Moissanite is the most convincing diamond imitation with its high refractive index and extreme hardness, about 9.5 on the Mohs scale. An effective way to identify it is checking the stone in question for double refraction. The stone has to be viewed through its kite shaped crown (top) main facet at the culet (bottom point).  As you see in the pic there is a doubling effect where it would not occur in the singly refractive diamond.

This natural seen in the picture leaves a flat spot from the crown view since  it has extended all the way through the girdle from the  pavilion.

Naturals are the original surfaces or skin of a rough diamond. Naturals can be located anywhere on a  polished diamond, but usually they are on  or around the girdle. The size of a natural determines  whether it is a blemish or an acceptable common  characteristic.

When a cutter is not concerned with clarity  a large natural (or naturals) will remain on  the crown or pavilion. On imperfect diamonds, large  naturals will not affect clarity; hence weight retention  is the highest priority. (The more the stone weighs, the  more valuable it will be.)

An ideal natural will be enclosed in the girdle, not  extending into the crown or pavilion. A natural  extending  into the crown is a larger negative than into  the pavilion, because, upon looking down on the stone,  a natural that just breaks into the pavilion will probably  not be detected. Obviously when the natural strays into  the crown, it is more easily seen and taken into account  in clarity grading.

On higher clarity stones, the cutter must be very aware  of how large the natural will appear after completing  the polishing process. The goal of the cutter should  be to locate two opposite naturals of the same size,  leaving them small enough to be hidden when viewed  from the crown. This also means that the naturals must  not interrupt the outline shape of the stone.

Naturals are an obvious reference for identifying  authenticity in diamonds. Some naturals can look  similar like a polished facet, whereas others are rough  and can be confused for a chip. Indented naturals look  like cavities; again these would fall into the inclusion  category since they occur below the surface. Trigons  are triangular-shaped impressions on the natural that  also indicate grain orientation to the cutter. Naturals  have a very distinct appearance unlike chips and facets,  so it is important to familiarize yourself with this  common characteristic. On the diamonds that you have  available to look at, focus on the girdle area and when  you’ve located the first natural, turn the stone 180 ° to  see if the cutter did a good job in obtaining maximum  weight retention. Many times the opposite  natural will not occur due to other issues, such as  inclusion removal.

Large Rough Diamond Crystal Set in 18K Gold Pendant

Closeup on the Octahedral Face with Trigon Growths

This is a large classically shaped octahedral diamond crystal. This particular specimen is a very low clarity but a great conversation piece. Mounted in a 18K yellow gold pendant. Notice the telltale trigons, triangular growths, formed in the opposite directions of the octahedral face.

Cameo is a salt or freshwater shell. Sometimes it occurs in a translucent state but usually opaque. Common colors are white, gray, yellow brown or orange. Better cameos are layered so the carver can contrast the relief  as it goes deeper. The following picture is a very unusual size depicting a strong contrast of colors.

Very large gem quality cameo set in a brooch.

Imitation, synthetic or natural diamond?

Don’t confuse the term “imitation” with “synthetic”.  Synthetic diamond is a copy of nature down to its molecular structure.  A synthetic diamond is the same atomic structure as natural diamond (outside of the crystal growth direction) including the same physical properties. An imitation is a stone that is made to look (or imitate) an authentic diamond such as cubic zirconia or moissanite.  Metallic flux inclusions can be detected in synthetic diamond with fiber optic light reflections. If the diamond is inclusion-free look for the typical yellowish to yellowish-green  fluorescence in synthetic under long wave ultraviolet light.  Internal graining under 10X power may display an hour glass type effect.

One of our products to differentiate diamond, moissanite and cubic zirconia.

We’ve all heard the old saying “A diamond is forever.” Forever is an overstatement but since diamonds are extremely hard and do resist any kind of scratching, this would be a likely assumption. Diamonds will often break, given the right circumstances. How could an extremely hard substance break? It’s so hard that it’s brittle. Actually diamond’s toughness is rated “good” (not “excellent” like the gemstone jade). Remember that there is a significant difference between hardness and toughness. Hardness is simply the resistance to scratching and toughness is the resistance to breakage, to powdering or to flattening under repeated pounding. While diamonds are suitable for everyday wear, it is important to remember that they are not indestructible. Enjoy them, but treat them with respect. Insurance is also a good idea for pieces that are too expensive to replace should they become damaged.

diamond with severe damage

Our intent at Lovelady Diamond is to keep you the buyer, informed in making diamond jewelry purchases. With accurate information you can buy confidentally and enjoy that special piece of jewelry for years to come. Your feedback is always welcome. Thank you for reading.