Buying real diamond earrings, whether as a gift for a loved one or as a form of investment, will always require keen understanding and knowledge of how these are appraised and priced. Keeping these pointers in mind will help ensure that you acquire only real diamond earrings and not end up getting shortchanged in the process.
Scratches
Real diamond earrings that are of very high quality should be devoid of any scratches. While genuine diamonds can definitely bear visible marks, it would be safe to say that scratched ones are of poorer quality and as such should be cheaper-priced. There have been numerous instances of owners who scratch-test their gems to determine if they indeed are real diamonds. They do so by scratching the gems against a mirror. If the mirror gets scratched, then the gems are then pronounced real. Bear in mind, however, that this is not an acceptable and reliable test. Some gems, specifically Cubic Zirconia – which incidentally bears strong visual resemblance to diamonds – have been known to scratch mirrors as well. Furthermore, employing this test to ensure the gem is real can exact damage and scratches, as diamonds can endure cuts and cleaves if struck in specific directions. This then could subsequently lower the quality and price, if it indeed the stone turns out to genuine.
Fogging
Real diamonds should, at any cost, hold no heat. To test if the diamond earrings you are eyeing to buy are real, perform a fog test. Before you do this though, ensure that the jewelry has been thoroughly cleaned so as to be entirely free of dust and oils. Breathe onto the stones. If the stones do not fog up, then it is highly likely they are real diamond earrings. It would be worthwhile to consider doing the fog test on all major sides of the stones. This is because some stones on jewelries have been expertly crafted to have genuine diamonds on top and synthetic imitations at the bottom.
Transparency
Reading text, say, from a book or a newspaper, should be next to impossible through a high quality and expertly cut diamond. However, one should not solely count on this test as it can be unreliable for a number of reasons. For one, low or shallow cut but genuine diamonds can be highly transparent allowing one to read text through it. Secondly, it may be difficult or impossible to perform the test on stones already set or mounted as part of intricate jewelry pieces.
These pointers for ascertaining real diamond earrings from fake ones do not serve to replace any professional jeweler’s expert opinions. It would be best to enlist a trusted and reliable jeweler’s assistance in making sure the jewelry you are looking to buy is high quality and 100% genuine. Sure, you will have to spend a little more to obtain a professional appraisal of the real diamond earrings. But given that this will be a substantial purchase, then the extra expense should all be worth it in the end.