Diamonds are beautiful and valuable, but how do you know if you have a real diamond in your hands?

What does the diamond look like on the inside?

Using a magnifying glass, you can “look inside the stone,” as it were. Because a diamond is a natural material, signs of the original growth process may be visible. These small “inclusions” can be white or black and look like spots or clouds. With high-quality stones, a trained eye, such as that of a diamond dealer, is necessary.

How does a diamond reflect?

Diamonds shine in the most beautiful colors in direct sunlight. A real diamond shows the colors of the rainbow outside the stone, with a white sparkle inside. Imitation stones show the rainbow colors inside the stone, without the white sparkle.

How hard is the material?

With a piece of sandpaper or a scratch pen you can go over the stone. Because diamond is extremely hard, it will not show scratches. However, imitations such as cubic zirconia will show scratches. Be careful with this test.

How does light refract in the stone?

Place the stone on a newspaper. With an imitation stone you will be able to read the letters, but not with a diamond because of the high refractive index. This test only works with loose stones.

Another way is to use a line test:

The line test involves placing the stone on a single black line drawn on paper. It is a great way to tell a real diamond from a fake. The line test is much more visible through a fake diamond. Place a diamond over the black line and watch the line disappear. White light bends when it passes through a diamond.

How is the stone cut?

A diamond has razor-sharp edges thanks to extreme precision. These edges will not wear out. Imitation stones show wear on the edges and less sharply cut facets.

Let the experts at Diamantwerp look at your stone

Our trained experts can often tell at a glance whether or not your stone is a real diamond. Feel free to make an appointment.