A diamond ring is the ultimate gift. Few other objects carry such importance or are as emotionally charged, the diamond ring has stood the test of time as the definitive gift for lovers.
The last thing you want when purchasing a diamond ring is to be sold a fake. It can cheapen the sentiment, not to mention the financial implications you could suffer. Fake diamonds are rife, with rogue traders eager to pounce on unsuspecting and unknowledgeable shoppers. We’ve put together some top tips to avoid being scammed and falling victim to a fake diamond ruse. Read on to find out more.
Reputable sellers
Our number one tip for avoiding fake diamond rings and ensuring you’re getting the real deal is to shop only with reliable merchants. Stick to stores with established, verifiable reputations, as these sellers will have all the necessary certification and regulatory approval required to sell diamonds.
Reputable vendors will have their licenses openly displayed on their website, or they will be easy to access via the sitemap. In addition, trustworthy merchants will have good reviews and clear policies on offers, sales, insurance, postage, and returns. Avoid obscure, lesser-known stores with questionable or otherwise suspect websites, and remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!
Fog test
Unfortunately, sometimes encountering a fake diamond ring is unavoidable. Perhaps you bought one second-hand for a cut price or have inherited one and want to check its authenticity. How do you go about it? Thankfully, there are few simple tricks that can be done at home to verify a diamond ring’s legitimacy.
The fog test is one of the quickest and simplest checks you can do. Breathe air onto the diamond until a fog forms on the stone. Diamonds are good conductors of heat and dissipate it rapidly, if the fog clears straight away, that’s a good sign. However, if the fog lingers for a few seconds before disappearing, you could have a fake on your hands.
Examine the setting and mount
Another method of checking the authenticity of a diamond ring is by examining the type of setting and mount that has been used. Obviously, diamonds are precious and expensive objects, and this will usually be reflected in the types of metal used with them on rings. Real diamonds will typically be set in precious metals such as gold or platinum.
Check for engravings on the ring’s inner circle, 10K, 14K, and 18K will indicate gold, while PT or Plat will indicate platinum. Watch out for the letters CZ, as these signify that the stone is cubic zirconia rather than diamond.
Conclusion
You could be forgiven for assuming that only a professional can tell the difference between a real diamond ring and a fake. The idea conjures up images of a gemstone expert in a workshop, hunched over a table with a magnifying glass in one eye. In reality, you can quickly verify if a diamond is real with a few easy methods. However, if you’re really not sure, it may be best to ask an expert for advice before you throw away something you shouldn’t!
Share
Johan Wallman
