What Are Diamond Simulants and Lab Grown Diamonds?

Pure diamonds, lab-grown diamonds, and diamond simulants; to the typical particular person, most of those would look comparable, however they’ve very completely different values. How have you learnt in case your diamond is the true factor? 

All through human historical past, individuals have sought to imitate objects of worth. The intrinsic worth and great thing about pure diamonds have made them some of the imitated supplies on earth. Stones deliberately made to appear to be pure diamonds, however aren’t crystallized carbon, are known as diamond stimulants. Diamond simulants have been round for hundreds of years as individuals look to duplicate a pure diamond’s magnificence however with out its rarity and worth. Lab-grown diamonds are additionally a man-made copy of a pure diamond, however as a result of they’re manufactured from crystallized carbon, they aren’t thought of a simulant. Whereas diamond simulants and lab-grown diamonds can appear to be pure diamonds, it’s at all times doable for an professional to inform them aside. There are additionally methods you possibly can inform in case your diamond is the true factor at house. You’ll discover lots of the following tips and methods for diamond testing on-line, however what actually works, and what’s the easiest way to inform the distinction?

Many several types of diamond simulants are in the marketplace, and each goals to mimic a pure diamond’s look. Having the ability to distinguish a diamond from a diamond simulant is necessary and, fortunately, very straightforward for an professional. A diamond simulant often stands out as faux as a result of it doesn’t replicate gentle like a pure diamond. An excellent rule of thumb can be if the stone doesn’t look fairly proper to you, it might not be actual. Since pure diamonds are the toughest pure materials, they very not often get scratches, so for those who see the stone has a number of scratches, it’s doubtless not the true deal. One other widespread check you see on-line is the ‘fog’ check. When you breathe sizzling breath on the stone such as you’re fogging a mirror, and you’ll’t get the stone to fog there’s a good likelihood the stone is actual. Nevertheless, this isn’t a foolproof check and needs to be handled extra like a enjoyable experiment. Essentially the most correct method you possibly can check your diamond at house is with a warmth conductivity tester. These pen-sized testers price lower than $20 from Amazon and easily and rapidly check the stone’s warmth conductivity and can inform you if it’s a diamond or not. In case you are not an professional, then none of those exams are infallible. It’s at all times advisable to ask an professional. 

Some of the widespread diamond simulants is cubic zirconia (CZ), which is an artificial materials manufactured from zirconium dioxide. CZ was first mass-produced within the Seventies as a cheaper different to diamonds. CZ has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, which is lower than the hardness ranking of a diamond which is 10. CZ has a excessive refractive index, which implies that it displays gentle in a method much like a diamond, giving it a sparkle that few simulants had earlier than it. Current developments have seen CZ ‘coated’ with ‘diamond-like carbon’ or DLC, which may produce a model barely extra much like a pure diamond in sturdiness and lightweight efficiency. Regardless, any professional can inform the distinction between a CZ and a pure diamond. 

One other widespread diamond simulant is artificial moissanite. Whereas moissanite is a naturally occurring silicon carbide, the man-made copy is what’s often used as a diamond simulant.  Moissanite has a hardness of 9.25 on the Mohs scale, so it’s extra sturdy than most diamond simulants. Nevertheless, moissanite can be ‘doubly refractive,’ which suggests it displays gentle in a different way than a pure diamond, making them straightforward to differentiate.

Lab-grown white sapphire is one other diamond simulant that’s comparatively widespread. White sapphire may also be naturally occurring; its man-made copy is extra widespread as a diamond simulant. Like different man-made replicas, its pure model is much extra worthwhile. White sapphire is manufactured from aluminum oxide and has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, which makes it one of many hardest supplies after a diamond. White sapphire displays much less gentle than a diamond and sometimes has a extra ‘milky’ look, making them simply distinguishable. 

Different much less widespread diamond simulants embody lab-grown spinel, glass, YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet), and GGG (gadolinium gallium garnet). All of those simulants are additionally lab-grown or man-made and fail to match a pure diamond’s hardness stage of 10 on the Mohs scale, which means they aren’t as sturdy. All of them even have completely different visible properties that make them simply distinguishable from pure diamonds.  

Diamond simulants may also be present in nature. These pure stimulants additionally mimic the visible properties of a diamond and embody quartz, zircon, and topaz. Though pure, their relative abundance to pure diamonds means they’re nonetheless far much less worthwhile. Additionally they fall behind diamonds when it comes to hardness, with quartz a 7 on the Mohs scale, zircon a of seven.5, and topaz with a hardness of 8. Like man-made simulants, their visible properties are dissimilar sufficient from diamonds to make them simply distinguishable. 

Whereas the aim of a diamond simulant is to seem comparable, they’re in the end very completely different from pure diamonds, making them simply identifiable by an professional or with a diamond testing instrument. Lab-grown diamonds are additionally man-made, however in contrast to diamond simulants, they’re manufactured from crystallized carbon and possess the identical bodily and optical properties as pure diamonds. Their similarities make them tougher to differentiate. The identical strategies used to detect diamond simulants is not going to essentially work for lab-grown diamonds; they require an professional or a testing machine made to check for lab-grown diamonds. Whereas diamond simulants have been round for hundreds of years, technological enhancements have continued to make them cheaper. Their giant distinction in worth from pure diamonds makes understanding and detecting the variations between pure diamonds, diamond simulants, and lab-grown diamonds extra necessary than ever.