Diamonds aren't just precious gemstones; they're internationally recognised symbols of status, luxury, and enduring love.

Naturally, with such a powerful allure behind these treasured stones, a common challenge arises: how to tell a real diamond from its many mimics. For centuries, many industrious opportunists have tried to make fast profits by flooding the market with clever counterfeits, some so realistic, that it takes a professional approach to spot the difference.

Now, in an era where cubic zirconia and other substitutes often masquerade as the real thing, our specialists at Pink Kimberley Diamonds have compiled some points to help investors, collectors, and sentimentalists to discern the genuine from the imitation.

Every diamond pretender has unique characteristics, subtle hints that betray their true nature. Here’s some tips on how you can tell if a diamond is real:

Beware the allure of this famous diamond-lookalike. With its brilliant flash, it may be convincing – and tempting – to the untrained eye. Unlike the nuanced lustre of a diamond, cubic zirconia lacks depth, often displaying an overtly ‘flashy’ appearance. Shine a stream of light onto its surface, and you will find that rather than penetrating for a dazzling centre, it will cast distorted, rainbow-like rays across the room.

Moissanite is actually a rare type of silicon carbide in the natural world, but it can be easily created in a laboratory setting. Deceptively similar to diamonds, moissanites sometimes exude a yellow or greyish hue in specific lights. Although they are close in hardness, their refractive properties differ, with Moissanite far higher, which can be a telling sign.

Once, diamonds would require thousands of years and levels of intense pressure to form into the beautiful gems we know and love.

Today, a series of revolutionary tools found in specialist laboratories can produce diamonds that are virtually identical to those found deep in the Earth's embrace. While they share many physical properties with their natural counterparts, only a trained eye can spot the slight differences.

If you're wondering how to tell if a diamond is real when up against its lab-grown counterpart, the answer is simple: speak with a professional.

Another beautiful stone in its own right, but not in the same league as a diamond. Magnify a white topaz, and its tale of authenticity (or lack thereof) will quickly start to unravel. They do not have the same strength as an authentic diamond, holding only eight on the Mohs hardness scale, so they are often overly scratched with wear, lacking the enduring resilience of a diamond's surface.

Engaging the services of an expert jeweller to determine whether your diamond is real or a convincing fake might not be necessary – at first. There are a few tests you can easily conduct in the comfort of your home. While they aren't foolproof, they can often point you in the right direction.

Here’s what you can try:

• Review the Quality of the Mount and Settings: If you have purchased a beautiful diamond ring or diamond pendant and are worried it’s a fake, it’s unlikely the seller will have still used precious metals for the mount and settings. Genuine diamonds, however, are typically paired with premium settings with metals like 18K gold, so an examination might just provide the clue you're looking for.
• Let the Diamond Sink or Swim: Real diamonds have a unique relationship with water, thanks to their higher density. Should you drop them into a glass of water, they will likely sink quite quickly to the bottom. Other jewellery, however, which is far less dense, will either sink much slower or even float.
• Heat Dissipation: A diamond’s interaction with heat, even something as fleeting as your breath, can indicate its authenticity. Real diamonds should be able to dissipate heat easily, so when you breathe onto it, the moisture should be gone in moments. Fake diamonds will take much longer.
• Testing Transparency: The refraction play of a genuine diamond might just be its defining signature when placed over a book or piece of writing. If it’s blurry, then your diamond is likely real. If it’s clear, you might have a glass rock on your hands.