How to Tell If Your Diamond Is Real

Sally asks: How would I tell if my vintage diamond engagement ring is real? I bought it from an individual and I want to confirm what it is. Answer: 1. The first thing you can do is to take it to a reputable estate jewelry store to authenticate the age of your vintage diamond engagement ring. He or she can also tell you immediately if your diamond engagement ring is real and from what time period it is from. 2. You can breathe on the stone. If it fogs up, it is most likely not a diamond. A fake diamond will fog up immediately. 3. If the diamond is out of the mounting, drop the stone in a glass of water. If it floats it is not a diamond. 4. Draw a line on a piece of paper. Hold the stone over the line. If you can see the line through it, then it is not a diamond. 5. If you look into a diamond and you see flecks of black in it, it probably is a diamond. Picking the right diamond is an easy task. Just go to a reputable jeweler. He or she can help you find a diamond that does not have any black spots inclusions to the naked eye. In fact, vintage diamonds are very often free of pique to the unaided eye. 6. Look to see if your stone is slightly greenish in color. It may be a moissanite, a man made diamond. Be careful. If you hold it over a line, you won’t see the line as you would with a cubic zirconia. 7. If your diamond is out of the mounting, a jeweler can weigh the stone for you. A diamond weighs 1.5 times more than a cubic zirconia. 8. If the diamond is being sold at a ridiculously low price, it probably is not a diamond. You have heard the saying, “You get what you pay for”. In this case, it applies.