Buying a diamond is one of the biggest decisions that you can make. Whether you are buying it for that special someone or you just want to add to your own collection, you want to be sure that you are getting the real diamond that you are paying for. Read on to learn how to spot a fake diamond.

Scratch Glass

Diamonds are very strong; in fact, they are strong enough to scratch through glass. If you want to know whether a diamond is real, you will need a piece of glass and the loose diamond. You can place the glass on a flat surface and take the diamond in your hand. Scratch the glass with the diamond. If it successfully scratches the glass, you likely have a real diamond. However, you should be aware that you can damage the diamond using this test.

Blow on the Diamond

Another way to tell if a diamond is real is to blow on it. You can hold it close to your mouth, cup your hands, and breathe out. The diamond should fog up. If the fog clears after one or two seconds, it is probably a real diamond. If it takes any longer than that, it is likely a fake. Diamonds are able to disperse heat instantly, which is why you are not able to fog them up. Just make sure that the diamond is clean before you perform this test.

Burn it with Fire

If you want to try this method, make sure that you exercise safety precautions. You can take a regular lighter and place the diamond in the flame for thirty seconds. Once the 30 seconds are up, you can drop the stone into a glass of cold water. If it is fake, it will shatter. However, if it is real, it will remain in its exact same form. The reason is that diamonds can handle extreme heat and pressure. Fake stones are unable to handle the rate of expansion and contraction caused by the extreme temperatures.

You can try these tests to determine whether or not your diamond is real. There is not much worse than paying real diamond prices for a fake stone. If you are at a store trying to decide on a diamond, blowing on it is your best bet. Some jewelers will show you the glass test but it is unlikely that you can try the fire test unless you are at home.