Don't be fooled into thinking a
Fake Diamond (or Diamond Simulant) is a
REAL Diamond just because of the name.
It may look like a Diamond, but that doesn't mean it is one.
There are plenty of Fake Diamonds on the market. And there is an easy way to separate the Fakes from Real...
Check the Name!
For a stone to be sold as a Diamond, it has to be a Real Diamond! Anything else will have to be disclosed and labeled correctly (i.e. Diamond Simulant).
Just recently I saw an ad in a magazine for a Diamond Simulant called "DiamondAura"
DiamondAura is NOT a real Diamond. It's NOT even a fancy name for a name brand Diamond (like the LEO Diamond, which is a Real Diamond with extra Facets). DiamondAura is a Diamond Simulant! A substitute.
It's a Fake Diamond!
Fake Diamond Clues
There are usually a couple of big clues that separates the Real Diamonds from the Fake. They are:
- Colorless
- Flawless
- More Fire or Dispersion
Let's take a closer look at them:
Colorless
Most Diamond Replicas (Imposters) will be Pure White in Color. Too White! If they were a Real Diamond they would be considered Colorless (D Color), which is the highest Color Range there is. To get a Diamond without Color is extremely rare.
Most Diamonds are not Pure White. They have a little Color to them like a slight Yellow hue. So seeing a Bright White Stone makes it look too good to be true. To me, it just screams "Fake!"
Flawless
Simulants generally are Flawless. They have zero Inclusions or Flaws in the stone. Which is totally the opposite of what Mother Nature usually does! Diamonds have Imperfections, that's just the way it is. It's also what helps distinguish Diamonds from Fake Diamonds. If it looks too Perfect... It usually is!
More Fire or Dispersion
Fake Stones usually have more flashes of Color in them (called Fire). Like a CZ for example. CZ's (or Cubic Zirconia) have more flashes of Color in them than a Diamond does because they have a higher Dispersion Value. Read more: CZ vs Diamond!
Stones that emit such a colorful display are a huge give-a-way.
Other Clues...
There are other factors as well that help separate Real Diamonds from the Fake!
Durability
No Gemstone is equal to a Diamond when it comes to Durability. Diamond is the King of Hardness!
All other Gemstones and Simulants will show signs of Wear and Tear over time. Things like: Chipping, Breaking, Dulling up or losing their Sparkle.
CZ's are known for becoming Dull and Lifeless, and this is because they Scratch too easily.
The softer a Stone is, the more it will Scratch (It's impossible to scratch a Diamond - Unless you use another Diamond).
The DiamondAura in the magazine listed the stone's Hardness as "Cuts Glass". This claim is silly to say. "Cuts Glass" should NOT be a determining factor of whether a stone is durable or not.
Tons of Materials and Gemstones can Cut Glass. That means nothing!
Glass is soft! Anything higher up than Glass on the MOH's Scale of Hardness will Cut it.
Glass is a 6-7 on the MOH's Scale. Let's take a look at some of the other things that WILL Cut Glass:
- Kunzite
- Peridot
- Bloodstone
- Quartz
- Black Opal
- Flint
- Agate
- Amethyst
- Tiger's Eye
- Garnet
- Rhodolite
- Steel
- Tungsten
- Carnelian
- Corundum
- Ruby
- Sapphire
| - Iolite
- Tourmaline
- Zircon
- Citrine
- Beryl
- Aquamarine
- Emerald
- Spinel
- Topaz
- Jade
- Alexandrite
- Cat's Eye
- Jasper
- Onyx
- Cubic Zirconia
- Moissanite
|
So you see, pretty much EVERYTHING can Cut Glass. Even Emeralds and Onyx which are known for being soft stones can still cut Glass. "Cuts Glass" is a phrase that fails!
Glass is NOT durable!
Metal
The Metal used for Fake Diamonds is a big clue. Most Simulants are set in Sterling Silver or Gold Plated Jewelry. If the Metal is Plated or Cheap, the stone is probably Fake!
Real Diamonds are normally set into more Durable Metals like Gold or Platinum (I say normally because you can find some Cheap Silver Jewelry that uses real Diamonds). It's not always the best indicator of "Fake", but it should make you more aware of the possibilities that they could be.
Silver is Soft, Cheap and Tarnishes!
Plated Jewelry is basically just Costume Jewelry!
Neither one is prefered or durable enough to really hold in Diamonds securely!
Price
Price is a huge Red Flag Signal. If a ring looks like it could be worth Thousands, but it sells for only $199... BINGO! It's a FAKE!
The DiamondAura says it has 2 Carats worth of Stones and sells for $145.
That should leave no question in your mind whether it's real or not.
You get what you pay for!
Diamond Simulants
There have been a lot of Genuine Gemstones and Man-Made Stones that have been Cut to look like a Diamond (Cut like the Brilliant Cut Diamond with 58 Facets).
These Popular Diamond Simulants are:
- CZ (Cubic Zirconia)
- Synthetic Moissanite
- YAG (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet)
- Foil Backs
- Glass
- Doublets
- Zircon
- Flame-Fusion Simulants
- Synthetic Rutile
- Strontium Titanate
| - GGG (Gadolinium Gallium Garnet)
- White Sapphire
- DiamondAura
- Diamontia
- Rainbow Magic Diamond
- Diamonique
- Absolute
- Diamonaire III
- Diamonesque
|
Watch the Terminology!
If the Clarity is listed as "Clear" instead of an actual Clarity Grade like VS or SI... BEWARE!
If the Diamond is listed as "Hard as a Diamond" or "Cuts Glass"... BEWARE!
If the Price is Dirt Cheap... BEWARE!
If the Diamond is listed as having a Color of Colorless... BEWARE!
Think twice before you buy something that "resembles" a Diamond but isn't clearly marked.
If you want a simulant, fine, there's no problem with buying one. As long as you know it's Fake and are fine with that, that's all good.
But if you think it's a real Diamond, or aren't sure... Take Caution!
Simulants or Synthetic Diamonds won't last like a Genuine Diamond will. They will wear down, erode, dull up and lose their Sparkle. Plus, there's no resell value!
Fakes are Fake, don't let them fool you.
My Advice:
Buy a Diamond if you want something that looks like a Diamond. Everything else is a wannabe.
There's nothing really wrong with that... Some of them are extremely beautiful, and you really can't beat the Price...
But personally, I don't think they're worth it. Then again, I've worked in the industry for over 20 years, I lean towards the real thing - Diamonds! It's your call, your money!
Spend wisely! :)
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