Kimberlite How To Identify A Raw Diamond
Do You Call up Yous Found a Diamond? Acquire How to Place Rough Diamonds
Every calendar week I become an electronic mail from somebody that thinks they establish a diamond. Maybe y'all are reading this because you think you found a diamond. This article will tell you how, and how not to identify crude diamonds equally they are found in nature.
The chances of finding a crude diamond are extremely rare. Odds are you lot did not find a diamond. First a few questions:
1. Is the suspected diamonds larger than 8 mm (3/eight of an inch)?
two. Does the suspect diamond weigh more than 2 grams (10 carats)?
3. Did you discover more than 1 suspected diamond?
If the reply to any of those questions is Aye, so I accept bad news - you probably did Non find a diamond.
Diamonds over 8 mm, in excess of 2 grams in weight are extremely rare. The chances of finding a diamond are 1 in 10,000,000. The chances of finding a diamond over 8 mm, in backlog of 2 grams in weight are i in 1,000,000,000. That is one chance in a billion!
OK, so you lot remember you beat out the odds and actually found a rough diamond. At present how do you examination it to confirm it is a diamond?
Crystal Class:
Looking at the crystal class is a quick style of differentiating diamond from most of the other minerals that look similar diamond.
Diamonds are cubic (isometric) form. The near common mineral that looks like a diamond is quartz and information technology is hexagonal form. When looking down on the crystals from the elevation, with the point of the crystal aimed at your middle, quartz will have six sides and a diamond will have four sides. If you see six sides than you probably found quartz.
Fracture:
When diamonds suspension, they volition cleave creating shine, apartment surfaces. Quartz and glass will create conchoidal surfaces when they break.
If you see curved conchoidal surfaces (see photograph to a higher place) then you lot know your sample is not a diamond.
Test Hardness:
Y'all CANNOT examination the suspect diamond by scratching drinking glass.
Many minerals scratch glass. Glass is five.5 on the Moh'southward Scale of Hardness. The post-obit list is of mutual minerals that scratch glass, may look like diamond and they are much more common the diamonds:
Albite Beryllonite Boracite Corundum Danburite Elbaite Euclase | Grossular Marialite Oligoclase Orthoclase Petalite Phenakite Pollucite | Quartz Sanidine Sillimanite Spodumene Topaz Zircon Zoisite |
So practise not try scratching drinking glass with the suspected diamond. The only hardness examination that will identify a diamond is scratching corundum. Corundum, which includes all rubys and sapphires, is 9 on the hardiness scale. If your suspected diamond crystal can scratch corundum, so there is a good chance that y'all plant a diamond. Merely NO OTHER HARDNESS TEST will identify a diamond.
Click here to purchase inexpensive corundum crystals for testing diamond hardness.
Test Specific Gravity:
Testing for specific gravity will make up one's mind the density of a diamond. Actual diamond has a density of 3.five - three.53 g/cm3 and you can use this piece of cake home test for specific gravity at: Simple Specific Gravity Test at Home.
Only this test is difficult to perform accurately on small samples. If your sample is large, and then you failed the question 1 in the first section. If your sample is small, then the accuracy is poor. So unless you take access to a laboratory calibration and then I suggest skipping the specific gravity test.
Examination for Thermal Absorption:
Diamonds blot estrus better than any other mineral and at that place are a wide diversity of portable diamond testers on the market. Search on Google for "Portable Diamond Tester" and you will discover many for sale from $thirteen to $300. Practice NOT buy a inexpensive tester -- they are made in Mainland china and are not very authentic. You should spend around $150 for a practiced tester.
These diamond testers are mitt-held devices with a metal probe that is held in contact with the suspected diamond. It generates a small amount of heat and measures the speed that the oestrus is absorbed past the crystal. Good testers tin can differentiate between diamond, moissanite (a common synthetic diamond-simulant), and other minerals.
You do not have to buy a diamond tester. Almost any reputable jeweler will ain i, and testing is quick and piece of cake. So try visiting your local jeweler and ask if he will test your suspected diamond.
Determination
The odds are against you finding a diamond. But if you are not convinced, showtime await at the crystal shape to see if information technology is isometric grade, make certain the fracture surfaces are not conchoidal, check if it scratches a corundum crystal. If it passes all of the above, and then try a diamond tester to measure thermal absorption.
Ane concluding thought...
The odds of finding a diamond are equal to beingness struck by lightning on your birthday 20 years in a row. Fifty-fifty if yous plant a real diamond, purchased a diamond tester to verify, nobody will take yous seriously. The ONLY style you will convince anybody it is a existent diamond is to have it certified past the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA). For a fee they will test your "diamond" and give y'all a certificate admittedly, positively identifying it as diamond, plus they volition give you back the diamond unharmed. With that certificate you will have proof of your find, and buyers will be seriously interested in purchasing your notice.
Considering a GIA certificate will eventually exist required anyway, save your money and do Not buy a diamond tester. Instead send information technology straight to the GIA for a certification.
Encounter OUR DIAMONDS FOR SALE AT THESE GALLERIES Below:
My Biggest Diamonds |
My Best Diamonds - Top Quality Gem-Grade Uncut Diamonds |
Diamond Crystals Recommended for Natural Diamond Jewelry |
Diamond Crystals in unusual crystals and clusters |
Uncut Diamond Crystals nether 1 carat |
Uncut Diamond Crystals 1-1.99 carats |
Uncut Diamond Crystals two-4.99 carats |
Half-Price Diamond Crystals 50% Off Retail |
Uncut Diamonds Priced $400 -$999 |
Uncut Diamond Crystals Priced $yard and upward |
© John Betts - Fine Minerals, New York , NY - All Rights Reserved.
a partition of allminerals.com, dealer of Fine Minerals since 1989.
The minerals illustrated on this site were purchased from collectors or wholesale suppliers for resale purposes. The owner of this site did not collect the minerals and collectors should not presume access is permitted to the holding based on inclusion in this site. Please contact the property possessor to obtain legal permission before entering private belongings.
Source: http://www.johnbetts-fineminerals.com/jhbnyc/diamondtest.htm
0 Response to "Kimberlite How To Identify A Raw Diamond"
Post a Comment