Fake Diamonds

Certain laboratory-created gemstones, such as lab-created moissanite, also resemble diamonds and may not be adequately detected by the instruments originally used to identify cubic zirconia. An fake diamond is one that looks like a diamond, but has a totally different physical makeup.

Fake diamonds, such as cubic zirconia, resemble diamonds in appearance but are much less costly. Cubic Zirconia is created by heating yttrium oxide and zirconium oxide. These stones have remarkable clarity and if cut correctly are extremely hard to tell from a diamond with the naked eye. The physical properties of hardness, refractive index and specific gravity are very different from a true diamond. Simulant, imitation is a material that imitates the appearance of a gem without duplicating its properties (glass, plastic, etc.). Artificial synthetics: these are the manufactured stones that have no natural counterpart and include: strontium titanate, yttrium aluminate (YAG) and cubic zirconia.

The simplest method to detect imitations consists in tracing a black line on a quite white paper sheet and to place the table of the stones to be tested on the black line. If you see the black line through the stone, it's an fake. Be careful, with cubic zirconium oxide, synthetic rutile, fabulite and certain doublets which escape this rule.

How to avoid buying a fake diamond:

• Ask if the stone is a genuine diamond or if it is a cubic zirconia, moissanite or other synthetic substance. A reputable jeweler will give you an honest answer.
• Look at the setting and mount. Since stones such as cubic zirconia are so much cheaper than diamonds, they are sometimes set in inferior metals.
• Check the wear and tear on the stone. A cubic zirconia is not as durable as a diamond and may show signs of scratches or nicks.
• Take the stone to a trusted jeweler. Looking through a jeweler's loupe, he or she should be able to spot a fake stone right away. If the jeweler cannot tell by examining the stone, he or she will have instruments that can verify its authenticity.
• It is highly recommended that you obtain a certificate from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The GIA, the largest impartial diamond grading authority in the world, issues a grading report after it examines the diamond and details it specifications.
• Have the stone appraised by an independent appraiser who is affiliated with a professional organization such as the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). Ask for a certificate indicating the value and characteristics of the stone.

If a cubic zirconia is mounted in a high-quality diamond mount made of 18-karat gold or platinum, you are not likely to be able to spot the fake diamond unless you're an expert.

These days, some of the best imitation diamonds are made of moissanite. This substance, which didn't come on the market until 1998, so closely resembles a diamond that even experts have a hard time telling the two stones apart without a special instrument. Moissanite sells for about one-tenth the price of diamonds.

Fancy Colored Diamonds

Fancy Colored Diamonds come in many colors and hues - from blue to red, light pink to vivid rose, shades of yellow and orange, green, and even brown or black. The most common colors are in the yellow hues. Blue and Green diamonds are very rare, then Pink and Red being the most rare colored diamond. The most commonly seen color is yellow, usually very small and used in clusters.





The color is due to the conditions when the diamond crystal is formed. For instance, nitrogen causes yellow - boron will cause blue or steel grey - and radiation at the time of formation causes a green color. Colored Diamonds are rated by their color, the more intense and pure the color, the higher the value.

Diamonds Occur in all Colours :

• Black Diamonds
• Blue Diamonds
• Brown Diamonds
• Champagne Diamonds
• Green Diamonds
• Orange Diamonds
• Yellow Diamonds
• Purple Diamonds
• Red Diamonds
• Pink Diamonds

Colored diamonds have been prized through out history for their rarity. Some of the largest and most beautiful stones have an interesting history. Explore our pages below for more information on fancy colored diamonds, famous stones, and celebrity jewelry.

Various ways of "treating" a diamond, such as heating it, can bring out or enhance colors in a diamond, though these treated stones are worth far less per carat than their natural counterparts. It can sometimes be tricky for labs to verify whether a polished diamond has been treated or not. For example, any green diamond has been irradiated either by nature or in a lab so it is difficult to determine treatment in some cases.

Naming the colors is also difficult. There are not enough colored diamonds to create master sets and so labs have to use charts much like the ones you use to choose housepaint. And names matter would you rather own a "brownish yellow," or a "burnt orange". In some cases, either could apply to the same stone, but people will always pay more for orange than yellow. Chameleon diamonds can even change color when hot, or under different lighting conditions

Each colored diamond is different not only because of its natural body color but also because of the way it is shaped and finally polished. Most fancy color diamonds are cut into cushion or radiant shapes forms, which best bring out the depth of hue. The most skilled cutters shorten the optical light path through the diamond, creating the bright sparkle that is reflected from them.

Cutting deeper pavilions and creating different facets may intensify color. The cutting of colored diamonds is significantly important, performed by highly skilled craftsmen who combine their technical knowledge with a deep appreciation for beauty and color. Different regions of the earth have yielded particular types of colored diamonds, and each color requires a master cutter's knowledge and appreciation to unlock the beauty within.

Buying Diamonds

Diamonds!

The mere mention of this word stirs rich, pure, and exciting thoughts in all of our minds.

Throughout history the diamond has been revered as having an irresistibly seductive power all of its own. This reputation is due to its brilliance, its fire and the fact that it is the rarest, most expensive and therefore most desirable of all gems.

Diamond is the glittering, dazzling, peerless "king of gems" that symbolizes purity and strength. That's why diamond has become the symbol of the most beautiful relationship of marriage, symbolizing the commitment to never-ending love.

Before making a diamond purchase one must know the 4 C's about buying diamond first carat weight, diamond clarity, diamond color and diamond cut (not shape). Other advanced characteristics of diamonds include diamond fluorescence and diamond enhancements. By understanding what all the diamond properties are and what to ask when purchasing a diamond, you are much more empowered when it comes time to make your diamond investment.

In fact no two diamonds are exactly the same, but it gives a sense of reassurance of what is being purchased. Your diamond should come with a laboratory certificate indicating the cut, colour, clarity grade and the weight of your diamond. Additionally you will normally receive information relating to the proportions, blemishes, symmetry of the cut, fluorescence and other notes appertaining to your diamond. Diamond grading is performed at one of the many different laboratories around the world, as well as by smaller independent and less recognized companies.

There are traditional and contemporary setting variations for diamond engagement rings, but generally speaking there are six diamond shapes: round brilliant-cut, marquise, emerald-cut, pear-shaped, oval and heart-shaped Although the presence of color makes a diamond less rare and valuable, some diamonds come out of the ground in vivid "fancy" colors, these fancy colored diamond includes red, blue, pink, green, and bright yellow diamonds. These are highly prized and extremely rare.

If you are looking for an online guide for buying diamonds, or diamond rings, earrings, and other diamond jewelry, you are at the right place. Buying diamonds provides is an online diamond-buying guide that provides tips on how to buy diamonds. We also have sections to guide our visitors on how to identify, or quality test for diamonds. You may also want to check out our sections on fake diamonds and blood diamonds as well.

While a diamond will last forever, it is important to learn about the diamond care and cleaning to ensure its brilliance. Clean diamonds add sparkle to your jewelry.

Today a diamond is as true a symbol of love and commitment as one can hope for and so buying the perfect stone for that special occasion is a crucially important decision.

Diamond Properties

Diamond is the hardest natural material. The Mohs hardness scale, on which diamond is a '10' and corundum (sapphire) is a '9', doesn't adequately attest to this incredible hardness, as diamond is exponentially harder than corundum. Diamond is also the least compressible and stiffest substance. It is an exceptional thermal conductor - 4 times better than copper - which gives significance to diamonds being called 'ice'. Diamond has an extremely low thermal expansion, is chemically inert with respect to most acids and alkalis, is transparent from the far infrared through the deep ultraviolet, and is one of only a few materials with a negative work function (electron affinity). One consequence of the negative electron affinity is that diamonds repel water, but readily accept hydrocarbons such as wax or grease.

Diamonds do not conduct electricity well, although some are semiconductors. Diamond can burn if subjected to a high temperature in the presence of oxygen. Diamond has a high specific gravity; it is amazingly dense given the low atomic weight of carbon. The brilliance and fire of a diamond are due to its high dispersion and high refractive index. Diamond has the highest reflectance and index of refraction of any transparent substances.

Diamond gemstones are commonly clear or pale blue, but colored diamonds, called 'fancies', have been found in all the colors of the rainbow. Boron, which lends a bluish color, and nitrogen, which adds a yellow cast, are common trace impurities. Two volcanic rocks that may contain diamonds are kimberlite and lamproite. Diamond crystals frequently contain inclusions of other minerals, such as garnet or chromite. Many diamonds fluoresce blue to violet, sometimes strongly enough to be seen in daylight. Some blue-fluorescing diamonds phosphoresce yellow (glow in the dark in an afterglow reaction).

Diamond distinguishes itself from other engineering materials by an impressive list of excellent properties: