DiamondNite fake diamond detector

PaulR

#1 – 3:38 PM April 9, 2009

Can it tell whether you've got a Blood or a Conflict-free diamond?

Inuujulimaat aniqtirijulimaat inuulaurmata isumarsurlatik ammalu ajjiuqatimiiklutik nirsuangunikkut ammalu pijunnaititigut.

/Canajan, dontcha know/

Aaron

#2 – 4:12 PM April 9, 2009

Whoa there! Synthetic diamonds are NOT silicon carbide. They're real diamonds that happen to be grown in a lab.

The diamond cartels love it when posts like this use "fake" and "synthetic" interchangably. It helps them perpetuate the myth that only mined diamonds should go on your future wife's finger.

Synthetic diamonds are MORE pure than diamonds pulled out of an African war zone. There's nothing fake about them.

Joel Johnson

#3 – 4:18 PM April 9, 2009

@Aaron: That was my point!

Anonymous Anonymous

#4 – 5:33 PM April 9, 2009

There are ways to detect synthetic lab grown diamonds. I think that lab grown diamonds have a higher dislocation density while natural diamonds usually have small nitrogen platelets in the crystals produced by the decay of 14C.

EdWatkins

#5 – 8:05 PM April 9, 2009

Real lab created diamonds are not "fake", and using the term 'synthetic' is misleading. The correct term used in the jewelry trade is 'created' diamonds.

To use the term 'created' the stone must have the same chemical composition as a natural diamond. Those stones which look like diamonds, but aren't (like moissanite) are called diamond simulates.

(pedantic rant over)

dculberson

#6 – 8:40 PM April 9, 2009

EdWatkins, Synthetic is the exact right word for a "created" diamond.

Slurpy

#7 – 10:13 PM April 9, 2009

That's why he said it's "misleading," not "wrong." To most people, "synthetic" has a negative connotation, even if those of us who understand that the universe is more than 6000 years old don't have a problem with such "unnatural" things.

exhilaration

#8 – 8:47 AM April 10, 2009

The industry term is "cultured diamonds":

http://www.google.com/search?q=cultured+diamonds

HeartlessMachine

#9 – 9:19 AM April 10, 2009

This is the same unit I used when I worked at a pawn shop. It's worth noting that although it detects the difference between Moissanite and diamond, it WILL NOT detect the difference between cubic zirconia and diamond. CZ will read as diamond using this tester, requiring the need for a second unit to rule out CZs.

Anonymous Anonymous

#10 – 9:22 AM April 10, 2009

The thing about moissanite is that it fools the previous generation of fake diamond detectors. You actually need 2 separate testing devices: one to detect moissanite, and one to detect all the other varieties of fake diamonds (which can't be detected by a moissanite detector). I bought a set for The Sourceress a couple of birthdays ago: As soon as she wakes up I'll get her to dig out the tech specs.

Takuan

#11 – 9:50 AM April 10, 2009

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood., Paulr? Some muktuk?

Anonymous Anonymous

#12 – 11:46 AM April 10, 2009

The thing with Moissonite is that it's almost as pricy as a real diamond, due to an expensive industrial process and patent problems. Other than that, it would make a nice gemstone all on its own, with a much greater sparkle than actual diamond and other properties(like hardness) very similar.

There IS a way to detect CVD-cultured diamonds (the impurities necessary to aerosolize carbon remain detectable in trace quanitites), but not ones that have been grown in a vat of high-temperature liquid carbon (much more expensive), whose only flaw is their an utterly perfect crystal structure.

Anonymous Anonymous

#13 – 12:34 PM June 30, 2009

What a cool product! Sometimes, though, having a fake diamond isn't such a bad thing. For example, if you want to make sure you don't attract unwanted attention at the bar, or don't want to lose your real ring if you're traveling.

If you want to check out a cool fake ring, check out this site! http://tr.im/mstaken

Ms. Taken