Diamond jewelry is not only beautiful; it is valuable. It is best to purchase fine jewelry with diamonds from a reputable jewelry store. However, if you have recently purchased a piece of jewelry from a different source, such as a private owner, you may be concerned about the authenticity of the stones in the jewelry. Nevertheless, diamonds are unique, and there are small tests that you can conduct to confirm whether or not the diamonds in your jewelry are real. Here are a few: 

Check the stamp.

Most diamonds are not set in plated metal. Look for an impression in the setting that indicates that the metal used in your jewelry is platinum or gold.

Gold pieces may be stamped with 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K or 24K. Twenty-four karat gold is considered pure gold. Other karat ratings denote the percentage of gold in the metal. For instance, 10K gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts other metal. Likewise, 18K gold contains 18 parts gold and six parts other metal. 

Platinum settings will often be marked PT or Plat to denote that the metal is at least 95 percent pure platinum. However, if there is a number, such as 850 or 900, the percentage of platinum in the piece is lower. For instance, 850 indicates 85 percent platinum and 15 percent other metal.

Just breathe.

To test your stone, hold it in front of your mouth and breathe to cause fog to appear on the stone's surface. If the fog dissipates in an instance, your stone may be a real diamond. Diamonds quickly disperse heat, so it is difficult for them to remain fogged. However, a stone that is not a real diamond may display fog for at least a couple of seconds. 

When performing the breath test, it is best to have a real diamond on hand to compare with the questionable stone. It will be easier to judge whether or not the condensation on the stone evaporates as quickly as it should from an authentic diamond. 

Reflect.

Shine a light on your stone and look at it closely. If the reflections in your stone display a rainbow pattern, your gem is probably not an authentic diamond. The reflections of a real diamond are usually gray.

You can perform multiple tests on your fine jewelry at home to help determine whether or not a diamond is real. However, it is best to have your jewelry assessed by a jeweler. To confirm the authenticity of your jewelry, schedule an appointment with a jeweler (such as one from Mollie B Distinctively Different Fine Jewelry) today.