A tennis chain is a bracelet made up of small diamonds connected by thin precious metal such as gold or platinum. It gets its name because Chris Evert had a bracelet of this kind, and she lost a diamond during a match in 1987 at the US Open. Ever since that time, it has been called a tennis chain. This is a popular type of bracelet, but it is important to know if it is real or fake. Continue reading to learn how to tell if a tennis chain is fake.
Use the Breath Test
Normally, a tennis chain is made with diamonds. You want to make sure that the diamonds are real, and the breath test is one way to find out. You can hold the diamonds up to your mouth and breath on them. You will see them fog up, but if they are real diamonds, the fog from your breath will disappear right away. If you notice that the stones stay fogged for several seconds, then it is likely that the stones are not diamonds.
This test is not always 100% accurate because there are some synthetic materials that have properties that are very similar to diamonds. Diamonds have thermal properties that cause the fog to clear up right away, and if you have synthetic stones with similar properties, you may not be able to tell the difference. However, this is a good first test, and it will tell you if you have stones that are definitely not diamonds.
Check to See If the Diamonds Have Scratches
Another way to tell if your tennis chain is real is to check to see if the diamonds have scratches on them. Real diamonds do not have scratches because they are very hard and durable. They can chip, but they do not scratch. If your tennis chain has scratches on the stones, it is likely a fake.
Softer limitations such as cubic zirconia or glass can look similar to diamonds, but they are able to be scratched. If you find scratches on the stones, you probably have one of these substances. It is important to note that if you find scratches on any of the stones, you will know that the tennis chain is a fake. However, if the bracelet is new and has not been used before, you could have fake stones that haven’t had an opportunity to be scratched.
Use a Diamond Tester
A diamond tester is a tool that can test the stone to let you know whether it has the physical properties of a diamond. They will use either heat or electrical impulses, and testers that use electrical conductivity are the most accurate of these tools. If you want to have your diamonds tested, you can usually have it done at a jewelry store. They will charge you a fee for this service, but you will find out if your tennis chain is real or not.
There are a lot of unreliable methods that you can also use to get an idea of whether your stones are real diamonds. For example, you can try to scratch glass with the stone. Diamonds are harder than glass, so the diamond will scratch the glass without getting marked. The problem is that if your tennis chain is fake, your stones could be scratched.
Another test is to try to look through the stone. Diamonds distort light, so you should not be able to see clearly through the stone, if you do, then it is likely to be a fake.
If you are buying a tennis chain for yourself or a loved one, it is important to know if it is real. The best way to find out is to have it tested with a diamond tester. There are other tests you can perform, and they will give you an idea of whether the stones are real diamonds.