchased are studded with Moissanite, make sure that you meet a jeweler you personally know and trust, and who has the proper equipment required to test your gem.
Other Ways to Zero In on Fake Stones
You can also spot fake diamonds by checking the mount and setting that the diamonds are placed in. Generally, fake diamonds are made with cheap mounts that are of inferior quality.
Coming down to the most reliable measure, always remember to buy the diamond from a gemologist who can certify it as per the standards of the AGS (American Gem Society) and GIA (Gemological Institute of America). In case you get your stones appraised and the appraiser informs you that they are duplicates, make sure that you get the claim in a written form from him.
Always remember to get your diamonds tested or certified from more than one gemologist, just to be sure of the analysis.
