Most of us know that when you're buying a gift for someone special it's about much more than the actual item that you present to them. It's the thought that counts. But when that gift is a diamond than all of the stakes are raised. If you're currently employed and you're buying an engagement ring than it might be worth a whole month's salary. Or it could be part of a gift for a fiftieth wedding anniversary with someone you have spent most of your life with. So, you will want to make sure that your money is being well spent and that the diamond is one hundred percent real and worth what you paid for it.

The first step to determining if a diamond is real is looking for a certificate of authenticity from an appraiser or a grading authority. In the modern world, you might be buying a stone that you have not laid eyes on and be purchasing it over the Internet. Before you have it shipped to your home, you should make sure that it comes with a certificate and even ask to see a copy of the document before sending them any money.

One of the reasons that women love diamonds so much is their sparkle. The reason that it has more of a shimmer than other gemstones is that it has a high refractive index. You don't need a lot of tools to start the process of finding out whether or not a diamond is real. If you look from the top to the bottom of a diamond than you should not be able to see all the way through it. If the diamond is not mounted than you can put it on a piece of newspaper. You should not be able to see the type on the other side of the diamond.

If you want to get really technical than you should try to get a hold of a jeweler's loupe to inspect the diamond. If you're someone unfamiliar with precious stones, you might not really know what to look for. But one indication that it might be a real diamond is that it has small imperfections. You might think that it should look perfect but these are actually signs of the mining process. The most priceless things usually aren't perfect. This goes for diamonds all the way to Andy Warhol paintings.