Questioning the authenticity of a diamond is common today, especially with today's technology and some very good diamond imitations. If you purchase a diamond you should purchase it from a reputable place. If you receive a diamond as a gift from a friend or loved one, don't feel guilty if the question of authenticity lingers in the back of your mind. After all, the person who gave you the gift supposedly made a substantial investment. They deserve to know if they didn't get what they paid for. So if you feel the need to make sure the diamond that you have is real, there are some ways that you can test it. If you are concerned that you may insult the person who gave you the gift, these tests can, and probably should be, done discretely.

Use a diamond tester

This is an electronic tester that is reliable for indicating if a diamond is real or a stimulant. However you should be aware that moissanite is the only stone than can fool the electronic diamond tester.

Transparency Test

This is a very simple test that anyone can do. If the diamond is not mounted, turn it upside down and place it on a piece of newspaper. You should not be able to read the print through the stone. If the printed matter from the newspaper is legible then you may assume that the diamond is not authentic.

The Fog Test

This is another easy to do test. Place the diamond close to your mouth and let it fog up like a mirror would. If it stays fogged for more than 2-4 seconds the diamond is not real. A real diamond will disperse the heat instantly, so it will be clear by the time you look at it. However, there is one problem with this test. Some jewelers will cap cubic zirconium with real diamond and this is something that will not be revealed with this test

Use an Ultra Violet Light

Many diamonds will exhibit blue fluorescence under an ultra violet or black light, so the presence of a medium to strong blue will confirm that it is real. The absence of blue, however, does not necessarily mean it is fake. It could simply be a better quality diamond. If you see a very slight green, yellow, or gray fluorescence under ultraviolet light, it may be moissanite

You will probably want to use at least two of the above tests if you want to check your diamond for authenticity. Hopefully these tests will put your mind at ease and you won't be disappointed.