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A diamond is a very beautiful and desirable stone, but, unfortunately, due to its rather high price, many cannot afford it. So that every woman can afford to be beautiful, there are. You can find several types of such stones, but the most popular of them is cubic zirconia. The problem is that some unscrupulous sellers are trying to make money by selling fakes and passing off one stone after another. In order not to fall for this bait, you need to know how to distinguish a diamond from cubic zirconia.

Comparison of stones

Cubic zirconia was synthesized more than 40 years ago. Its refractive index is close to that of a diamond, but it has much lower density and hardness. The last factor greatly affects the resistance of the stone to wear. It is this, and not any characteristics of brilliance or transparency, that fundamentally distinguish cubic zirconia.

The origin of this mineral is cardinal, which is a processed diamond mined from the depths of the earth. Diamond is an allotropic form of carbon, cubic zirconia is a crystalline form of zirconium dioxide.

Unfortunately, recently not all documents can guarantee that the stone is real. The only possible solution is to give the gem to be tested by an expert laboratory. Determining by eye, so to speak, by the brightness of the glow, does not make any sense at all, because zirconium (cubic zirconia) of the latest generation is visually practically no different from a cut diamond.

The main differences between the two stones

There are some fundamental differences between the properties of diamond and cubic zirconia that help experienced gemologists differentiate them:

• Cut shape. For diamonds, any form of cut can be used, but most often it is a special cut, which has 57 conceptual facets with sharp sides without any difference. As a rule, this cut is not used for other precious and semi-precious stones, unless, of course, they are trying to pass them off as diamonds.
• Hardness. Although cubic zirconia does not have the lowest hardness (slightly softer than corundum), it can in no way compare with the standard of the hardest substance in nature - diamond. Therefore, this criterion is self-sufficient. It will definitely help you determine which stone in front of you is a diamond or cubic zirconia.
• Thermal conductivity. In addition to hardness, diamond is distinguished by high thermal conductivity, which makes it popular for use in technology. Cubic zirconia does not have such properties.
• The power of radiance. The brightness of a diamond is slightly greater than that of cubic zirconia, although in fact not by much. The fact is that this parameter is determined by such a property as the refractive index, and it has a similar value for both stones.

The last parameter is the basis for such a popular method on the Internet of distinguishing stones as lowering them into water. According to many sources, a diamond supposedly lowered into water will be invisible, unlike cubic zirconia or its other substitute. In fact, this is not true at all. The fact is that the refractive index of both stones is very different from that of water, and therefore they will be equally noticeable. Perhaps this is due to the incorrect interpretation of such an expression as “a diamond of pure water,” which originates from the characteristics of the purity of the stone itself, and not from how much it can “merge” with water.

How to distinguish stones in a store?

How to distinguish a diamond from cubic zirconia without having any auxiliary means. There are several simple ways to do this:

• Try to look through the stone. Light will be visible through the diamond: even if it is applied to the printed text, some outlines of the letters will be visible, but behind the cubic zirconia nothing will be visible.
• The second method is even more accessible and is based on the difference in the thermal conductivity of two stones. If you breathe on a stone, cubic zirconia will immediately fog up, but a diamond will not.
• Another similar method is to hold the stone in your hand: the diamond will remain cold for a long time, unlike cubic zirconia.
• If you carefully examine the edges of both stones, you will notice that the diamond has sharper edges.
• If you run both stones across the glass, only the diamond will leave a mark on it, because it is much harder.

Rings with cubic zirconia

How to distinguish at home?

How can you distinguish cubic zirconia from a diamond without leaving home? Another important property of diamond is wettability. It is perfectly wetted by fat, so if you apply a layer of oil to the stone and carefully monitor its behavior, the surface will be perfectly smooth, and the oil will begin to collect in drops on the cubic zirconia.

By placing a stone on the glass with a flat surface, you will notice that the diamond will stick to it. Synthetic zirconium will not stick.

If you run sandpaper along the smooth side of the stone, you will notice how its surface becomes a little rough. If this happens, then this is zirconium. A diamond cannot be scratched with ordinary sandpaper, only with diamond chips. The disadvantage of this method is damage to the cubic zirconia. Although it does not have all the properties of a natural diamond, it is nevertheless no less beautiful.

The most accurate and proven way to distinguish these two stones is time. Cubic zirconia, due to its low hardness, will gradually become covered with small scratches, which will make it dull and cloudy. The diamond will sparkle over time as it did on the first day of purchase. But to use this method in practice, it takes several years, during which the jewelry would be continuously worn.

It cannot be said that cubic zirconia is worse than a diamond. Each of them has its own qualities - both positive and negative. After all, if you wear jewelry with a real diamond, then most of the time you will most likely not be enjoying the evening, but making sure that no one steals it. Unless you have a fortune of millions and can buy yourself a few more at any time.

It is believed that a non-specialist will not be able to distinguish cubic zirconia from diamond. Is it so? However, there are many points that will indicate these differences.

Cubic zirconia is a fairly popular replacement for diamond, but it is softer than the original. On the Mohs hardness scale it measures 8.5, while diamond measures 10.

In addition, cubic zirconia is not as fire-resistant as a diamond. If cubic zirconia is heated too much, it can easily crack.

1. No inclusions.

One of the most important differences between cubic zirconia and diamond is that cubic zirconia is virtually flawless. Since it is created artificially, its structure is homogeneous.

Even the most flawless diamonds have some internal defects. Some of these imperfections are not visible to the naked eye and you may have to use a loupe or microscope to see them, but there are no natural diamonds without imperfections.

Therefore, if, upon careful examination of the surfaces of the stone, you do not find any inclusions or other imperfections at all, most likely it is not a natural diamond.

2. Cubic zirconia is more fragile and prone to damage.

Another characteristic of cubic zirconia is that it is not as hard as diamond. Therefore, over time, its surface may become worn and scratched. Diamond is a very hard substance, and although it can be broken if hit hard, it is not easily scratched.

Cubic zirconia is also more fragile. You need to handle it with care and precision, because... with strong impact, a piece can easily break off from it.

Due to the fact that it is much cheaper than a diamond, of course, you can periodically buy a new stone when the old one is damaged.

3. Transparent and shiny.

Cubic zirconia has ideal purity and is absolutely transparent. You won’t find any shades in it, for example, yellowness, as in natural stone.

This allows cubic zirconia to shine, sparkle and sparkle more powerfully and colorfully than a diamond can.

The absolute transparency and purity allows for an intense play of light on its surfaces, and when placed next to real stone it shows much more colorful flashes of light.

4. Heavier.

Cubic zirconia weighs approximately twice as much as diamond.

5. Smooth edges.

If you carefully examine the facets of a diamond, you will notice that their edges are very sharp. In contrast, the edges of cubic zirconia are smoother and smoother. To see this, you will need a magnifying glass with tenfold magnification.

6. Cheap framing.

An inexpensive frame is used for cubic zirconia. Considering its low cost, it is installed in gold jewelry with a low standard.

It is unlikely that the standard of a gold item with cubic zirconia will be higher than 10 carats.

7. Heat insulator.

Cubic zirconia is a better heat insulator than diamond. Diamond has a higher thermal conductivity and dissipates heat very quickly. Therefore, if you breathe on it, the condensation from your breath will disappear immediately.

This will not work with cubic zirconia. Condensation will remain on it for a long time.

The final test.

If you are still not sure whether your stone is cubic zirconia, then you need to show it to a jeweler.

Jewelers usually have diamond testers - these are electronic devices that indicate whether a stone is natural.

Cultivated Diamonds vs Cubic Zirconia: What's the Difference?

Many people are not sure that there is a difference between artificial diamonds and cubic zirconia, and some even think that they are the same thing. Even though they are similar, these two types of stones are actually very different.

Let's take a look at what they're made of and how you can tell the difference between cubic zirconia and a cultured diamond (also known as a synthetic diamond).

What is cubic zirconia made of?

It is a form of zirconia, created synthetically, and is generally colorless and relatively unblemished. Since its optical and physical properties somewhat resemble those of a diamond, cubic zirconia is often used as a diamond imitation.

They are created in a laboratory and are also known as lab-grown, synthetic, engineered, and cultured. Contrary to what some people think, they are not considered fake just because they are created in a laboratory.

These stones are real diamonds because they have the same chemical composition and physical characteristics as natural ones.

Artificial diamonds and cubic zirconia differ in their physical and chemical properties. Here are some of the most noticeable differences that can help you tell these stones apart:

Durability

Man-made diamonds are significantly more durable than cubic zirconia.

This is mainly due to the differences in hardness between these stones. For this reason, cubic zirconia is much easier to scratch and is typically less durable than lab-created diamonds.

Facets and cuts

Because cubic zirconia is softer than grown diamonds when cut and polished, the two materials differ in how sharp the edges of their facets are.

Synthetics, like natural stones, have very sharp edges. Faceted cubic zirconia stones, on the other hand, have more rounded edges and become even rounder over time as the material wears away.

Fire (Dispersion)

Another difference lies in their level of dispersion.

This property is directly related to the way the stone refracts light into a rainbow of spectral colors - an effect also called "fire".

Cubic zirconia has a higher dispersion and for this reason, when exposed to light, this stone exhibits more colorful flares.

Cubic zirconia is a material that is heavier than natural and synthetic diamond.

Therefore, if you weigh a cubic zirconia and compare its weight to a similarly sized synthetic diamond, it should be significantly heavier.

Price

Man-made diamonds have the same properties as natural diamonds, and while synthetics are cheaper to produce, they are still relatively expensive compared to cubic zirconia. Real colorless diamonds are very rare and therefore quite expensive.

It is often the case that cubic zirconia costs a fraction of the price of a crafted diamond of the same size, color and clarity. It is much cheaper than real diamonds, and although diamond prices vary depending on various quality characteristics, you are unlikely to find a well-cut diamond around one carat for less than a few thousand dollars.

Color and Clarity: More Similar Than Different

Although cubic zirconia is typically purer and more colorless than most natural stones due to its synthetic origins, man-made diamonds have color and clarity that are just as good.

While lab-created diamonds may have yellowish tints and sometimes even natural-looking imperfections, the man-made process used to produce these stones typically ensures that imperfections are kept to a minimum, as is the case with cubic zirconias.

For this reason, how clear and colorless a stone appears should not be the primary way to differentiate man-made diamonds from cubic zirconia.

Heat and Electrical Conductivity: The Best Way to Test

Lab-grown diamonds and cubic zirconia differ in the way they conduct heat and electricity. This makes it easy to tell them apart using a diamond tester, which is a device that measures the conductive properties of materials.

This is why using such a tool is the most reliable way to determine whether a stone is a diamond or something else.

Most diamond testers will indicate whether a stone is a diamond, but if it is not, they will not determine whether it is a cubic zirconia.

What other diamond imitations exist?

Here are some of the most popular diamond substitutes other than cubic zirconia: zircon, moissanite, synthetic garnet (you may see it abbreviated as YAG and GGG, which are different variations of lab-grown garnets), spinel, rutile, white sapphire.

Trademarks such as DiamondAura or Diamonique may also indicate that the stone is an imitation (unless they indicate a synthetic diamond, which has the same chemical composition as a real diamond).

Therefore, if you see or hear these names mentioned by a jewelry supplier, you should know that you are dealing with imitation diamond.

For example, if you don’t want to spend money on diamonds (besides, the relationship between them and the happiness quotient is not linear) - what should you do then? What to do - what to do, you need to buy cubic zirconia and not suffer!

What the ancient alchemists failed to do, they did in 1966 at the Physics Institute of the Academy of Sciences - they synthesized an artificial diamond (FIANit). Of course, they tried to do something commissioned by the defense industry, experimented with the conductivity of materials, with light reflection... And by chance cubic zirconia appeared - zirconium dioxide ZrO 2, an artificial mineral with properties almost identical to diamond raw materials. On a hardness scale of 8 out of 10, the refractive index is only 0.2 lower than that of diamond. Sparkling, hard, absolutely useless for the defense industry, it quickly spread throughout the world as the most effective diamond analogue to date.

There are two easy ways to determine whether it is a date in front of you or a brulik... The first is to look through the stone. If you see what's underneath, it's definitely not a diamond. It is still, although beautiful, glass. A diamond, as we remember, is absolutely opaque due to the highest refractive index of light in nature. Also, if you take a magnifying glass and look at the edges of cubic zirconia, compared to diamond ones, they are somewhat softer, as if rounded, as if washed away. The diamond has a very clear crystal structure, so the edges are sharp and geometric.

If we are talking about stones with a diameter of 1-2 mm, you can break your eyes before you can determine whether it is a diamond in front of you or not. This is why our jewelers love to use a lot of small cubic zirconia in jewelry. They look decent, but don't cost money.

Why, however, are cubic zirconia not as common in the world as it is here? This is an interesting cross-cultural puzzle. The European and American market mainly uses very low-quality diamonds instead of cubic zirconia. Their rings for a hundred dollars are usually made of 375 gold with cheap pique diamonds, simplified cut into 17 facets, of which the ring only has a proud name, no shine. It doesn’t matter to them what the stone looks like, it’s important to them to know that it is a diamond. With us it’s the other way around. It doesn’t matter to us what it’s called, the main thing is what it looks like! I don't understand why this is so. I think about it.

By the way, cubic zirconias have even taken root in silver. All foreign jewelry companies like to use cubic zirconia along with crystals, which are essentially just glass. There will be a separate conversation about rhinestones or crystals.

And we would wear our dear cubic zirconias forever, if not for one “but”. They don't last forever. The cubic zirconia ring or earrings that you loved so much as a student will sooner or later crumble and lose their shine. Cubic zirconia, alas, after 10 years of merciless wear wears down, crumbles and becomes dull. That’s why they don’t make wedding rings with cubic zirconia and rarely make crosses.

I once wrote that rough diamonds are greatly overvalued and their high cost is artificially restrained by market monopolists - two global concerns and one Russian. So, compared to the cost of diamonds, cubic zirconia is not worth any money at all. When we buy jewelry in bulk, we calculate its cost from the price of gold and the cost of manufacturing work, simply neglecting the cost of synthetic stones. They seem to be given to us for buying gold. It is customary to buy products with cubic zirconia by weight. Wesovka, extras - this is the name in the jewelry market for this, in my opinion, the most valuable stone, which accounts for up to 30% of the total jewelry turnover in Russia.

I really love cubic zirconia. They democratize jewelry. Any student, nurse or teacher can afford a shining ring, or even better, many different ones. And most importantly, they wear out and you need to buy new ones! And this works for me personally.

Cubic zirconia jewelry is a much more cheerful product than diamonds, which, as we know, are eternal. Of all categories of the jewelry market, cubic zirconia extras most often change trends. If you want, this is the most fashionable group of jewelry products in Russia.

Well, remember, just five years ago we all wore this:

So cute. Overlays with pebbles, cleverly imitating frost on the windows, everything is closed, not a single corner, smooth lines. Don’t you remember Gzhel, Palekh, Khokhloma? Don't Faberge's sketches eventually come to mind? This is Russian folk applied art, such a mass one. Conservative to the point of gnashing of teeth and recognizable to us since childhood. Believe me, when you are standing at an airport somewhere abroad, looking at a girl you don’t know standing next to you and suddenly you realize that she is Russian, it’s not because of the shape of her cheekbones, and not because of her speech, and not because of her parachute , dragging behind. You may not realize it, but Russian girls wear Russian jewelry and that’s what you recognize. Whatever Just Cavalli jeans complement the image of a compatriot.

In the pre-crisis years of 2006-2008, the demand for something like this increased... In the 2000s, people began to actively travel abroad, namely to Turkey. And the Turks are famous jewelers. Our customers saw what else could be made from gold, besides petal flowers, and, despite the sad lobby of Russian jewelers “Turkish gold is of poor quality!” All kinds of fashion disgrace, spotted by the Turks in Italy and skillfully copied, poured into the country like a river. And as it suddenly turned out, even Russian women really like all this:

However, gold has increased significantly in price over the past five years, and at the current gold exchange rate, such designs are already falling beyond the average student’s wallet, and cubic zirconia jewelry has suddenly become lighter, thinner, and more elegant. If gold has risen in price, this does not mean that people are ready to pay for a ring strictly in accordance with the rise in stock quotes. Jewelers got busy and made a lot of new designs based on old ones. Only the gold in the new jewelry is 4 times less, although they cost the same 3-5 rubles as before... They say that after the war, miniskirts became fashionable according to the same principle. It’s just that the material has become more expensive and tailors have been saving.

Here's what they wear these days:

Now cubic zirconia rings that show the best results in sales already weigh about a gram! It is no longer possible to make it any thinner; there will be no place to put marks. How are we going to get out? Dilute the gold thinner, make jewelry from silver with gold plated, like our American colleagues... We'll see. In the end, as the customer decides, our job is to offer her different things.

I have a question for you today. I’ve hung a lot of pictures here and, in my opinion, the trend is obvious. Do I already have professional distortions and do you personally see the difference between group 1 and group 3, for example? Or do all the pictures from this post look the same to you?

Diamond... So much in this word! Decoration with this precious stone is considered an expensive gift in every sense. However, in our time, when unscrupulous sellers want to profit from inexperienced buyers, you need to be fully armed. It is very easy to confuse a diamond with cubic zirconia, the cost of which is negligible compared to a diamond. Therefore, when making a purchase, you need to be vigilant and be able to independently distinguish a real diamond from a cheap fake.

What is a diamond

A diamond is a natural stone that is given a special appearance through processing. A diamond has a certain number of facets - 57 pieces, which allow light to be refracted as much as possible. This gives the stone incredible shine and shine. Diamonds do not scratch even with strong physical impact, because diamond is the strongest stone. The cost of a 1 carat (0.2 gram) diamond varies from 50 to 500 thousand rubles, depending on the clarity of the diamond.

What is cubic zirconia

Cubic zirconia is an artificial stone that was invented by Soviet scientists. At first glance, it is quite difficult to distinguish it from a diamond, but upon closer inspection, you can notice several differences. Cubic zirconia can have more facets than a diamond. Its value is practically not taken into account when evaluating jewelry - only the precious metal is taken into account. But don't underestimate this artificial stone. It has taken its rightful place in the production of costume jewelry. The bad thing is that sometimes they want to pass it off as a diamond. To prevent this from happening to you, we will tell you about the differences between these stones.

Here are some simple ways to help you recognize fake gemstones. Some you can use right in the store before purchasing, while others are suitable for testing your home decorations.

1. Hardness. The first method is suitable for identifying a stone from a home collection. Inspect the decoration carefully. If there are small scratches on the stone, it has faded over time - this is cubic zirconia. The diamond is very hard and almost impossible to damage. To test the hardness of a stone, it is rubbed against glass. The diamond will not be damaged and will leave a deep mark, because it is not for nothing that diamond is used in cutting glass. But cubic zirconia may not cope with a glass surface.
2. Clearance. To evaluate a stone in a store before purchasing, you need to hold it up to natural light. This can only be done with fairly large specimens. A real diamond does not allow rays to pass through. Through a gemstone, you can only see a cloudy dot, but through cubic zirconia, light passes through unhindered.
3. Temperature. Jewelers know another effective way to distinguish artificial stone from natural one. To do this, you just need to put your hand on the product. A real diamond is always a little cool, but cubic zirconia will warm up from the warmth of your hands.
4. Steam. Breathe on the stone. There will be no steam left on the diamond from your breath, but cubic zirconia will easily fog up.
5. Form. Take a closer look at the stone. Experienced professionals can distinguish a real diamond from a fake one only by appearance. They say that a diamond has slightly sharper edges than a cultured stone. In addition, the surface of cubic zirconia is perfectly smooth, as it is made by man. Real natural material has small irregularities.
6. Stickiness. There is another interesting way to check the quality of the stone in front of you. Lubricate it with vegetable oil and apply the largest edge to the glass surface. A real diamond will stick without difficulty, but cubic zirconia will not stick.
7. Double light. For the next method of determining the naturalness of a stone, you will need a powerful magnifying glass with 20x magnification. The experiment requires bright natural light. A well-lit stone should be carefully examined under a magnifying glass. You will not see split rays on the face of a diamond. Cubic zirconia, on the contrary, bifurcates all light streams. The imitation diamond can be calculated without much effort.
8. Transparency. Place the stone in a glass of water. A real clean diamond will not be noticeable if you look at it from the side. This is where the expression “diamond of pure water” comes from, that is, a diamond that is absolutely transparent in water. Such diamonds are considered the most valuable and expensive. Cubic zirconia will sparkle from the water and give away its presence. However, this experiment is only suitable for colorless diamonds. If it has its own shade (for example, yellowish), such a procedure becomes meaningless.

Experiment with fat

Here is a simple way to determine the origin of a stone. Drop a little animal fat onto the edge of the pebble being examined. If you have a natural diamond in front of you, the droplet will remain intact. If you have cubic zirconia in your hands, the fat will spread into several small drops. This is due to the different densities of diamond and cubic zirconia.

These simple physical properties of stones will help you, without special skills and special equipment, determine which stone is in front of you - diamond or cubic zirconia. This is how you can identify cubic zirconia, which is used to create jewelry. However, if during the production of cubic zirconia it was initially intended to pass it off as a precious stone, then your efforts may be in vain. Modern cubic zirconia is very similar to natural rock and it is almost impossible to distinguish it on your own. In this case, you need to take the jewelry to a specialist. Using high-precision technology, he will help determine the quality and origin of the stone.

Having learned to distinguish a real diamond from cubic zirconia, you will not allow yourself to be deceived. And you will only pay money for natural gems.

Video: how to distinguish a diamond from cubic zirconia in a ring

There are precious and non-precious stones. In this article we will look at how to distinguish a real diamond from cubic zirconia.

Diamond is a very beautiful stone of natural origin. Its shine and shimmer simply delight anyone. a stone of artificial origin. But despite this, some of its samples are difficult to distinguish from a diamond. , you can find out here.

Therefore, this is very often used by jewelry sellers. But there are still ways to distinguish a diamond from cubic zirconia, so as not to fall for the bait of sellers and not pay a lot of money for an artificial stone that is not worth it. , you can find out here.

Is it possible to distinguish a diamond from cubic zirconia at home?

There are several ways to distinguish cubic zirconia from a diamond:

1. The first is this: drop a small drop of fat onto the stone. If the stone is real, then the fat will not change, but if it is cubic zirconia, then the droplet will split into small parts, or simply gather into small drops.
2. The second method is also associated with fat. A diamond oiled will stick to the glass, but cubic zirconia will not.
3. With the help of cubic zirconia you can read the text in a newspaper or book, but you can’t do this with a diamond.
4. It is not possible to see light through a diamond - only a point, but through its artificial analogue it is possible.
5. In addition, the shine of a diamond is much brighter than that of cubic zirconia.
6. If you breathe on an artificial stone, it will fog up, which a natural one will not.
7. Diamonds have inclusions, irregularities and defects, but cubic zirconia does not have them, because it is created artificially.
8. Their authenticity can also be verified using chemicals. For example, if you place cubic zirconia in hydrochloric acid, spots will appear on its surface, but if you place a diamond there, it will remain unchanged. , find out by reading here.

Weight

Cubic zirconia and diamond have many differences, including the weight of the stones. Cubic zirconia is much heavier than diamond. But, unfortunately, this indicator is not always correct for determining authenticity. Because only a professional in his field can immediately determine the weight.

Cut shape

The cut of cubic zirconia has slightly rounded edges; it is by this feature that it can be distinguished from a diamond at home. But the jewelers themselves can cut this stone just like the original, into 57 facets. Therefore, this also does not always provide an opportunity to identify a fake. And in this case, an expert opinion will also be required.

The power of radiance

A diamond shines much brighter than an artificial stone. It also gives a lot of color highlights. But despite this, a non-specialist will not be able to see such an effect. In addition, the skill of producing cubic zirconia has grown so much that now even a high-quality artificial stone can have a very bright shine.

A counterfeit can only be detected using this criterion using a special device and under certain lighting. But you can find samples of cubic zirconia that have gorgeous color tints.

Hardness

Diamond has very high strength, and it exceeds the hardness of cubic zirconia by 15%. Of course, it is advised to scratch the stone with sandpaper. With this action, the cubic zirconia will remain damaged, but the diamond will not suffer anything. Or, on the contrary, scratch glass with a stone.

Yes, of course, a real diamond will leave visible marks on the glass, because it is much stronger than it. But there are also samples of cubic zirconia, which also have greater hardness than glass and can also scratch it.

Moreover, it is impractical to check the authenticity of a stone in such ways, because after all, the product has its own price and you will have to pay for its damage.

Thermal conductivity

This is a more acceptable way to detect a fake. Diamond has a very high thermal conductivity value, so it does not sweat if you breathe on it.

But with cubic zirconia it is lower, so when you perform such an action with it, the stone fogs up.

Also you can put your hand with a stone in the water, it will feel as if it is soaped and slips in the water.

This happens because the stone begins to absorb gases in the water. Moreover, this is characteristic only of natural stones, that is, diamonds. Cubic zirconia cannot give such an effect.

Grease wettability

Cubic zirconia cannot be spread with fat, which cannot be said about a diamond. If you try to smear an artificial stone with fat, it will first break up and then gather into very small drops. But if you apply it to a diamond, the stone will not change and neither will the fat.

Optical properties

Many experts use this quality to confirm the quality and authenticity of the stones. But this requires a special magnifying glass, which has a magnification of 10 times. With her help specialists examine the stone under very bright lighting.

In this way you can see double faces, which in no case can exist if the stone is real. But an ordinary buyer cannot use this method of determination due to his incompetence, and, moreover, he needs such a magnifying glass.

Presence of any defects

Another method of determining authenticity is to check for defects. Usually, If you magnify a diamond with a special loupe, you can almost always see defects. But there are laboratory-made stones where there are no defects.

Documentation

Many jewelers claim that You can trust products with documents. Usually these are tags that indicate the weight of the product itself, the stone that was used and its weight.

The question is whether it can be trusted now. Indeed, nowadays there are many technical possibilities to print any document and pass off a fake as a real gemstone.

Diamond tester

Each stone has its own thermal conductivity and reflective qualities. And if, at first glance, an ordinary fake is very similar to a diamond, then you can distinguish a real one from a fake using a tester. You can get acquainted with it here.

It is also called a “diamond tester”. With its help, you can find out how many real stones are in each row of presented specimens, as well as identify a real diamond.

But if you use this device to determine the authenticity of a stone based on a property such as thermal conductivity, you can easily make a mistake. Because the diamond has a brother - . It was created based on a program for creating non-natural diamonds. That is why it has such high quality and great similarities to real stone. Its thermal conductivity is 90% similar to a real diamond, although it is 0.75 points inferior in hardness.

But there are testers who use the refractive index to determine authenticity. And if we ignore all other properties, then we can state the fact that the same moissanite has a refractive index greater than that of diamond.

But there are testers who determine the authenticity of only polished specimens. And in this case, if it is an ordinary nugget without processing, then the device will not give any results.

But fortunately, there are testers that combine thermal and light detectors. And such devices include models of a very famous brand. "Gem Oro". Many companies that make jewelry have these devices.

The cost of such an American-made device is from 7000 rubles and higher, but you must admit, this is not as expensive as deceiving an unscrupulous seller who can sell an artificial stone at the price of a real one.

A Chinese-made device costs an order of magnitude cheaper, approximately 600-700 rubles. The test is carried out very quickly and to do this you just need to bring the device to the stone.

Some of the tester samples may emit a light signal. For example, the professional sample “Gem Oro Ultra Tester”, if the stone is a real diamond, then the color lights up green, if moissanite is blue, but for metals the color lights up red.

Anyone can purchase such a device. When purchasing, it is important to pay attention to the warranty; as a rule, it is 1 year. This device runs on batteries or rechargeable batteries. Charging for them is already included.

Many devices can determine the authenticity of minerals of different sizes, as they have adjustment of some parameters. Before checking, be sure to wipe the stone with a napkin, otherwise the result may be inaccurate. Oh, you can read it here.

There are a lot of companies producing these devices, but the experience of using them has revealed several pieces that have proven themselves to be the most accurate devices, these are:

• "Diamond Sure" - uses light refraction.
• "Diamond View" - used to determine authenticity and is guided by the luminescence of the stone.
• "Diamond Plus" - has photoluminescence.

The full set costs about $50,000 . But it guarantees the accuracy of the results by more than 90%.

But since a purchase is an action that takes place here and now, the tester is at least some kind of guarantee of authenticity. Because no seller will give a stone for several weeks for examination.

Therefore, it is advisable to use testers to protect yourself at least 90% from counterfeiting. But to all this you can add a fairly simple way to determine the quality of a stone. You can simply purchase a magnifying glass that has 20x magnification.

With its help, you can examine the stone, and if even the smallest inclusions are not visible during such an examination, then there is a high probability that the stone is artificial. Because natural diamonds do not exist without inclusions, since during the formation process underground, they are under very high pressure.

Moreover, next to them there are also other elements, minerals, they can capture air and other particles.

You can also check whether the stone is real or not using a magnet. It works on 95% of artificial stones. If a stone is attracted, then it was obtained artificially, but you can only check a separate stone in this way, because if it is a product, then such a check will not bring results.

Authenticity can also be determined using a microscope. Natural stone is a single crystal, so if the sample is grainy, then the stone is artificial.

Despite the fact that there are a lot of ways to check stones, none of them will give a 100% guarantee that the stone is natural if determined by a non-specialist.

To get an accurate result, it is better to contact a laboratory; only their results can be error-free, because they check for several properties at once.

But if you check it yourself, you can make a mistake, because now there are a lot of artificial stones, the quality of which is very high, and even sometimes experts have difficulty distinguishing a fake.