Here at Jewellery Photography Mumbai, we click a wide variety of jewellery ranging from fun costume jewellery to luxury one off piece. We give our best to make every single item look as attractive as possible; however nothing shoots quite like a well cut natural diamond!
With the ever increasing popularity of vintage fairs, flea markets and online auctions, second hand jewellery, vintage jewellery and diamonds are big business. So how can you tell if you are getting the bargain of the century with a bit of old glass?
Here are some tips that will help you to determine whether a diamond is real or not.
Testing a mounted diamond
- The fog test
Simply breathe on the stone to fog it up as you would a mirror. If the stone stays fogged up for more than a second then it is likely not a real diamond. An original diamond will spread over the heat from your breath almost rapidly and will not fog up easily.
- Check the setting
Real diamonds are not likely to be set in cheap metals. Look for hallmarks indicating gold, silver or platinum (375, 585, 750, 875, 916, 958 are all good). Also look for obvious stamps that might indicate the type of stone, such as dia (diamond) , cz (cubic zirconia) etc. although these kind of stamps are rare.
- Inspect the stone closely
If you have a powerful magnifying glass that usually used by jewelers, take a close look at the stone. Look for inclusions and imperfections. Synthetic diamond or cubic zirconia are usually made flawless. If it is perfect then it is unlikely to be an original diamond. Cubic zirconia can also have a waxy appearance, whereas diamond should appear clear. This step is highly recommended as some lab grown diamonds can pass the first two tests!
Testing a loose diamond
- Look at the stones refractivity.
One of the important properties of diamond is its Refractivity. An original diamond will refract the light passing through it, resulting in a shiny sparkling appearance. A quartz or glass stone for example, will simply not look as sparkly or bright in the same light. This is due to them having a lower refractive index than diamond. This is an inherent quality of the stone and is hard to replicate in a lesser stone, even with an expert cut!
Here are a couple of ways to do it
The newspaper method:
Turn the stone upside down and place it on a sheet of newspaper. If you can read the print through the stone, or even distorted words or dark smudges, then it probably isn’t a real diamond. A real diamond would refract the light so sharply that you wouldn’t be able to see the print through the stone.
The dot test:
Draw a small dot on a piece of plain white paper and place the stone upside down over the center of the dot. Look directly down on the stone. If you can see a circular reflection in the stone then it is unlikely to be a diamond. You shouldn’t be able to see the dot through a real diamond.
- Observe the reflections.
The reflections in a real diamond usually appear in various shades of gray. Look down through the top of the diamond, if you see rainbow or multi coloured reflections, then this could indicate that you have a low quality or fake diamond. Remember it should also have an intense bright sparkle.
- The weight test
If you have access to a sensitive digital scale, compare the weight against a certified diamond. Cubic zirconia can weigh up to 50% more than a diamond of a similar size.
We are from Jewellery Photography Mumbai. If you want best clicks of your jewellery then do contact us.