stones, at home test?

[waterlilly]

A friend found some stones in an old safe she had at her house. Had been there since the previous owners left and her husband finally used an axe to open it. She said they are white/clear, were wrapped in a silk cloth inside of a plastic bag, are sort of cut, but mostly odd shapes and they have some black specs on the outside with some inclusions visible. What is the best way to do a quick test at home to see if they might be diamonds? She said one is the size of a grape the others are pea sized...

 

[MAC-W]

Buy a diamond tester. You can get them quite cheaply on ebay (under $20).

I have to say though that its unlikely that they will be diamonds. People dont just abandon or forget about grape sized diamonds.
I hope for your friends sake I'm wrong.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

breath on them. they shouldn't fog if they're diamonds.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

They'll actually fog, but clear very quickly.

 

[LGK]

They'll actually fog, but clear very quickly.

Yeah. It really depends on the humidity where you are too. It's best, if you're going to try this, to have a CZ to breathe on to compare it to. CZs always unfog quicker than diamonds, even if it's really humid and the diamond fogs up for awhile.

I'd definitely just go and get a diamond tester. They could be something other than CZ or diamond, some sort of semi precious stone, and so I don't know if the fog test would work very well- I have no idea how other minerals fog or unfog.

Or go to a local jeweler. They're usually totally fine with testing stones for people for free. I have a diamond tester at the antique mall I work at and I test people's stones for them all the time if they ask.

 

[reader]

Do keep us posted, this is interesting.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

They'll actually fog, but clear very quickly.

Yeah. It really depends on the humidity where you are too. It's best, if you're going to try this, to have a CZ to breathe on to compare it to. CZs always unfog quicker than diamonds, even if it's really humid and the diamond fogs up for awhile.

I'd definitely just go and get a diamond tester. They could be something other than CZ or diamond, some sort of semi precious stone, and so I don't know if the fog test would work very well- I have no idea how other minerals fog or unfog.

Or go to a local jeweler. They're usually totally fine with testing stones for people for free. I have a diamond tester at the antique mall I work at and I test people's stones for them all the time if they ask.

Another thing I've noticed is that after a shower my CZ earrings will stay totally fogged over while my diamond ring will be barely fogged. I'm in a dry area and have never seen my CZ's unfog faster than my diamonds.

Local jeweler is you best bed like LGK has suggested

 

[stone-cold11]

Ya, CZ should unfog slower than diamond because diamond is one of the best conductor of heat.

 

[waterlilly]

Hey! I told her about the fog test and to check out ebay for a diamond tester. She said they "cut glass" ? She scraped one along a bottle and it carved into it I guess...that's not really a test for diamonds though, right? Aren't there a lot of things harder than glass?

Anyway, you bet I'll keep you posted!

Thanks!

 

[gemgirl]

Diamonds will definitely fog just like any other stone.

The most fool proof way of finding out what you have is to bring them to a jeweler that employs a GG on staff.

 

[Circe]

Hey! I told her about the fog test and to check out ebay for a diamond tester. She said they "cut glass" ? She scraped one along a bottle and it carved into it I guess...that's not really a test for diamonds though, right? Aren't there a lot of things harder than glass?

Anyway, you bet I'll keep you posted!

Thanks!

What you're describing sounds more like uncut rough than faceted diamonds: I have no idea how those would react to the fog test, but it wouldn't be my first choice. She could do a variety of things (miners, for example, find rough because it adheres to oil and grease in a way that other substances don't), but the easiest thing to do really would be to take them to a gemologist. Because, you're right, a lot of things are harder than glass, and, uncut, look vaguely the same - she could have anything from quartz pebbles to diamonds. I am with everybody else - I want to hear what this turns out to be!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Why not just go to the mall and have a sales associate test the stones. That's the easiest way to figure out the mystery.

 

[waterlilly]

Sent her an email to see if she's brought them anywhere yet - if it was me I'd have been waiting there before the mall opened Monday morning!

I imagine if she has and they were diamonds I'd have heard by now!