With the technological advances of today it is just about impossible to tell a fake diamond just from looking at it. Especially if you do not happen to know much about diamonds, diamond rings and vintage engagement rings. However, having said that there are various steps you should take to make sure that you do not become victim to an unscrupulous jeweller or diamond dealer.

That is the first and obvious tip, make sure that who you are dealing with are reputable. How long have they been in business? Are they part of any trusted associations? Can others vouch for them? People selling fake diamonds would not survive in the jewellery business for very long so in this instance, a good reputation is even more important. When you do find a jeweller you can trust, stick with them. Do not keep shopping around for diamonds and other diamond jewellery, including diamond vintage engagement rings without first having a great deal of trust in the person you intend to buy from.

Always ask for a authenticity certificate too (and make sure the certificate is authenticate too). Phone the issuing body if you need to.

Another good way to check for fake diamonds is by looking at the setting, if the setting is of poor quality or a cheaper metal then it probably means that the stone is not a real diamond and is probably one of the cheaper imitations, such as a Cubic Zirconia. Also, have a really close look at the stone itself, there should be no scratches or blemishes as real diamonds in real diamond engagement rings are one of the most durable things on Earth. Scratches or nicks are a very bad sign indeed.

Real diamonds also always sparkle and they have a lustre about them that is hard to match. Use your intuition too, do not underestimate your ability to sniff a fake diamond when you see one.

There are also many different cuts of diamonds to choose from. The cut essentially refers to the shape that the diamond is cut into, unless you are in the diamond or jewellery business, but this shape has a great impact on how much the diamond sparkles.

The most popular cuts are heart, marquise, princess, round, trillion, oval, pear and emerald cuts. The shape has an impact on how much the diamond sparkles, but the actual cutting itself, when the diamond cutter actually cuts the diamond into a particular shape, also matters a great deal. If the diamond is poorly cut, it will lose its sparkle.

When shopping for a diamond, you should choose the shape that you like the best, but then look at several different diamonds of that shape to find the one with the best cut, the one that sparkles the most, in all types of lighting.

Fancy colored diamonds are also all the rage these days. Gemmologists have developed new ways to create versions that are affordable for the average person, by treating less desirable diamonds. These cheaper diamonds are treated with irradiation followed by intense heat. This turns brown and yellowish diamonds into beautifully coloured diamonds that you most people can afford. This produces stunning greens, blues, yellows, reds, purples and other colours. These colours are considered permanent, but there is a possibility they could change during repairs if a high heat is used.

Most naturally coloured diamonds are rare and also extremely expensive. When shopping for coloured diamonds you need to assume that any affordable fancy colour diamond has been treated. Ask about the stones origin and request to view a lab certificate to verify authenticity.

A fancy diamond is a natural diamond that has colour. These colours vary from red, green, purple, violet, orange, blue and pink and most shades between. Fancy colour shades vary from faint to intense.

The most famous diamonds in the world are coloured diamonds. The Tiffany Diamond, which is yellow and the Hope Diamond which is blue are coloured diamonds.

Finally, if everything looks okay and you have gone ahead and made the purchase, very quickly go and get your ring appraised at other jewellers. You will very quickly know whether you are onto a winner or indeed you have been had. If that is the case, one of the options is just to keep quiet, after all, at this stage, only you and two jewellers know you have a fake diamond on your hand.