Natural or Synthetic? Is My Diamond a Diamond?

Today's retail jeweler or Insurance Agent is faced with the challenge of protecting both his business and customers from the possible negative situations that may arise from the misidentification of synthetic diamonds.

In today's mainstream retail market we have 2 different types of synthetic diamond that need to be identified. Both are of high quality and have made it into the jewelry store. Do you want a Natural diamond or a Synthetic diamond?

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High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT)

HPHT synthetic diamonds have observable characteristics that should raise suspicion of a trained gemologist. Because of their growth environment, HPHT synthetics will usually have inclusions unlike anything seen in a natural diamond visible at a 10X magnification. Observing any highly unusual inclusions should be a strong indicator that further testing is needed. HPHT diamonds commonly show characteristic strain patterns under polarized light not seen in natural diamonds as well as relatively consistent colors and strengths of fluorescence when subjected to different types of UV radiation that are atypical of natural diamonds.

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)

With CVD synthetics, characteristic strain patterns can also be observed in polarized light that are very different from those seen in natural diamonds.

Additionally, CVD stones will usually exhibit an unusual fluorescence when exposed to UV radiation. This particular type of fluorescence, though not unheard of in natural diamonds, should raise sufficient suspicions to establish the need for further testing. CVD synthetics are often free from inclusions at 10X magnification. It is rare for a natural diamond to be inclusion-free. Based on laboratory testing, many CVD synthetics exhibit clouds of white particles along a single plane visible at extremely high magnification. This type of planar inclusion would be very unusual in a natural diamond.

Again, common sense tells us that if we find any of the described indicators in a stone, further testing should be done.