Diamond is the birthstone for the calendar month of April and the gemstone for the 60th anniversary, referred to as the ‘Diamond Jubilee’.
Diamond is believed to symbolize affection, strength, eternity and ever-lasting love. For these reasons, is the most popular gem used in engagement rings as it is recognized to represent enduring love and an unbreakable bond between partners.
The Invincible Precious Stone – Diamond
As the only gemstone with a hardness of 10 on Mohs’ scale, diamond justifies the provenance of its name ‘adamas’ from ancient Greek which means ‘unconquerable’. Throughout history, diamonds have been known as the “King of gems” and as the most highly prized and desired precious stone known to mankind. The history of diamond dates back to the 4th century BC India, where the stone was first mined, and that in the ancient world, diamonds were used as an engraving tool.
Popular Throughout History
From the 19th to the 21st century diamonds had particular popularity throughout Europe and elsewhere, used primarily in tiaras and naturalistic brooches during the Victorian era, the quintessential monochromatic rings and embroidered pattern necklaces of the Edwardian period and in the fascinating geometric patterns of the Art Deco jewelry combined with colored precious stones to manifest the color contrasting feature essential to the jewelry of the 1920s.
Diamond Color Varieties
Although most widely known in its colorless variety, diamond is found in a variety of fascinating colors in addition to the colorless variety. It appears in black, and shades of red, pink, blue, yellow and green.
Guide to Selecting and Purchasing Diamonds
In view of the increased production and marketing of diamond imitations and stones which could easily be mistaken for diamond (e.g. cubic zirconia, moissanite, etc.) Dover Jewelry & Diamonds would like to offer the following preliminary guidelines to those who wish to purchase a diamond engagement ring and would like to ensure the selection of a genuine diamond, as well as to collectors and those who already own diamond jewelry and wish to know if the stones in their possession are genuine.
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Reliable & Trustworthy Source:
To ensure your peace of mind, if you are purchasing a diamond without prior experience, it would be advisable to have an expert assist you in order to make sure that you are purchasing a real diamond. At Dover Jewelry, we strive to provide professional advice and, whenever feasible, recommend pre-certified stones to our valued clients. These include GIA, AGL and similar accredited sources available to issue certificates. You can also apply one of the testing methods described for you below.
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Breath (or Fog) Test:
This consists of holding the loose diamond, or the ring with diamond between two fingers and breathing on it with a puff of air, until a light fog appears due to heat and moisture of your breath. Should the said fog dissipate immediately, the diamond is real. The fog would need several seconds to disappear if the diamond is not real. This method is the most suitable one for mounted diamonds.
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Water Test:
An average-sized drinking glass is filled to ¾ with water and the loose stone is dropped into the glass. If it sinks, the diamond is genuine, as a fake diamond would float instead of sinking in the water.
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Mounting & Precious Metal
From a logical point of view, genuine diamonds would be set in high quality mountings and precious metals such as platinum, white or yellow gold at times enriched with pave diamonds. Jewelry items usually indicate the purity mark of the metal base stamped on them, inside the shank of a ring or on clasps of bracelets and necklaces.
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Heating Method
Diamonds are made of incredibly strong material and are therefore resistant to heat. This method consists of holding the loose diamond with pliers and heat it with a lighter for approximately 4 seconds. The heated diamond is then dropped into a glass filled with cold water. Should the stone shatter, it is certainly not a real diamond. Other materials such as cubic zirconia or glass would crack due expansion and contraction effects of heat.
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Refractivity Test
A quintessential characteristic of genuine diamonds is their ability to refract the light. In this method, the diamond is placed with its flat side down, on a page of newspaper under bright lighting and no shadows over the stone. If the newspaper letters are legible, the diamond is not a real one, as a genuine gem would refract the light through its facets, making the newspaper letters illegible.
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The Dot Test
Where no newspaper is available, the dot test would be a proper alternative. This test is conducted by placing a white piece of paper on a flat surface and drawing a dot on it, where the stone would be placed with the flat side down. The appearance of a circular reflection inside the stone would mean a fake diamond.
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Sparkle Test
This test only requires one’s eyes and no equipment. The diamond in held under a normal lamp. To see how light reflects off the stone. One can see bright shimmers of white light and colorful light reflections. A real diamond reflects white light extremely well, providing exceptional sparkle. Diamonds also reflect colored light, or fire, in a magnificent fashion. Comparing a diamond with a cubic zirconia in such a test, one can determine the drastic difference between them.
Please note that the above-listed guidelines are not sufficient under all circumstances and that when embarking upon greater investments in diamond jewelry, the expertise and experience of trained professionals are of great importance.
At Dover Jewelry & Diamonds, we offer every advice and assistance in the selection and purchase of high quality diamonds and diamond jewelry.
We invite you to browse our unique collection of diamond jewelry to select your favorite item. Contact us by phone or email and give us the pleasure of assisting you in every aspect and detail of the item you are interested in.
Trust Dover Jewelry for Authentic Natural Diamonds
At Dover Jewelry, our certified gemologists share your passion for Natural Diamonds. As one of the most reputable and trusted online jewelry boutiques in the world, we understand your desire for not only striking pieces but also confirmation of their history, which we provide through our professional appraisal documents. We welcome your visit in our New Brickell Showroom (1000 Brickell Ave, Suite 100 Miami) where you can meet with our Certified GIA Gemologists and Antique jewelry experts to evaluate your treasured gem or assist you in finding the gem of your dreams.
If you are looking to start or enhance your antique jewelry collection, get the advice of our professional antique jewelry experts at Dover Jewelry. Contact us online or call Dover Jewelry toll free at 1.877.777.6111 and let us help you find the perfect piece today.
