Paranoid...How do you tell if your diamond is real??

[mandyk77]

I have heard that you can breathe on a diamond and the condensation will evaporate before 2 seconds pass if it is a real diamond, but is this always true??

When I briefly breathe on or blow on my stone it clears very quickly, but if I breathe on it (with stone very close or practically in my mouth) for several seconds the stone stays fogged for longer (ie: 3/4 seconds).

I know I am crazy, but is this normal. Could the longer presence of condensation, when I blow on it for 3 or 4 seconds constantly, be from the longer time period that I blew on the stone??

All of this came about because so many people have looked at my stone and said "Wow I''ve never seen one so clear and sparkly before." I realize this is a good thing, but it made me sort of paranoid! I am trying to comfort myself by rationalizing that most non-PS''ers don''t see or own very well cut stones. My diamond is EGL USA and was bought from a reputable jeweler in a city near my home, after comparing many different stones at 4 b&m stores.

Our jeweler is probably one of the busiest in the city and his prices are right there with the Pricescope vendors (for stones of the same quality). He usually only deals with GIA stones, but brought in my EGL with several other GIA ovals and the EGL stone outperformed the GIA''s. The stone is a D SI2 and there are some tiny crystal inclusions that I can spot with a loupe. I just got worried that maybe it was too clear and brilliant to be real.....and then I became paranoid with the breath test!

Thanks in advance for taking the time to give your thoughts. Has anyone else breath tested their diamond?

P.S. I am taking the stone to be appraised this week, but I guess I am a little OCD and want comfort before the appraisal.

 

[Lorelei]

Mandy, I have done the breath test on my diamond too!

I also found with my huffing and puffing that the condensation would sometimes last a lot longer than others!

A breath test isn't really to me an accurate or scientific way of proving a diamond is real or not, so I would try to relax! In case you are interested, I read of another test ( don't know how accurate this one is) if you can read newsprint through the diamond, it is a fake ( I think, could be the other way around!) I also read of an ink test, where if you couldn't draw on the diamond with a pen, it was real.....

So the list goes on!

I wouldn't worry, it sounds like you have a gorgeous GENUINE diamond and I am sure it is not a fake!

 

[haider]

Would you not take the ring/diamond for independent appraissal?

 

[zerj]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that a diamond conducts heat a lot better than CZ so a breath test could be interesting but you'd probably need a CZ comparison stone right next to it to know what difference you should be looking for. Also Moissanite another simulant is doubly refractive so that would probably be tougher to read newsprint through as you'd see two reflections of each one, asuming you could get that image. I think perhaps just looking for a double reflection of a facet would be easier though.

Personally I just used a loupe to read off the micro engraved serial number (Still took me 10 minutes to find it). Also my diamond has strong blue flouro which made things easy as well.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/19/2008 10:15:36 AM
Author: haider
Would you not take the ring/diamond for independent appraissal?

She already is haider, see the bottom of her post.

 

[neatfreak]

It''s not a reliable test. Just take it to an appraiser. If you bought it from a reputable place I am sure it is FINE.

 

[mandyk77]

Thanks for the quick responses! I''m sure it is fine and the appraiser will validate the authenticity, I guess I am just a worry wort!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/19/2008 10:09:26 AM
Author: Lorelei
Mandy, I have done the breath test on my diamond too!

I also found with my huffing and puffing that the condensation would sometimes last a lot longer than others!

A breath test isn''t really to me an accurate or scientific way of proving a diamond is real or not, so I would try to relax! In case you are interested, I read of another test ( don''t know how accurate this one is) if you can read newsprint through the diamond, it is a fake ( I think, could be the other way around!) I also read of an ink test, where if you couldn''t draw on the diamond with a pen, it was real.....

So the list goes on!

I wouldn''t worry, it sounds like you have a gorgeous GENUINE diamond and I am sure it is not a fake!

So interesting Lorelei!

I have never heard of this, so of course here i am on the couch breathing and huffing on my rings - sure enough Fi asks me quizically what am I doing?

Once I explained your diamond tests, he promptly grabs up a marker and goes for my ring to test the drawing theory!!

needless to say, I ran away!!! lol

 

[Lorelei]

LOL!!! I read about these '' tests'' a long time ago, and somehow remembered them!

 

[LegacyGirl]

Date: 5/19/2008 11:17:14 AM
Author: arjunajane

Date: 5/19/2008 10:09:26 AM
Author: Lorelei
Mandy, I have done the breath test on my diamond too!

I also found with my huffing and puffing that the condensation would sometimes last a lot longer than others!

A breath test isn''t really to me an accurate or scientific way of proving a diamond is real or not, so I would try to relax! In case you are interested, I read of another test ( don''t know how accurate this one is) if you can read newsprint through the diamond, it is a fake ( I think, could be the other way around!) I also read of an ink test, where if you couldn''t draw on the diamond with a pen, it was real.....

So the list goes on!

I wouldn''t worry, it sounds like you have a gorgeous GENUINE diamond and I am sure it is not a fake!

So interesting Lorelei!

I have never heard of this, so of course here i am on the couch breathing and huffing on my rings - sure enough Fi asks me quizically what am I doing?

Once I explained your diamond tests, he promptly grabs up a marker and goes for my ring to test the drawing theory!!

needless to say, I ran away!!! lol

Good idea!!

 

[mandyk77]

Did anyone else try the breathing or huff test on their diamond?

If you breathed heavily on it for a while did it take the condensation longer to evaporate, or did your diamond go clear immediatly no matter how much you huffed and puffed on it?

 

[chirp]

this test works: draw a tiny dot on clean white paper, turn your diamond upside down and if you can clearly see the dot through the pavillon, it is fake. I tried this and with real diamonds you maybe only see a shadow if you can but with a fake stone, you can even read what is written on the paper...
also, under running water real ones still sparkle whereas fakes don''t.

 

[meffaman]

I thought diamonds were supposed to be really hard, so I''d imagine if you took it off and hit it with a hammer and it didn''t break that might prove it''s real.

 

[Rhea]

Date: 5/19/2008 2:28:49 PM
Author: meffaman
I thought diamonds were supposed to be really hard, so I''d imagine if you took it off and hit it with a hammer and it didn''t break that might prove it''s real.

LOL! Oh dear, now you''ll have people trying this. Naughty indeed!

 

[zerj]

Date: 5/19/2008 2:28:49 PM
Author: meffaman
I thought diamonds were supposed to be really hard, so I''d imagine if you took it off and hit it with a hammer and it didn''t break that might prove it''s real.

Unless you happen to hit it along its natural cleave angle, in which case you''ll need to hit one of the fragments from another orientation and if that doesn''t break then you probably had a real diamond

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 5/19/2008 12:49:17 PM
Author: mandyk77
Did anyone else try the breathing or huff test on their diamond?

If you breathed heavily on it for a while did it take the condensation longer to evaporate, or did your diamond go clear immediatly no matter how much you huffed and puffed on it?

you guys are funny. i have bad breath so it takes longer to evaporate.

your diamond is a SI2 ?? if you can see the inclusions then it''s REAL!!!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/19/2008 3:21:43 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 5/19/2008 12:49:17 PM
Author: mandyk77
Did anyone else try the breathing or huff test on their diamond?

If you breathed heavily on it for a while did it take the condensation longer to evaporate, or did your diamond go clear immediatly no matter how much you huffed and puffed on it?

you guys are funny. i have bad breath so it takes longer to evaporate.

your diamond is a SI2 ?? if you can see the inclusions then it''s REAL!!!

ROFL!!!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Iif a man gives the stone in question to a woman with romantic intent, and the woman slaps his face, the stone is either:

1. fake
2. too small
3. of inferior quality

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/19/2008 4:06:11 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
Iif a man gives the stone in question to a woman with romantic intent, and the woman slaps his face, the stone is either:

1. fake
2. too small
3. of inferior quality

 

[krisvrn]

Please take your diamond to a trusted jeweler if you have doubts.

 

[mandyk77]

So I had my stone appraised today and........phew it is real. I was 99.9% sure, but for an OCD type person that .1% is a killer

. The appraiser commented on how brilliant the stone was for an oval. So all is good and assured!

I love the ring and would have been devastated if anything was wrong with it, because of sentimental value. I guess I was just worried by all of the comments that I got...fiance started to wonder too! We just wanted to make sure. I guess my diamond is just sparklier than those that my friends have.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 5/19/2008 4:06:11 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
Iif a man gives the stone in question to a woman with romantic intent, and the woman slaps his face, the stone is either:

1. fake
2. too small
3. of inferior quality

or....all of thee above.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

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Date: 5/19/2008 2:28:49 PM
Author: meffaman
I thought diamonds were supposed to be really hard, so I''d imagine if you took it off and hit it with a hammer and it didn''t break that might prove it''s real.

Considering the fact that diamonds can and do chip, I think this would be a VERY BAD IDEA!!!

 

[diamondringlover]

Ok I dont think I have ever huffed and puffed on my diamond, never heard of this, by the way it evoprated very quickly, hubby thought I a was nuts

LOL, glad you diamond is a diamond

 

[DiamondExpert]

The idea of hitting the stone with a hammer is a particularly bad one!

In centuries past, because diamonds found in the field were thought to be so tough, they were sometimes tested for being genuine by just such a crude test. One can only agonize as to just how many real diamonds were destroyed because of this mistaken idea...I''m sure many thousands were lost by this method when they were found to shatter!

While diamonds are about the hardest material known (as measured by resistance to scratching), they are no where nearly the toughest (as measured by resistance to breaking, crushing, shattering - for example, jade very tough because it''s a micro-crystal)...an octahedral diamond crystal actually has four planes of cleavage.

So keep you hammers in the garage, and take your diamonds to a gemologist!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/19/2008 6:52:59 PM
Author: mandyk77
So I had my stone appraised today and........phew it is real. I was 99.9% sure, but for an OCD type person that .1% is a killer

. The appraiser commented on how brilliant the stone was for an oval. So all is good and assured!

I love the ring and would have been devastated if anything was wrong with it, because of sentimental value. I guess I was just worried by all of the comments that I got...fiance started to wonder too! We just wanted to make sure. I guess my diamond is just sparklier than those that my friends have.

Glad your doubts have been put to rest! Now all you need to do is huff and puff on it to clean it

....kidding.....