Fake Diamonds - How to Tell if A Diamond is Real

Is there a way to tell if a diamond is real or fake? While only a jeweller or gemologist can tell you for sure if a diamond is real synthetic, here are some tests you can make yourself to point in the right direction.

"Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one."
-- Chinese proverb

Fake diamonds (also called synthetic diamonds or faux diamonds) are diamonds produced through chemical or physical processes in a laboratory. Like naturally occurring diamonds they are composed of a three-dimensional carbon crystal. Synthetic diamonds are also called cultured diamonds, manufactured diamonds, and artificial diamonds. A synthetic diamond is not the same as diamond imitation (fake diamond) which can be made of other material such as cubic zirconia.

Fake diamonds are designed to resemble real diamonds as much as possible, in appearance and shape.

There are a number of ways that you can tell if a diamond is real or a fake. These methods of testing the authenticity of diamonds are based on the unique properties of real diamonds which are not found in other substances.

Fake diamonds are usually made of glass (paste) or they can be a cubic zirconium cut to look like a diamond. In both cases their diamond-like appearance disguises their true nature which can be detected in one of the following ways:

The Hardness Test - diamond is one of the hardest substances known. Take the stone and try to cut a piece of glass with it, like an old bottle or window. If it easily gouges the glass, it's either a diamond or a cubic zirconia. If it doesn't, it's glass.
Black Light - Diamonds have unique molecular properties. If you shine a black light (long-wave ultraviolet light ) on a stone and it will glow with different colors depending on what it is. A real diamond will usually glow blue, cubic zirconia will glow mustard yellow, and glass will not glow at all.
The simplest method to detect a fake diamond is to trace a black line on a white paper and to place the stones on the black line. If you can see the line through the stone then the diamond is probably fake. The reason is that fake diamonds refract light differently than real diamonds. However some types of fake diamonds, such as those made with cubic zirconium oxide, synthetic rutile, fabulite and certain doublets can escape this detection method. Only a jeweller can tell for sure if a diamond is fake or not, so do not throw out that stone, just because it seems to fail any of the tests set out here.

Trivia: About Fake Diamonds (Man Made and Synthetic Diamonds)

Fake diamonds are also called schlenter. A 'schlenter' is Australian or South African mining slang for 'fake', that is, an imitation diamond.

NOTE: identifying and grading diamonds is a complex process which involves a great deal of knowledge and expertise. Only a competent jeweller or gemeologist can tell for sure if a diamond is real. You should not use the information on this page to make decisions on the value or authenticity of any particular stone. Always consult with a reputable diamond professional. Even if the diamond in question seems to fail any of the tests outlined on this website, you should not conclude that it is fake. Conversely, even if the alleged diamond passes the tests outlined on this website, it does not mean that it is not artificial. It may simply be a very good artificial or imitation diamond. The only way that you can tell for sure if a diamond is real is by seeking the advice of a reputable jeweller or gemologist.

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