How to Spot a Fake Diamond when Buying Vintage Jewelry and Estate Jewelry

In this world of advanced technology it is almost impossible to spot a fake diamond just by looking especially if you don't know what to look for! I you are looking at Buying Vintage Jewelry or Estate Jewelry understanding how to spot a fake diamond can save you money and yield some great diamond jewelry at bargain prices.

What are Fake Diamonds and Imitation Diamonds

Fake Diamonds and Imitation Diamonds include cubic zirconia, moissanite, rhinestones, zircon and white sapphires.

Cubic Zirconia or CZ simulate the appearance of diamonds and are the most popular diamond substitutes. CZ is can be man-made or natural and can be easily discovered using a thermal pen tester. CZ are a beautiful stone and appear almost perfect, the difference stops here, CZ is heavier than real diamonds and not as hard, on the Mohs scale they are typically 7-8 vs. 10 for a true diamond. Visually the edges of CZ after being worn for a period of time will become visible. Another quick test for CZ is to submerge it in water where a real diamond will remain sparkly and visible a CZ will nearly disappear.

Moissanite is the most difficult fake to detect and can even confuse many skilled jewelers since the thermal pen test shows nearly identical characteristics to actual diamonds. On the bright side, moissanite is a very rare mineral and can often cost more than a real diamond and is not widely used as a fake. It will have a brilliant appearance in natural light but will appear dull in florescent or incandescent light. In addition most fake diamonds are often machine cut rather than hand crafted, thus machine cut moissanite will not display the hearts and arrows of hand cut diamonds.

Rhinestones are  the most basic of fake diamonds, made from silica or silicone dioxide the same material that makes up glass. You can very quickly determine these stones either by turning them upside down on news print or fogging the stone with your breath. If you can read through the stone it is likely a fake or a very poorly cut diamond, if you fog it and the fog remains for more than just a second or two it is fake.  Of course you can also use a thermal pen to easily test these.

Zircon is made from a mineral called zirconium silicate. Zircons are usually browns and greens but can be transformed into blue or golden colors and even be made colorless with heat treatment. This is easy to identify with a thermal pen and can also be tested with a fog test. In addition like many fake diamonds this can be easily scratched so look at the surface for scratches.

White sapphires are a rare stone in their own right and have a very radiant quality. White sapphires are harder than CZ and zircon, but not as hard as a real diamond and can be discovered using a thermal pen. With such hardness, plus their radiant quality, white sapphires are excellent diamond substitutes.