Can you tell real from fake?

[Gleam]

Date: 2/1/2010 7:16:09 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 2/1/2010 4:01:57 PM

Author: Mrs Mitchell

Not really, not when someone''s actually wearing them. Earrings, I mean - rings are a little easier, since you can usually get a closer look (without appearing to be a weirdo).


Sometimes I take a guess based on what else a person is wearing, I must admit. That''s probably a bit obnoxious, now I think about it.

WHY???

just b/c i''m wearing jeans and T shirt then my jewelry must be fake?


btw; i would never wear fake jewelry or knock offs.

I think it has less to do with what a person is wearing than how the person carries him/herself.

Mrs Mitchell, I''m guilty of that, too. I think most of us are.

 

[Ara Ann]

Date: 2/1/2010 6:09:35 PM
Author: ericad
Cheap settings can be a giveaway, but I''ve known people who set high quality sims into Leon rings (yes, he will set a cubic if that''s what you want) and other high end settings, but have various reasons for not wanting a diamond center stone. To each their own - these pieces, especially with their expensive settings, are very convincing and beautiful in their own right.

This is the boat I am in right now...my wedding ring was stolen and we had a glitch in our ins. coverage, so no replacement money for a new ring. I have my heart set on an antique cut diamond and we are saving for it, but in the meantime I have an OMC k color CZ, like those you mentioned in your previous post. I ordered a repro antique setting in rose gold, which I plan to keep and put my real diamond in at some point... and although it''s not my dream ring yet, it is filling the need for me, for now. At times the stone looks very real and it is beautiful, but in some lighting I am not 100% pleased with the look of the CZ...but it is temporary!

And I can usually tell a CZ from a real diamond...for most of the same reasons mentioned previously.

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 2/1/2010 7:22:50 PM
Author: Ara Ann

Date: 2/1/2010 6:09:35 PM

Author: ericad

Cheap settings can be a giveaway, but I''ve known people who set high quality sims into Leon rings (yes, he will set a cubic if that''s what you want) and other high end settings, but have various reasons for not wanting a diamond center stone. To each their own - these pieces, especially with their expensive settings, are very convincing and beautiful in their own right.

This is the boat I am in right now...my wedding ring was stolen and we had a glitch in our ins. coverage, so no replacement money for a new ring. I have my heart set on an antique cut diamond and we are saving for it, but in the meantime I have an OMC k color CZ, like those you mentioned in your previous post. I ordered a repro antique setting in rose gold, which I plan to keep and put my real diamond in at some point... and although it''s not my dream ring yet, it is filling the need for me, for now. At times the stone looks very real and it is beautiful, but in some lighting I am not 100% pleased with the look of the CZ...but it is temporary!

And I can usually tell a CZ from a real diamond...for most of the same reasons mentioned previously.

The trick to wearing diamond simulants is keeping them clean and replacing them often... Many of our clients have second rings made "just like the real ones" to wear when they are on vacation, etc.

Most diamond simulants start to really look like fakes when they get dirty and CZ''s scratch rather easily (tiny scratches) and dirt and grime make them easier to identify as fakes that way... So just clean it often and have the stone replaced every six months or so if you''re wearing the ring all the time.

True story... Maybe ten years ago I''m sitting behind the counter at a friend''s jewelry store yacking about this and that when a young girl walks in, pulls off her engagement ring and says "how much will you charge me to tell me if this is real or not?" and my friend says "five bucks" at which point she hands him the ring and he barely looks at it and says "no"... I''m stunned (at the five bucks part). The thing is when you work with them all the time, you get kind of like a bank teller with fake currency, but I think most people who aren''t diamond connoisseurs are hard pressed to tell the difference - especially if the simulant isn''t whopping big like 3+ carats which then becomes suspect kind of automatically.

 

[Ara Ann]

Date: 2/1/2010 8:31:16 PM
Author: Todd Gray

Date: 2/1/2010 7:22:50 PM

Author: Ara Ann

Date: 2/1/2010 6:09:35 PM


Author: ericad


Cheap settings can be a giveaway, but I''ve known people who set high quality sims into Leon rings (yes, he will set a cubic if that''s what you want) and other high end settings, but have various reasons for not wanting a diamond center stone. To each their own - these pieces, especially with their expensive settings, are very convincing and beautiful in their own right.

This is the boat I am in right now...my wedding ring was stolen and we had a glitch in our ins. coverage, so no replacement money for a new ring. I have my heart set on an antique cut diamond and we are saving for it, but in the meantime I have an OMC k color CZ, like those you mentioned in your previous post. I ordered a repro antique setting in rose gold, which I plan to keep and put my real diamond in at some point... and although it''s not my dream ring yet, it is filling the need for me, for now. At times the stone looks very real and it is beautiful, but in some lighting I am not 100% pleased with the look of the CZ...but it is temporary!


And I can usually tell a CZ from a real diamond...for most of the same reasons mentioned previously.

The trick to wearing diamond simulants is keeping them clean and replacing them often... Many of our clients have second rings made ''just like the real ones'' to wear when they are on vacation, etc.


Most diamond simulants start to really look like fakes when they get dirty and CZ''s scratch rather easily (tiny scratches) and dirt and grime make them easier to identify as fakes that way... So just clean it often and have the stone replaced every six months or so if you''re wearing the ring all the time.


True story... Maybe ten years ago I''m sitting behind the counter at a friend''s jewelry store yacking about this and that when a young girl walks in, pulls off her engagement ring and says ''how much will you charge me to tell me if this is real or not?'' and my friend says ''five bucks'' at which point she hands him the ring and he barely looks at it and says ''no''... I''m stunned (at the five bucks part). The thing is when you work with them all the time, you get kind of like a bank teller with fake currency, but I think most people who aren''t diamond connoisseurs are hard pressed to tell the difference - especially if the simulant isn''t whopping big like 3+ carats which then becomes suspect kind of automatically.

Thanks for the cleaning advice Todd...this is brand new, just got it this week actually... and I am a compulsive jewelry cleaner... I think it is probably too clean, making it too reflective in some lighting, which is what I don''t like about it. It''s a chunky cut, so it reflects a lot of colors....it is actually really pretty, just not the look I want from a diamond of course. I love warmer old cut diamonds and can''t wait to get one!

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 2/1/2010 11:59:10 AM
Author: spoogenet
I think this will vary by person.

It would also depend on your definition of fake. If I were to see a CZ from a distance, I wouldn''t be able to tell you if it were a poorly cut diamond or a CZ. Up close (i.e. holding it in my hands) the difference between a CZ and a diamond becomes pretty apparent to me.

Between a real and a simulated diamond, as you mentioned, I doubt I could tell the difference at any point though I''ve never seen a simulated diamond up close that I''ve known to be simulated.

b

Just from a gemological point of view, a CZ or a moissanite, or a YAG, or a GGG are all simulated diamonds. I think you might be referring to a synthetic diamond, which is in fact diamond, only man made. Those are very hard to tell apart in the white diamonds, which so far are rare, and small.

Someday they will be readily available, and like all of their counterparts as well as the real diamonds, cutting will be the thing that makes them or breaks them.

Wink

 

[spoogenet]

Date: 2/1/2010 10:29:43 PM
Author: Wink

Date: 2/1/2010 11:59:10 AM

Author: spoogenet

I think this will vary by person.


It would also depend on your definition of fake. If I were to see a CZ from a distance, I wouldn''t be able to tell you if it were a poorly cut diamond or a CZ. Up close (i.e. holding it in my hands) the difference between a CZ and a diamond becomes pretty apparent to me.


Between a real and a simulated diamond, as you mentioned, I doubt I could tell the difference at any point though I''ve never seen a simulated diamond up close that I''ve known to be simulated.


b

Just from a gemological point of view, a CZ or a moissanite, or a YAG, or a GGG are all simulated diamonds. I think you might be referring to a synthetic diamond, which is in fact diamond, only man made. Those are very hard to tell apart in the white diamonds, which so far are rare, and small.


Someday they will be readily available, and like all of their counterparts as well as the real diamonds, cutting will be the thing that makes them or breaks them.


Wink

Thanks for the clarification Wink! That is indeed the word I was looking for.

b

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 2/1/2010 8:31:16 PM
Author: Todd Gray

Date: 2/1/2010 7:22:50 PM
Author: Ara Ann

Date: 2/1/2010 6:09:35 PM

Author: ericad

Cheap settings can be a giveaway, but I''ve known people who set high quality sims into Leon rings (yes, he will set a cubic if that''s what you want) and other high end settings, but have various reasons for not wanting a diamond center stone. To each their own - these pieces, especially with their expensive settings, are very convincing and beautiful in their own right.

This is the boat I am in right now...my wedding ring was stolen and we had a glitch in our ins. coverage, so no replacement money for a new ring. I have my heart set on an antique cut diamond and we are saving for it, but in the meantime I have an OMC k color CZ, like those you mentioned in your previous post. I ordered a repro antique setting in rose gold, which I plan to keep and put my real diamond in at some point... and although it''s not my dream ring yet, it is filling the need for me, for now. At times the stone looks very real and it is beautiful, but in some lighting I am not 100% pleased with the look of the CZ...but it is temporary!

And I can usually tell a CZ from a real diamond...for most of the same reasons mentioned previously.

The trick to wearing diamond simulants is keeping them clean and replacing them often... Many of our clients have second rings made ''just like the real ones'' to wear when they are on vacation, etc.

Most diamond simulants start to really look like fakes when they get dirty and CZ''s scratch rather easily (tiny scratches) and dirt and grime make them easier to identify as fakes that way... So just clean it often and have the stone replaced every six months or so if you''re wearing the ring all the time.

True story... Maybe ten years ago I''m sitting behind the counter at a friend''s jewelry store yacking about this and that when a young girl walks in, pulls off her engagement ring and says ''how much will you charge me to tell me if this is real or not?'' and my friend says ''five bucks'' at which point she hands him the ring and he barely looks at it and says ''no''... I''m stunned (at the five bucks part). The thing is when you work with them all the time, you get kind of like a bank teller with fake currency, but I think most people who aren''t diamond connoisseurs are hard pressed to tell the difference - especially if the simulant isn''t whopping big like 3+ carats which then becomes suspect kind of automatically.

I want to know the rest of this story, like why was she asking and what did she react like when he said no. I KNOW there is a story there!

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 2/1/2010 10:33:18 PM
Author: spoogenet

Date: 2/1/2010 10:29:43 PM
Author: Wink

Date: 2/1/2010 11:59:10 AM

Author: spoogenet

I think this will vary by person.


It would also depend on your definition of fake. If I were to see a CZ from a distance, I wouldn''t be able to tell you if it were a poorly cut diamond or a CZ. Up close (i.e. holding it in my hands) the difference between a CZ and a diamond becomes pretty apparent to me.


Between a real and a simulated diamond, as you mentioned, I doubt I could tell the difference at any point though I''ve never seen a simulated diamond up close that I''ve known to be simulated.


b

Just from a gemological point of view, a CZ or a moissanite, or a YAG, or a GGG are all simulated diamonds. I think you might be referring to a synthetic diamond, which is in fact diamond, only man made. Those are very hard to tell apart in the white diamonds, which so far are rare, and small.


Someday they will be readily available, and like all of their counterparts as well as the real diamonds, cutting will be the thing that makes them or breaks them.


Wink

Thanks for the clarification Wink! That is indeed the word I was looking for.

b

You are indeed welcome.

 

[WinkHPD]

P.S. The reason I know there is a story with that story from Todd is that one day a beautiful woman and her even more beautiful friend came in to my office and she wanted me to buy or sell her 3 ct blue diamond. I said she would need to hold on a moment while I checked it over, since as a genuine blue diamond it was worth a LOT of money.

A short inspection showed it to be synthetic blue spinel. She got all hot and really mad, swearing that the dirty (expletive deleted) had told her it was his great grandmother''s heirloom diamond, handed down generation to generation to the wife of the first born son. She wanted to sell it since she caught him cheating on her the night before and she was wanting to sell it before she told him as she knew he would want it back.

That made her so mad she whipped off the 4 carat "diamond" engagement ring she was wearing and said, "Well what is this worth, I need to get something for the six weeks of my life I gave up for this creep."

If you thought she was mad about the blue diamond, you do not EVEN want to know what she said when I told her it was a CZ.

Frankly, from her attitude and what she thought her precious self was worth, I kind of think they were made for each other. It seemed he was taking her on an even bigger ride than the one she thought she was taking him on...

 

[spoogenet]

Date: 2/1/2010 10:48:25 PM
Author: Wink
P.S. The reason I know there is a story with that story from Todd is that one day a beautiful woman and her even more beautiful friend came in to my office and she wanted me to buy or sell her 3 ct blue diamond. I said she would need to hold on a moment while I checked it over, since as a genuine blue diamond it was worth a LOT of money.


A short inspection showed it to be synthetic blue spinel. She got all hot and really mad, swearing that the dirty (expletive deleted) had told her it was his great grandmother''s heirloom diamond, handed down generation to generation to the wife of the first born son. She wanted to sell it since she caught him cheating on her the night before and she was wanting to sell it before she told him as she knew he would want it back.


That made her so mad she whipped off the 4 carat ''diamond'' engagement ring she was wearing and said, ''Well what is this worth, I need to get something for the six weeks of my life I gave up for this creep.''


If you thought she was mad about the blue diamond, you do not EVEN want to know what she said when I told her it was a CZ.


Frankly, from her attitude and what she thought her precious self was worth, I kind of think they were made for each other. It seemed he was taking her on an even bigger ride than the one she thought she was taking him on...

Unfortunately, there is no ASET equivalent for humans.

b

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 2/2/2010 12:00:17 AM
Author: spoogenet

Date: 2/1/2010 10:48:25 PM
Author: Wink
P.S. The reason I know there is a story with that story from Todd is that one day a beautiful woman and her even more beautiful friend came in to my office and she wanted me to buy or sell her 3 ct blue diamond. I said she would need to hold on a moment while I checked it over, since as a genuine blue diamond it was worth a LOT of money.


A short inspection showed it to be synthetic blue spinel. She got all hot and really mad, swearing that the dirty (expletive deleted) had told her it was his great grandmother''s heirloom diamond, handed down generation to generation to the wife of the first born son. She wanted to sell it since she caught him cheating on her the night before and she was wanting to sell it before she told him as she knew he would want it back.


That made her so mad she whipped off the 4 carat ''diamond'' engagement ring she was wearing and said, ''Well what is this worth, I need to get something for the six weeks of my life I gave up for this creep.''


If you thought she was mad about the blue diamond, you do not EVEN want to know what she said when I told her it was a CZ.


Frankly, from her attitude and what she thought her precious self was worth, I kind of think they were made for each other. It seemed he was taking her on an even bigger ride than the one she thought she was taking him on...

Unfortunately, there is no ASET equivalent for humans.

b

LOL! So true...

 

[i love shiny things]

Wink, that was a great story!

I have two.

So I was a bridesmaid and the night before we all decided to wear dangle earrings. The next day, they all decided on wearing studs...which was news to me considering we just discussed it less than 5 hours earlier. So I was running around the house asking if anybody had and studs I could borrow. Then one of the BM said she had an extra pair. When she handed them to me, she said, "please don''t lose these because my bf would wonder what happen to them." I didn''t think too much about that comment. I knew they were fake. This other girl said she borrowed studs from her too. She told that girl they were real.

We laughed so hard(secretly of course)....OK, so how naive did she think we were???? She had three sets of "diamond studs" that she carries everywhere with her??? Plus they came off of one of those cards from that store in the mall-The Icing/Claire''s. LOL Really????


Second story

I went to Kay''s. The girl that helped me complemented me on my pendent and asked where I got it. I told her I got it at Ross for $25. Her jaw dropped!!! She was convinced it was real. She was short of making me take it off to show her.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Date: 2/1/2010 7:16:09 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 2/1/2010 4:01:57 PM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
Not really, not when someone''s actually wearing them. Earrings, I mean - rings are a little easier, since you can usually get a closer look (without appearing to be a weirdo).

Sometimes I take a guess based on what else a person is wearing, I must admit. That''s probably a bit obnoxious, now I think about it.

WHY???

just b/c i''m wearing jeans and T shirt then my jewelry must be fake?

btw; i would never wear fake jewelry or knock offs.

Nope, not jeans and tshirt, that isn''t what I meant. If I see someone wearing fake designer clothes, or carrying a fake designer purse, I tend to assume fake bling too. There''s a street market near where I live that sells all sorts of designer knock off gear when the police aren''t looking, usually in horrible polyester. I see a lot of people wearing the stuff locally (and enjoying it, so who am I to criticise). That''s the sort of thing I''m thinking of, since I know that jeans and a tshirt can cost a few pounds or a few hundred pounds.

 

[LilyKat]

Date: 2/1/2010 5:45:20 PM
Author: MC

Date: 2/1/2010 5:23:41 PM

Author: LilyKat

Nope. To me, it''s all in the quality of the setting, and the likelihood that the person wearing it would be able to afford it (sorry). But then, I''m not a professional jeweller.

A friend of mine has a new car, gorgeously decorated home - looks like a pottery barn catalog - and designer clothes and has admitted to me her earrings are fake (they are nicely set - as you said, setting can make or break cz stones)! I''d never have guessed that based on her other material goods. I wonder if my friends think my diamonds are fake since my car is older

Oh no - my car is kind of old too

I meant the fourteen-year-old girls hanging out on the streets wearing cheap tracksuits and CZ pinky rings. That same stone, on the wedding ring finger of a older professional woman, would probably fool me. But as you rightly point out, it definitely isn''t foolproof!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 2/2/2010 3:16:59 AM
Author: Mrs Mitchell

Date: 2/1/2010 7:16:09 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 2/1/2010 4:01:57 PM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
Not really, not when someone's actually wearing them. Earrings, I mean - rings are a little easier, since you can usually get a closer look (without appearing to be a weirdo).

Sometimes I take a guess based on what else a person is wearing, I must admit. That's probably a bit obnoxous, now I think aboutit.

WHY???

just b/c i'm wearing jeans and T shirt then my jewelry must be fake?

btw; i would never wear fake jewelry or knock offs.

Nope, not jeans and tshirt, that isn't what I meant. If I see someone wearing fake designer clothes, or carrying a fake designer purse, I tend to assume fake bling too. There's a street market near where I live that sells all sorts of designer knock off gear when the police aren't looking, usually in horrible polyester. I see a lot of people wearing the stuff locally (and enjoying it, so who am I to criticise). That's the sort of thing I'm thinking of, since I know that jeans and a tshirt can cost a few pounds or a few hundred pounds.

When I see a person in jeans and a t-shirt decked in major bling, I tend to think that person has decided on specific priorities. . .they like diamonds more than clothes. All I own are jeans and I wear them with fancy shoes, however, I still am casually dressed. . .yet, I wear a nicer pendant, etc. every day. I agree with Mrs. Mitchell, though, when a person is carrying a fake designer bag, I think fake everything else. When a person is carrying an unbranded bag, I think they've picked diamonds over other stuff. In fact that is me. . .I wear designer jeans & diamonds, but a simple purse. Nothing fake, though. . .

 

[denverappraiser]

Some fakes can be very convincing. Back when I was doing manufacturing, I did reproduction work for museums where they want to put a fake in the display and keep the original in a vault elsewhere for security reasons. It’s a very common practice but they HATE getting caught at it. I’ve made pieces where there is no way that anyone other than an insider who is intimately familiar with the original would pick it out.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 2/1/2010 10:48:25 PM
Author: Wink
P.S. The reason I know there is a story with that story from Todd is that one day a beautiful woman and her even more beautiful friend came in to my office and she wanted me to buy or sell her 3 ct blue diamond. I said she would need to hold on a moment while I checked it over, since as a genuine blue diamond it was worth a LOT of money.

A short inspection showed it to be synthetic blue spinel. She got all hot and really mad, swearing that the dirty (expletive deleted) had told her it was his great grandmother''s heirloom diamond, handed down generation to generation to the wife of the first born son. She wanted to sell it since she caught him cheating on her the night before and she was wanting to sell it before she told him as she knew he would want it back.

That made her so mad she whipped off the 4 carat ''diamond'' engagement ring she was wearing and said, ''Well what is this worth, I need to get something for the six weeks of my life I gave up for this creep.''

If you thought she was mad about the blue diamond, you do not EVEN want to know what she said when I told her it was a CZ.

Frankly, from her attitude and what she thought her precious self was worth, I kind of think they were made for each other. It seemed he was taking her on an even bigger ride than the one she thought she was taking him on...

This is seriously the funniest part of the whole thing! LOL!

 

[lknvrb4]

I am surprised by the number of people who wear fakes. I can''t believe on some resale sites how many fakes there are. It''s either the real deal for me or nothing.

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 2/2/2010 12:00:17 AM
Author: spoogenet
Unfortunately, there is no ASET equivalent for humans.

Ha! That would be excellent! Valerie left for class this morning wearing a t-shirt which reads "unfortunately it isn''t possible to mark people as SPAM" and I thought, oh so true! How much time and emotional energy could we save if we had the capability to mark people as spam?

Waste of time - check.
Energy Vampire - check.
Blah, Blah, Negative, Blah - check.
The sky is falling, blah - check.

Oh - perhaps "people ASET" = smile / no smile?

 

[spoogenet]

I think I''ll make a t-shirt for the people ASET.

Date: 2/2/2010 12:31:24 PM
Author: lknvrb4
I am surprised by the number of people who wear fakes. I can''t believe on some resale sites how many fakes there are. It''s either the real deal for me or nothing.

I can certainly understand why, and I''m not at all surprised. Think of the number of people who wear makeup or gel their hair. It''s all fake and it''s there to provide a packaged presentation (and in some cases, a very fragmented modern funk presentation rather than a packaged one).

Especially for "fashion" jewelry that you may wear to some event/location periodically, there isn''t much reason for most people to have that item be something expensive.

Just as I wear different clothes depending on where I''m going and what I''m doing, I''d wear different jewelry. I wouldn''t wear a nice leather jacket to mow the lawn on a chilly day, but I''d still need a jacket.

Here''s the way I look at it:

Wear it a lot?
Yes - higher quality overall will last longer
No - cheap may be okay
Wear it to nice places?
Yes - a quality cake is made from quality ingredients
No - cheap may be okay
Wear it to less nice or risky places? (such as a dance club)
Yes - cheaper the better

b

 

[karpouzi]

Date: 2/2/2010 12:31:24 PM
Author: lknvrb4
I am surprised by the number of people who wear fakes. I can't believe on some resale sites how many fakes there are. It's either the real deal for me or nothing.

That's easy to say when you can afford the real deal.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Date: 2/2/2010 11:45:35 AM
Author: MC

Date: 2/2/2010 3:16:59 AM
Author: Mrs Mitchell

Date: 2/1/2010 7:16:09 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 2/1/2010 4:01:57 PM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
Not really, not when someone''s actually wearing them. Earrings, I mean - rings are a little easier, since you can usually get a closer look (without appearing to be a weirdo).

Sometimes I take a guess based on what else a person is wearing, I must admit. That''s probably a bit obnoxous, now I think aboutit.

WHY???

just b/c i''m wearing jeans and T shirt then my jewelry must be fake?

btw; i would never wear fake jewelry or knock offs.

Nope, not jeans and tshirt, that isn''t what I meant. If I see someone wearing fake designer clothes, or carrying a fake designer purse, I tend to assume fake bling too. There''s a street market near where I live that sells all sorts of designer knock off gear when the police aren''t looking, usually in horrible polyester. I see a lot of people wearing the stuff locally (and enjoying it, so who am I to criticise). That''s the sort of thing I''m thinking of, since I know that jeans and a tshirt can cost a few pounds or a few hundred pounds.

When I see a person in jeans and a t-shirt decked in major bling, I tend to think that person has decided on specific priorities. . .they like diamonds more than clothes. All I own are jeans and I wear them with fancy shoes, however, I still am casually dressed. . .yet, I wear a nicer pendant, etc. every day. I agree with Mrs. Mitchell, though, when a person is carrying a fake designer bag, I think fake everything else. When a person is carrying an unbranded bag, I think they''ve picked diamonds over other stuff. In fact that is me. . .I wear designer jeans & diamonds, but a simple purse. Nothing fake, though. . .

I don''t think I ever thought it through to this depth.

I just think they''ve dressed down that day. LOL

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 2/2/2010 2:54:35 PM
Author: karpouzi

Date: 2/2/2010 12:31:24 PM

Author: lknvrb4

I am surprised by the number of people who wear fakes. I can''t believe on some resale sites how many fakes there are. It''s either the real deal for me or nothing.

That''s easy to say when you can afford the real deal.

I actually don''t have any issue with a good fake, my only advice is that when buying a CZ or other simulant as a temporary place holder in something like an engagement or wedding ring that you "keep it real" in terms of size or you might have a real wake up call when you decide to try and replace it with the real thing...

There are some specialty cut CZ''s that I''ve seen which are phenomenal as a temporary place holder in a nice designer piece (I''ve seen them in Mark Morrell, Tacori, Verragio, Viachi, etc) or in use in "fun type" jewelry... Even my fiance Valerie has a few "fun" pieces which are phenomenal fakes, but when people ask about them she''ll openly admit "these are real, this one is just for fun and it''s fake"... But again, the trick is to keep them clean and replace them often because of the scratch factor.

You know the stuff that actually bugs me? The cheap trashy fakes which Valerie picks up on the fly at the same time she picks up a pair of jeans or a blouse - and she does it just to drive me nuts!

 

[spoogenet]

Date: 2/2/2010 3:36:00 PM
Author: Todd Gray
I actually don''t have any issue with a good fake, my only advice is that when buying a CZ or other simulant as a temporary place holder in something like an engagement or wedding ring that you ''keep it real'' in terms of size or you might have a real wake up call when you decide to try and replace it with the real thing...


There are some specialty cut CZ''s that I''ve seen which are phenomenal as a temporary place holder in a nice designer piece (I''ve seen them in Mark Morrell, Tacori, Verragio, Viachi, etc) or in use in ''fun type'' jewelry... Even my fiance Valerie has a few ''fun'' pieces which are phenomenal fakes, but when people ask about them she''ll openly admit ''these are real, this one is just for fun and it''s fake''... But again, the trick is to keep them clean and replace them often because of the scratch factor.


You know the stuff that actually bugs me? The cheap trashy fakes which Valerie picks up on the fly at the same time she picks up a pair of jeans or a blouse - and she does it just to drive me nuts!

Ha, I experience the same thing. I recall one time after I had bought a nice heart shaped pendant with normal & black ones, we were out shopping around Christmas and she kept looking at the cheap junk in some of the clothing stores. I kept thinking "Please don''t buy it, please don''t buy it" and fortunately, she didn''t. Needless to say, she had no idea about the pendant and was most appreciative upon receiving it.

There definitely exists "fun" jewelry that is also affordable enough without being ridiculously overpriced junk. $20 for a 10c necklace is hardly a good deal, but $100 for a nice custom made rhodium coated sterling silver piece can be a decent deal and is much more attractive.

b

 

[onvacation]

Date: 2/1/2010 8:31:16 PM
Author: Todd Gray

Date: 2/1/2010 7:22:50 PM

Author: Ara Ann

Date: 2/1/2010 6:09:35 PM


Author: ericad


Cheap settings can be a giveaway, but I've known people who set high quality sims into Leon rings (yes, he will set a cubic if that's what you want) and other high end settings, but have various reasons for not wanting a diamond center stone. To each their own - these pieces, especially with their expensive settings, are very convincing and beautiful in their own right.

This is the boat I am in right now...my wedding ring was stolen and we had a glitch in our ins. coverage, so no replacement money for a new ring. I have my heart set on an antique cut diamond and we are saving for it, but in the meantime I have an OMC k color CZ, like those you mentioned in your previous post. I ordered a repro antique setting in rose gold, which I plan to keep and put my real diamond in at some point... and although it's not my dream ring yet, it is filling the need for me, for now. At times the stone looks very real and it is beautiful, but in some lighting I am not 100% pleased with the look of the CZ...but it is temporary!


And I can usually tell a CZ from a real diamond...for most of the same reasons mentioned previously.

The trick to wearing diamond simulants is keeping them clean and replacing them often... Many of our clients have second rings made 'just like the real ones' to wear when they are on vacation, etc.

LOL, yes, that would be me! DH got me a replica ring when he got my e-ring because 1) he knows I lose things

and 2) because I wanted a fake I can wear without worrying. It's been an interesting experience for me because I expected people to be able to tell the difference, but it seems few people actually can. I think it's because I don't live in a very metropolitan area, and there's just less opportunity to see larger stones around here. It was surprising for me to see how people around me (who knew I had two e-rings) had to ask every time they saw me with my e-ring on which one I was wearing that day. But PSers? Really?

I'm sure some people on here have the ability to tell real designer bags from fakes. It's just the same, the way I see it. Know the real thing, and you can tell the fakes apart. With diamonds, I think the things I notice the most are the way light is reflected, the steeliness of the material, cut, etc. I haven't seen Ashas (at least with prior knowledge) in person before, so I don't know how I would do with those. I can tell YAG and moissanites apart from a few feet off - I know because the people at the jewelry store confirm the answers. I tried ordering some simulants from home-shopping channels that got 5-star reviews with everyone saying they were indistinguishable from the real thing, but sent them all back because they were just too obvious. I don't think I rely on context too much, because then pretty much all my diamonds should be fakes!

I agree with MC on priorities. I have a friend who spends a lot of $ on frivolous knick-knacks yet is appalled at the price of some of my things. On more than one occasion she has told me about someone she knows who bought a e-ring for how much and a car for how much, and how crazy/stupid they must be. I keep mum and nod. We're still good friends.


ETA: Elle, MC, Gleam, I don't know if my long-winded reply answers your questions, but I believe ChunkyCushionLover summed it up pretty well. Kind of like how people know their cats apart from other similar looking cats, or bags. I remember there being threads where people would post pics of their CZs (knowingly or unknowingly), where PSers thought they were CZ from even the pictures alone?

 

[onvacation]

Date: 2/1/2010 7:07:36 PM
Author: MC

Date: 2/1/2010 6:26:15 PM

Author: onvacation

With diamonds and sims, I believe it get it right 90% of the time, excluding the obvious fakes, of course. DH can also tell the difference most of the time with the PS training he got in the past couple of years, though he sometimes asks me for a second opinion. I suppose it''s turned into a game we play when we''re out together.



Colored stones, however, are a whole different beast! Interestingly, just this weekend I was in the process of bringing out my colored stone collection to show my family, when my completely untrained brother immediately called out a fake stone without any prior knowledge! I was amazed. Sure, it looks fake, but not to the degree that I would expect a complete novice to be able to make the call. Certainly more believable than most CZ. I am planning to show him a few more stones and see how he does with them.

Ah, this is kinda sad.


2nd Elle Chris - how do you know the stones you claim are fake actually are?

MC, I must be a little dense (or denser than usual!) today. Would you mind elaborating?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 2/2/2010 4:48:16 PM
Author: onvacation

Date: 2/1/2010 7:07:36 PM
Author: MC

Date: 2/1/2010 6:26:15 PM

Author: onvacation

With diamonds and sims, I believe it get it right 90% of the time, excluding the obvious fakes, of course. DH can also tell the difference most of the time with the PS training he got in the past couple of years, though he sometimes asks me for a second opinion. I suppose it's turned into a game we play when we're out together.



Colored stones, however, are a whole different beast! Interestingly, just this weekend I was in the process of bringing out my colored stone collection to show my family, when my completely untrained brother immediately called out a fake stone without any prior knowledge! I was amazed. Sure, it looks fake, but not to the degree that I would expect a complete novice to be able to make the call. Certainly more believable than most CZ. I am planning to show him a few more stones and see how he does with them.

Ah, this is kinda sad.


2nd Elle Chris - how do you know the stones you claim are fake actually are?

MC, I must be a little dense (or denser than usual!) today. Would you mind elaborating?

Ah, never mind. I responded but don't want to make any big deal because I probably misinterpreted you.

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 2/2/2010 4:40:18 PM
Author: onvacation

LOL, yes, that would be me! DH got me a replica ring when he got my e-ring because 1) he knows I lose things

and 2) because I wanted a fake I can wear without worrying. It''s been an interesting experience for me because I expected people to be able to tell the difference, but it seems few people actually can. I think it''s because I don''t live in a very metropolitan area, and there''s just less opportunity to see larger stones around here. It was surprising for me to see how people around me (who knew I had two e-rings) had to ask every time they saw me with my e-ring on which one I was wearing that day. But PSers? Really?

I''m sure some people on here have the ability to tell real designer bags from fakes. It''s just the same, the way I see it. Know the real thing, and you can tell the fakes apart. With diamonds, I think the things I notice the most are the way light is reflected, the steeliness of the material, cut, etc. I haven''t seen Ashas (at least with prior knowledge) in person before, so I don''t know how I would do with those. I can tell YAG and moissanites apart from a few feet off - I know because the people at the jewelry store confirm the answers. I tried ordering some simulants from home-shopping channels that got 5-star reviews with everyone saying they were indistinguishable from the real thing, but sent them all back because they were just too obvious. I don''t think I rely on context too much, because then pretty much all my diamonds should be fakes!

I agree with MC on priorities. I have a friend who spends a lot of $ on frivolous knick-knacks yet is appalled at the price of some of my things. On more than one occasion she has told me about someone she knows who bought a e-ring for how much and a car for how much, and how crazy/stupid they must be. I keep mum and nod. We''re still good friends.

ETA: Elle, MC, Gleam, I don''t know if my long-winded reply answers your questions, but I believe ChunkyCushionLover summed it up pretty well. Kind of like how people know their cats apart from other similar looking cats, or bags. I remember there being threads where people would post pics of their CZs (knowingly or unknowingly), where PSers thought they were CZ from even the pictures alone?

I''m kind of laughing at this because "on vacation" would be the perfect place to wear a knock off and it''s your user name

Valerie and I never wear good jewelry when we''re on vacation because (1) it makes us a target; and (2) it''s too easy to loose stuff while playing, scuba diving, etc. We usually wear plain gold bands - in fact, when traveling in Mexico before we were even engaged, we both wore plain wedding bands because I''ve found that people treat women differently down there if they think they''re single.

Valerie loves to torture me with "Oh look honey, plastic pearls!" or by holding up some plastic cast piece of heinous blech-o-something and saying "wouldn''t this go great with the dress that I''m wearing for the dinner next week? Which somehow is followed by "you could always make it in ''something real'' for me - you have that CAD thingy"

Interestingly enough, she doesn''t mind fake anything in terms of accessories and such, except when it comes to anything Burberry of which she has a (thankfully controlled) passion for... A clerk tried to interest her in a knock off bag because she was holding a Burberry clutch and I literally thought the sales clerk was going to be killed on the spot - and I thought "oh I see, fake bobble headed jewelry is fine - but fake Burberry is not" I see... Oh but wait, we got a five month old kitten from the shelter a few months ago (Bengal, named Mimi for "me me") and we''re walking through Petco and Valerie snags a Burberry knock-off collar and somehow that''s okay. No, No, Don''t worry... I''m not even trying to figure it out - I realize it''s some kind of girl thing.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 2/2/2010 5:52:57 PM
Author: Todd Gray

Date: 2/2/2010 4:40:18 PM

Author: onvacation


LOL, yes, that would be me! DH got me a replica ring when he got my e-ring because 1) he knows I lose things

and 2) because I wanted a fake I can wear without worrying. It''s been an interesting experience for me because I expected people to be able to tell the difference, but it seems few people actually can. I think it''s because I don''t live in a very metropolitan area, and there''s just less opportunity to see larger stones around here. It was surprising for me to see how people around me (who knew I had two e-rings) had to ask every time they saw me with my e-ring on which one I was wearing that day. But PSers? Really?


I''m sure some people on here have the ability to tell real designer bags from fakes. It''s just the same, the way I see it. Know the real thing, and you can tell the fakes apart. With diamonds, I think the things I notice the most are the way light is reflected, the steeliness of the material, cut, etc. I haven''t seen Ashas (at least with prior knowledge) in person before, so I don''t know how I would do with those. I can tell YAG and moissanites apart from a few feet off - I know because the people at the jewelry store confirm the answers. I tried ordering some simulants from home-shopping channels that got 5-star reviews with everyone saying they were indistinguishable from the real thing, but sent them all back because they were just too obvious. I don''t think I rely on context too much, because then pretty much all my diamonds should be fakes!


I agree with MC on priorities. I have a friend who spends a lot of $ on frivolous knick-knacks yet is appalled at the price of some of my things. On more than one occasion she has told me about someone she knows who bought a e-ring for how much and a car for how much, and how crazy/stupid they must be. I keep mum and nod. We''re still good friends.


ETA: Elle, MC, Gleam, I don''t know if my long-winded reply answers your questions, but I believe ChunkyCushionLover summed it up pretty well. Kind of like how people know their cats apart from other similar looking cats, or bags. I remember there being threads where people would post pics of their CZs (knowingly or unknowingly), where PSers thought they were CZ from even the pictures alone?

I''m kind of laughing at this because ''on vacation'' would be the perfect place to wear a knock off and it''s your user name

Valerie and I never wear good jewelry when we''re on vacation because (1) it makes us a target; and (2) it''s too easy to loose stuff while playing, scuba diving, etc. We usually wear plain gold bands - in fact, when traveling in Mexico before we were even engaged, we both wore plain wedding bands because I''ve found that people treat women differently down there if they think they''re single.


Valerie loves to torture me with ''Oh look honey, plastic pearls!'' or by holding up some plastic cast piece of heinous blech-o-something and saying ''wouldn''t this go great with the dress that I''m wearing for the dinner next week? Which somehow is followed by ''you could always make it in ''something real'' for me - you have that CAD thingy''

Interestingly enough, she doesn''t mind fake anything in terms of accessories and such, except when it comes to anything Burberry of which she has a (thankfully controlled) passion for... A clerk tried to interest her in a knock off bag because she was holding a Burberry clutch and I literally thought the sales clerk was going to be killed on the spot - and I thought ''oh I see, fake bobble headed jewelry is fine - but fake Burberry is not'' I see... Oh but wait, we got a five month old kitten from the shelter a few months ago (Bengal, named Mimi for ''me me'') and we''re walking through Petco and Valerie snags a Burberry knock-off collar and somehow that''s okay. No, No, Don''t worry... I''m not even trying to figure it out - I realize it''s some kind of girl thing.

Where are the Bengal pics?! /threadjack over

Umm...I can tell with purses but not with jewelry. Though I''m tempted to get an Asha or something just to see how real it looks. I can definitely tell when jewelry stores have CZs in their settings because they''re so gray but that''s about it. I wish I could tell - one of my mom''s friends is well-off and sometimes snotty, and she has a 4-5 ct. diamond pendant. Can''t tell if it''s fake or if it''s just horribly cut because it has no life at all.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 2/1/2010 10:48:25 PM
Author: Wink
P.S. The reason I know there is a story with that story from Todd is that one day a beautiful woman and her even more beautiful friend came in to my office and she wanted me to buy or sell her 3 ct blue diamond. I said she would need to hold on a moment while I checked it over, since as a genuine blue diamond it was worth a LOT of money.


A short inspection showed it to be synthetic blue spinel. She got all hot and really mad, swearing that the dirty (expletive deleted) had told her it was his great grandmother''s heirloom diamond, handed down generation to generation to the wife of the first born son. She wanted to sell it since she caught him cheating on her the night before and she was wanting to sell it before she told him as she knew he would want it back.


That made her so mad she whipped off the 4 carat ''diamond'' engagement ring she was wearing and said, ''Well what is this worth, I need to get something for the six weeks of my life I gave up for this creep.''


If you thought she was mad about the blue diamond, you do not EVEN want to know what she said when I told her it was a CZ.


Frankly, from her attitude and what she thought her precious self was worth, I kind of think they were made for each other. It seemed he was taking her on an even bigger ride than the one she thought she was taking him on...

LMAO!!!