Not only are designer handbags prime targets of knock offs and fakes, but many more times fine jewelry is often sold with a designer price tag, when the unsuspecting consumer has bought a fake. Of course many people don’t mind wearing an imitation jewelry piece, just as long as they aren’t paying top dollar for it.
Since diamonds are the most sought after stone with the largest price tag, it is most often diamonds that are faked, and sometimes even the best jewelry appraiser cannot distinguish a real diamond from a fake one. So how do distinguish a real diamond from its imitator?
Cubic Zirconia is the easiest diamond fake to spot. Cubic Zirconia is much heavier in weight than a typical diamond and a jewelry appraiser can easily measure this with the right equipment. It is also softer and easier to scratch than a diamond. A Cubic Zirconia can be spotted using ultraviolet light as well. Where diamonds will glow blue under UV light, Cubic Zirconia will glow mustard yellow.
Moissanite is the most difficult of stones to distinguish from a genuine diamond. It is a naturally occurring crystal that has been able to be replicated by man and so closely resembles a diamond that many times even skilled appraisers mistake it for the real thing. This is the one synthetic gem that requires its own specific equipment to make the distinction between a diamond. If you suspect that the jewelry you have purchased is Moissanite, make sure to see a jeweler who is well versed about Moissanite and has the equipment to test your gem.
Another way to spot a fake is by the setting and mount that it is placed in. Fake diamonds are often set in low quality inferior metals with cheap mounts.
The best way to be sure that you are purchasing (or have received) a real diamond is to bring it to a certified gemologist who can give it GIA certification. If you have your diamond independently appraised and the appraiser tells you that it is a fake, be sure to get it in writing, but also take it to 2 or more gemologists to compare their findings.
