Fake Diamond Rings & Engagement Rings

Fake diamond rings are only 'fake' if they're being misrepresented to you.

This can be especially troublesome when it comes to fake diamond engagement rings since engagement rings hold so much sentimental value and are symbols of your love.

There are many rings out there that are real, they're just not real diamond rings. Instead, they are real Cubic Zirconia rings, real cut glass rings, real Moissanite rings, and real diamonique engagement rings.

And there's nothing wrong with any of these, some of them are fabulous.

There's only a problem if someone wants you to believe that any of those are diamond rings, especially if it's your fiancé (if he lies about this, then....) or the jeweler that sold the ring.

So, how can you tell if your diamond is the real thing or a fake?

Quick Tests To Help Identify Fake Diamond Rings

If you aren't willing to spend money on an independent appraiser (which we recommend below) and is the only foolproof method, there are a few tests you can perform. They aren't 100% reliable and have their flaws, so tread carefully.

The Scratch Glass Test: Yes, diamonds do scratch glass, but the downside is so do a bunch of fake diamond rings out there. Plus, scratching glass with your diamond could damage the stone so this isn't always a good idea. However, if you do want to give it a try, use the edge of the diamond and carefully drag it in a straight line along a piece of glass.

The Transparency Test: Flip your diamond upside down and place it over some newsprint. If you can clearly read through the stone, it’s not a diamond. The downside is that some diamonds are cut shallow and can be read through even though they are real.

The Fog Test: Put the diamond in front of your mouth and fog it like you would fog a mirror. If it stays fogged for 2-4 seconds, it’s one of the fake ones!

A real diamond will disperse the heat instantaneously so by the time you look at it, it has already cleared up. The downside is that oil and dirt on the stone can affect the test's reliability and the test is not accurate at all on doublets (where the top of the stone is diamond and the bottom is cut glass glued together) Yep, such a thing exists!

The Weight Test: The most popular fake is a cubic zirconia - they shine just like the real thing. But, fake diamond rings weigh approximately 55% more than diamonds for the same shape and dimension. Downside - you'll need a carat or gram scale to check out if the imposter tips the scales too much.

Now if you're up for it and have a magnifying lens lying around, there are some things you can look for on the diamond itself that can help answer real or fake.

Lets start with a little diagram of the anatomy of a diamond to make sure that we know what we are looking at.

First, look at the rock from the top and see how well the facets (cuts on top of the diamond) are joined. They should be sharp not rolled.

Second, look at the girdle: If it is faceted or frosty, it's likely a diamond. If its waxy or slick then there is a good chance that it’s from the fake diamond rings group.

Third, look into your stone to see if you detect any flaws (carbon, pinpoints, small cracks). In this case flaws are a good thing! When diamonds form under the earth's intense pressure most will have little particles inside and defects and would typically be clear indications it’s the real thing since it’s very hard to put inclusions in a fake.

Lastly, look  for a stamp inside the setting. A stamp of "10K, 14K, 18K, 585, 750, 900, 950, PT, Plat" indicates the setting is real gold or platinum which gives a better chance that the stone in it is real as well. Many fake diamond rings use low quality metal settings.

However, there are also many engagement ring designers who offer CZ rings set in platinum and gold that sell for thousands of dollars so just because it's a Cubic Zirconia doesn't necessarily mean it was cheap.

Finally, if you have access to a diamond tester (don't we all?), you can test for diamonds vs. simulants or 'simulated diamonds". Again there's a downside because Moissanite, one of the two most common simulants (the other is Cubic Zirconia) in fake engagement rings, can even sometimes fool an electronic diamond tester.

Our best & only advice for those that think they have fake diamond rings is forget testing it yourselves, get a certified independent diamond appraisal.