Many of us love diamonds even though costs can be prohibitive. Naturally we are always looking for a bargain when we go diamond shopping. Online auction sites, private Internet sales, estate sales, and online jewelers are popular places to look. For the most part these are all great options, and shoppers can find the deal of a lifetime. Still, there’s the question haunting us of whether or not we found a real diamond.

In actuality, this question is a good one, especially with the manmade diamonds available today being so strikingly similar to the real thing. In fact, most people cannot tell the difference between a fake and the “Real McCoy.” Some manmade materials used for making “diamonds” include clear crystals, colorless gems, and simple glass. With these types of materials, spotting a fake “diamond” is easy. However, now with new materials such as cubic zirconia and Moissanite, coupled with technology, telling the difference between fake and real becomes far more challenging.

Your best option when buying diamonds is to have it examined by a certified diamond cutter or jeweler. While difficult when buying through an online auction, this step could save you tremendous heartache and money should the “diamond” turn out to be something other than real. If you suspect you are being shown a cubic zirconia, you can do a few things to tell.

One good test is simply to breathe on the gem. If it’s a cubic zirconium, then the fog will stay on it for a while. If it’s truly a diamond, it will clear up right away. Another method is to try writing on it with an ink pen. Ink balls up on a cubic zirconium and makes a line on a diamond. One more thing to try is to turn the stone over and try reading a newspaper through the back. If you can easily make out the print, then you probably are holding an imitation. This wouldn’t be true however, with a real diamond that was cut shallowly.

Checking its weight is another way to test a stone. Cubic zirconium weigh about 55% more than a comparable diamond. Comparing it with a diamond the same size, or accessing a gram or carat scale, will help you in this situation. Another telling feature is the color. The majority of manmade diamonds (99%) look clear when viewed under a black light. What you want to see is a fluorescent blue color. Blue indicates a true diamond, but too much blue indicates one that’s of inferior quality.

Other options include using a magnifying glass. Start by looking carefully at the facets from the top of the stone to see how well they are joined. Facets for real diamonds would be sharp, not a rolled appearance. Then, the girdles will need to be checked to see if they are faceted or frosty in appearance, which represents real. However, if the girdles are waxy and slick, the stone is a fake. You have a number of ways to make sure you get what you are paying for, but these are insiders secret tips that work.

Copyright 2006, Joy McDougle, All Rights Reserved. This article may be published on web sites or in newsletters provided this notice and the resource box is included without ammendment.