The word diamond comes from the ancient Greek word adamas, meaning invincible. It is considered by many as the ultimate symbol of love. When you buy one, you must ensure that you get a good diamond. For most of us, purchasing good diamonds can be a mystery because you have probably never bought one or will buy it only on a rare occasion.

The ultimate choice of which online GIA certified diamond to buy is yours to make. However, here are some guidelines on what constitutes a good diamond and how to get the best value for your money.

A natural diamond can only format the high temperatures and pressures found at least one hundred miles beneath the earth's surface. After they are formed, they are carried to the crust by deep volcanoes. Most natural diamonds were formed between 1 to 3.3 billion years ago and brought to the surface much longer.

Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance, making it useful for the industrial cutting tool. Also, due to its fantastic ability to play with light, it is helpful for adornment. Still, diamonds are quite rare and expensive to mine, which makes them rather expensive to buy.

Because they are so expensive, various diamond substitutes, including cubic zirconia and moissanite, fill the market with low-cost pseudo-diamonds. These materials have different chemical compositions and can be easily identified by an expert. Often, even the casual observer can tell the difference between a real buy and a cheap bargain.

HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN REAL AND AMERICAN DIAMONDS

Differentiating between real and American diamonds is difficult even for seasoned jewelers. For this reason, it is possible to get ripped off as you browse the market for a gem for that special person. Many laboratories generate stones that pass for natural diamonds to the naked eye. Some of these include glass, quartz, Cubic Zirconium(CZ), and moissanite. Moissanite is complicated to tell apart because it is quite like a diamond in many of its properties. The following are some ways to know if what you are about to buy are real or fake diamonds.

1. Ask for a Certificate: If a certificate of authenticity accompanies a piece, it is very likely the real deal. You should review the certificate carefully to determine the credibility of the issuing authority. Various authorities and independent appraisers issue certificates. Ensure that the certificate is issued by a reputable organization such as the American Society of Appraisers.

2. Fog Test: Breath on the surface of the stone with your mouth and see if it fogs up. Since diamonds are excellent conductors, the moisture clears up almost instantaneously. Other stones such as quartz, glass, and zirconium stay hazed for quite a few moments. Moissanite passes this test quite convincingly, and so you may have to go a step further and perform a total thermal conductivity to differentiate it from a real diamond.

3. Examine the Facets: Diamonds can be cut more precisely than CZ and other simulates. If you examine the edges between a real diamond's facets with a magnifying glass, they should be sharp and crispy. The lines on fake diamonds are usually rounded and have abrasions and dents.

4. Light Test: The shadow cast by a stone can also help you differentiate between a real and an American diamond. The shadows of real diamonds are usually grayish with no rainbows. If you shine a light through the stone, you should see a bright halo around the rim again with no rainbow. In the reflection or shadow, rainbows indicate that the stone is either fake or of poor quality.

5. See Through the Test: If you turn the stone upside down and place it on a print piece, you should not see any pattern through it if it is real since diamonds refract light. With American diamonds, you can see the print. If the diamond is not cut proportionately, it may allow some light to pass across it. Therefore, this test is not very reliable to tell natural diamonds.

6. Look for Impurities: During the natural formation process of diamonds, various minerals and crystals are embedded in the diamond. These inclusions result in visible spots or flaws on the stone. Rather than being a sign of low quality, these flaws are a stamp of authenticity. American diamonds and enhanced diamonds usually do not have these imperfections.

7. Weigh your Gems: Using a precision scale, you can weigh your stones to bust the fake. For example, Cubic zirconia weighs more than 50% heavier than authentic diamonds of the same size and shape.

8. Consult a Jeweler: If you are still not decided, further tests such as ultraviolet test, X-ray, and heat and electricity conductivity tests could help. These require complicated equipment that may not be readily available to you. It may help to exploit the expertise and resources of your local jeweler. With some luck and charm, you may not have to part with a dime for his services.

FOUR REASONS YOU SHOULD CHOOSE AMERICAN DIAMONDS OVER REAL DIAMONDS

American diamonds are an excellent choice for anyone who wants diamond jewelry, from earrings to necklaces to engagement rings. There are four main reasons why American might be a better choice than the real thing for you or anyone who is in the market for some shiny contemporary jewelry:

They Look Real: A high-quality American diamond cannot be distinguished from a real gem with the naked eye. Even a trained jeweler would need to use a loupe or possibly a microscope to tell if it is authentic. Therefore, the argument of "it looks fake" is not valid, and anyone who has done their research will realize this.

They are Cheap: A high-quality cubic zirconia can be purchased for under $100. Assuming someone wanted a stone that was roughly equivalent in size to a 1-carat diamond, they would pay $5,000 and $10,000 for a real diamond. The financial implications of choosing a fake one are apparent.

There is no Slave Labor Trade for American Diamonds: Artificial and synthetic stones are created in labs. As more people become aware of the questionable means by which real stones are harvested, they see buying a fake one as a better decision financially and ethically.

Anyone Insisting on a Real Diamond Needs to Ask Themselves Why: Are they in a comfortable place financially where they can afford a real stone? Have they made side-by-side comparisons with real gems and fakes and seen that there is no discernible difference? Are they aware of the slave labor required to produce diamonds?

HOW TO KNOW IF DIAMONDS ARE REAL?

Since it can be difficult to have real diamonds, you should confirm that you have an authentic one. Many people may try to fool you, which can be a problem, especially if you intend to give this to your special someone. It is for this reason that we have researched the ways of how you can prevent getting fake diamond jewelry.

1. Real Diamonds have Flaws: This is interesting because it is thought that real diamonds do not have flaws and are perfect. But it is the other way around. Imitations are made perfect. However, you should be wise because there is just a slight difference between the two, especially if it is made of Cubic Zirconia.

2. They have Refraction Lines: You would see the lines from the center running horizontally. Therefore, you should hold the diamond and look through it as soon as possible. Do not think that you are buying defective jewelry once you see lines because these are normal.

3. They have Tiny Inclusions inside: You should visit a jewelry store personally because you will have the chance to hold the diamond to see the inside part. You will notice that they have tiny inclusions of stones. You can even use a magnifying glass for you to see this.

4. Use a Newspaper or a Printed Paper: Position the diamond upside down. Look through it with the newspaper at its back. If the texts in the newspaper are blurry, it is a real diamond. But once the texts on the newspaper are explicit, it is made of Cubic Zirconia. It is also referred to as a transparency test.

5. Diamonds Will Not Hold Heat: If you are not still satisfied with the transparency test, you should do the fog test. Try to breathe on the diamond. If you will see that it is clear, it is a real diamond. If you realize that it is foggy, it is not real.

6. Perform the Weight Test: Did you know that Cubic Zirconia is heavier than a real diamond? You should weigh your diamond and try to compare it. If there is a discrepancy, you are holding a fake one.

7. Try the Ultraviolet Test: Cubic Zirconia will not give you similar fluorescent color, unlike real diamonds.

8. Do the Loop Test: In this test, you will use the magnifying glass to check the diamond's characteristics inside and out.

9. Use Sandpaper to Test it: Since diamonds are the most rigid materials, and hence, there should not be any form of scratch when you use the sandpaper to scrape it.

10. American Diamonds are Cheaper: By asking the diamond jewelry price, you will also know if it is real or just an imitation. An imitation will only be sold at a lower cost compared to the genuine one. You should doubt it when somebody sells you inexpensive diamond jewelry as they may just be fooling you.

11. It is Important to Ask for Advice from an Expert: Doing these things can be challenging, especially if you intend to buy a diamond jewelry piece for the first time. However, the person you will talk with should prove to you that he is an expert. There are lots of people who have been fooled. It would be best if you do your research before you spend your money purchasing a diamond.

SOME TYPES OF AMERICAN DIAMONDS

1. Glass: The American diamond, which is made of glass, can be easily identified. People who are experienced in diamond purchases can distinguish between them. The refractive index of glass is low so that it cannot be as sparkling as the diamond. Besides, you can take a bowl of clean water and put the diamond into it. If it is made of glass, you cannot see it in the water. However, if it is the real diamond, it can be seen clearly.

2. Synthetic Spinel: The difference between it and the diamond is that it cannot shine brilliantly. If soaking it into methylene iodide, you will find that it nearly disappears. On the other hand, if it is a real diamond, it can be seen distinctly.

3. Crystals and Topaz: These two types of the gem are natural and clear. They look exactly like the diamond if polished carefully, but both cannot shine as brilliantly as the diamond. Moreover, they are all anisotropic bodies, but the diamond is a homogeneous body, so you can distinguish between them by using a polariscope.

4. The Synthetic Blue Gem: The clear and colorless synthetic blue gem also looks like a real diamond after being polished. If you put it in methylene iodide, the synthetic blue gem will be nearly invincible, while the real diamond can be seen clearly.

5. Zircon: Before the invention of synthetic cubic zircon, zircon was the best substitute for the diamond. Zircon has strong birefringence, which means it has two refractive indexes and the two refractive indexes are different from each other. Because of this, a unique optical phenomenon is produced. When you observe the polished zircon from its top surface, you can see that the undersurface and the edges have double images. The real diamond is a homogeneous body so that this phenomenon will not be caused.

6. Synthetic Rutile: Rutile is a common natural mineral substance. Its composition is titanium dioxide, and its refractive index is higher than that of the diamond, so it shines brilliantly after being polished. However, all the natural rutiles are non-transparent. In 1947, American Lead Company launched synthetic rutile first. The clear and transparent synthetic rutile then becomes the substitute for the diamond. The same as zircon, you can distinguish it from the real diamond by using a magnifying glass.

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