Fake jewelry has recently been on the rise, with some pieces appearing to be just as good as the real thing. According to research conducted by the QVC shopping channel’s jewelry department, 80 percent of women are willing to wear fake diamonds that not only look real but are also less expensive. However, if you dislike fake jewelry and prefer the genuine article, you should be able to identify it.
Put the diamond through a fire test
To determine whether a diamond is real or fake, use a lighter to light the item for 30 to 40 seconds before dropping it in cold water. If the item remains unchanged, it is a genuine diamond; if it shatters, it is most likely a fake.
Breathe out a puff of air on the diamond
Another way to detect a fake diamond is to exhale a puff of air. In the same way that you would fog a bathroom mirror, blow hot air on your diamond. A light fog will form on the diamond’s surface, and if the fog disappears immediately, your diamond is genuine. If the fog takes longer to dissipate, the item is most likely a forgery.
Put your diamond/opal under UV light
Diamonds and opals are both tested using UV lights. When placing a real diamond under the UV lights, you should see a blue-colored glow, but not all of them glow under the UV light, so you can check by using other methods. However, when placing a real opal under UV light, you will notice that the stone tends to glow.
Take a metal object and try to scratch the surface of your jade
Jade is a popular stone in Chinese culture, and it is both appealing and beautiful. However, due to high demand, many fake jade versions are now available. One thing to keep in mind is that the genuine kind is extremely hard and does not scratch easily. To be sure it’s genuine, use a metal object to scratch the surface of the jade. If there are marks on it, the jade isn’t genuine.
Drop your gold/diamond in a glass of water
A genuine diamond has a high density, as does genuine gold. So, if you want to test it, take a glass of water and submerge your diamond or gold item in it. If it’s real, it will sink to the bottom; if it’s floating, it’s fake gold/diamond. Also, if you notice rust on your gold item as a result of the water test, you have a fake on your hands.
Look for a stamp with 925, 900, or 800 on silver items
When you have a piece of silver in your hands, look for markings or a stamp on it. Experts predict that international silver sellers will stamp it with 925, 900, or 800. These numbers represent the purity of the silver. The purity of sterling silver is 92.5 percent or higher.
To attract your gold/silver, use a strong magnet.
Gold and silver aren’t magnetic, but other metals are. To see if your gold/silver items are real, check if the item gets attracted to the heavy magnet. If it moves, it’s not made of pure gold, or it’s possibly made of something other than silver.
Check if you can detect the smell of sulfur or any metallic odor on silver jewelry
Try to smell a silver item first if you have one in front of you. What you should know is that silver is odorless, so you shouldn’t notice any odors. Any sulfur or other metal odor indicates that the item is not made of pure silver.
Take a pearl and gently rub it against your tooth
Because real pearls have flaws, a necklace made of fake pearls will have pearls of varying, imperfect sizes. Furthermore, if you rub a fake pearl against your tooth, you will feel a smoothness, as if you were rubbing plastic or glass.
Hold your jade under the light to inspect it
To tell if your jade stone is the real deal, hold it under the light and examine the color of the stone. If it’s real, you’ll notice some color variations throughout the stone. But if the color is perfect and smooth, then it’s probably imitated.
Inspect your crystal from the inside — it has to be “crystal clear.”
One of the most famous crystals is amethyst, and it’s widely known among jewelers and crystal lovers. If you get your eyes on one and would like to inspect it, check if there is any discoloration present, like sharp errors or stains inside. If that’s the case, then the crystal you have is fake.
Hold the jade in your hand and watch its cool temperature
One other way to spot real jade from fake stone is to feel its temperature. To do the test, but the jade in your hand and feel it. It will get warm with the touch of your hand. Then set it aside for several seconds and feel its temperature again. It will cool down very quickly if it’s real since real jade is cool to the touch and doesn’t warm easily.
