视觉检测：用肉眼进行的快速检查方法

Before using various tools, start by just using your eyes to learn what “what to look for when buying a diamond,” without using tools.

• The “Fog” Test: Real diamonds do not hold onto fog, like cheap cubic zirconia will. Because cubic zirconia holds heat and tends to be porous, hold an item near your mouth and breathe on it quickly to make a cloud over its surface. Real diamonds dissipate fog/moisture in few moments while fakes usually stays cloudy longer. (But lab-created diamonds can do this very well and the test might not give right outcome for some synthetic imitations)
• Hallmarkings or Official Engravings: With a jeweler’s loupe or magnifying lens over a phone, most precious metals that has diamonds often has metal markings. It acts as a certificate that says it is good quality. Inspect for details that looks wrong compared with known brands as its consistency of all text from depth to design also must look official as intended by manufacturer

Non-Destructive Tests: Simple Home Methods to check Fake Diamond & What You Should Expect

While seeing and identifying from naked eyes is good preliminary steps, if that doesn’t give full clarity then you could always try at home methods where they address “tests at home for diamond” at a minimal cost using common house-hold materials or tools but always be aware some fakes, may trick these simple tests as they also now use methods with much more realistic qualities compared with what was created only couple of years ago.

• The Refraction Test Using Light: A real diamond tends to display a higher visual quality called “light refraction”, as their internal structure tends to display light differently than others (such as many fake options), so its cuts also reflects higher qualities unlike most fakes. To test it, hold a ring or the diamond item near the texts of a newspaper or magazine. A real diamond does not make visible text behind clearly visible from the stone, unlike fakes, which doesn’t disperse the light as well so items like printed letter under it may still be visible, not blurred out and often clear view.
• Specific Gravity: Diamonds weights between 3.50 and 3.53. While fake like cubic zirconia weights are a little higher than this. Testing by scales may provide guidance when sizes and shape of your stone can easily weighted at the scale. (do test various different measurements as well)

More Advanced Analysis With Loupes

If you have any remaining doubts or seek more detailed inspection, use magnifying device such as jewelers loupe as its detailed close up clarity provides you a new set of “high details” which lets a seasoned user to find any flaw when compared against real versions. So investing in Loupe for 10X or more might be valuable!

• Look for Sharp and Well Defined Edge: check under loupe for how the stone is cut. Edges should always appear sharp and precise, rather than being worn or with rough cut if that were to be lower graded or fake. Check all sides as quality checks varies a lot among new comers.
• Spot Double Refraction: Lower grade fakes creates visual effect known by gemmologists as double image creation because of poorer material as lower light diffraction and you may see more than one imagery via magnifying lenses as result of its poorer materials. (Real diamonds do not demonstrate such behaviours as it provides sharp precise visual if it was cut perfectly). Always try different angles before determining an overall decision.

Warning on Chemical “ Acid Tests “ For Diamonds

Many will claim the effectiveness of chemical tests, which requires you to buy a specific strong chemicals. Do not attempt it because often it’s extremely dangerous with health implication because direct contacts or even minor splashing to skin will creates real burn / or dangerous consequences to all who do not possess enough skills. Such chemical testing (even a dilute chemicals at high ratios with waters) must be tested and handled by fully qualified professional in a lab setting, with personal protective devices to always keep everyone safe first during operations. As a result it’s not a suitable method for people for daily or routine checkups as not everything requires such methods and most test using light source and visual would suffice for many typical at home scenarios

Seeking Professional Analysis: Knowing Where Your Limit is & Proper next steps

If simple methods feel insufficient, or need much deeper verification, to obtain clear and reliable valuation or if you are in doubt based on limitations on current knowledge. Professional appraiser, such as our PGO experts that has in hand- on testing at professional training are good option when a reliable evaluation. Or if diamonds value and setting is higher that basic test could guarantee you in those settings, an accredited expert can help give 3rd party analysis which you need for added confident in verification like one you may experience from expert assayer at “The London Bullion Exchange”. Whilst understanding, that various settings, various different test settings provides some limitations at various cases (especially if you only testing with certain device that focuses a part, a whole visual cannot always be completed perfectly). Understanding how experts looks at setting or how materials of mount settings create limitations, a holistic practical hands-on approach can still assist many people in the day to day operation that you perform while running business or handling various high-end jewelleries!