It’s difficult to tell if a diamond is real or fake since they both shine and are sharp. However, different methods have been employed to determine the difference between a real diamond and a fake diamond.
Fake diamonds are man-made objects that contain synthetic ingredients, whereas real diamonds are formed of natural minerals and pure carbon atoms.
Key Takeaways
- Real diamonds are formed naturally under high pressure and temperature, whereas fake diamonds, such as cubic zirconia or moissanite, are artificial.
- Real diamonds exhibit superior hardness and durability, while fake diamonds are more prone to scratches and chipping.
- Real diamonds disperse light differently, resulting in more brilliance and fire than fake diamonds, which can display a rainbow-like effect.
Real Diamonds vs Fake Diamonds
Real diamonds are made of carbon that has been subjected to extreme pressure and heat over millions of years. Fake diamonds, known as moissanite, are created in a lab using elements like silicon carbide or zirconium oxide elements. Real diamonds have more shine and sparkle than fake ones.
Real diamonds are light, hard with high thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity. Due to high tensile strength, they are apt for various applications.
From cutting tools to managing thermal-related components, a component in semiconductor, and optical devices. They are naturally occurring hardest minerals that are deposited on the earth’s mantle surface.
Fake diamonds are man-made gems that are generated in the labs in order to be tantamount to the quality of real diamonds but at a quite cheap price.
Fake diamonds are also known as Synthetic diamonds and lab-grown diamonds. Nowadays, Fake diamonds are popular as well as common due to their cost-effectiveness.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Real Diamonds | Fake Diamonds |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Real diamonds are the world’s hardest naturally occurring minerals that are very strong and durable, found near the earth’s surface. | Fake Diamonds are man-made diamonds that are non-durable and synthetic. |
| Light & Heat | Real diamonds show the reflection of bright white light in various directions that sparkles effectively & disperses heat forthwith. | Fake Diamonds sparkle linearly with less light reflectively and disperse heat very slowly. |
| Materials | Real diamonds are made up of natural minerals and pure carbon. | Fake Diamonds are largely made up of synthetic materials. |
| Appearance | Because of their strong components, real diamonds resemble a cube form with sharp edges that are denser & sink in water. | Fake Diamonds have rounded edges with crystal structures and are less dense that could float in water. |
| Thermal conductivity | Real Diamonds have resistance to high temperatures, therefore, conduct electricity. | Fake Diamonds don’t have the resistance to high heat and could break into pieces and don’t conduct electricity. |
What is Real Diamonds?
Real Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring minerals that are found at the bottom of the earth’s surface. Or scientifically speaking, it is a solid form of carbon atoms that are arranged in a cube shape.
The first indication of real diamonds dates back to the 4th century BC in India. Short enough, they have become a great commodity to trade between countries.
They are extracted from diamond mining areas, which are commonly found in Australia, Brazil, China, Russia, South Africa. It takes high pressure and temperature for real diamonds to form beneath the Earth’s surface.
There are several methods to determine whether a diamond is real or fake, however, determining by the look of it is the easiest and most authentic method. A diamond is said to be real if, under black light, it reveals a strong beam of blue color.
Speaking of which, water test, fog test, heating test, UV light test, X-ray examination, high-profile weighing, diamond tester, loupe test, and many more are some of the common tests that help in identifying the quality of a diamond.
Real diamonds are classified into 4 categories of Cs, namely, Carat, Cut, Clarity, and Color. Real diamonds are so expensive because of their rarity and attractiveness.
What is Fake Diamonds?
Meanwhile, Fake Diamonds are the exact opposite of real diamonds where they are man-made, require merely a lab to produce a bulk of fake diamonds, and are heavy.
They were first invented by researchers at the Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget Laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden in the early 1950s.
Due to the scarcity of real diamonds, fake ones are introduced to meet the supply and demands of people. Synthetic or Artificial Diamonds and Imitation Diamonds are the methods of manufacturing fake diamonds.
Spinel and Cubic Zirconia are the most popular and ‘real-like’ stones that make fake diamonds look exactly like the real ones. In the same way, a natural diamond forms, fake diamonds are formed in the labs at high temperatures and pressure.
In labs, a diamond seed is plotted, and following weeks, it turns into a full-fledged rough diamond.
Subsequently, it is cut and polished in an eye to make it look similar to real diamonds with the same chemical, physical, and optical properties.
One of the simplest ways to tell whether the diamond is fake or not is by water test. When you drop the gem into the glass of water, if it floats, that means it is a fake one, since real diamonds have high density.
Main Differences Between Real Diamonds and Fake Diamonds
- Real Diamonds are made up of natural minerals, whereas Fake diamonds are man-made ones.
- Real Diamonds originated from Madhya Pradesh, India in the 4th Century BC. On the other hand, Fake Diamonds have been invented by researchers at the Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget Laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden in the 1950s.
- Real Diamonds conduct electricity because of their heat-resistance. While Fake Diamonds don’t conduct electricity.
- Speaking of the edges, Real Diamonds look like a cube with sharp edges, but Fake diamonds have rounded edges with shining structures.
- Real Diamonds are heavier, thus sinking the water. Nevertheless, Fake Diamonds are less dense and float in water.
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-009-0763-8_10
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-77791-7_4
Last Updated : 16 July, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
