A diamond ring is often the most important piece of jewelry a woman owns in her life. Whether for an engagement or as a gift to herself: Turning a milestone into a diamond ring is the most beautiful way to make precious memories sparkle every day.

Rings with real diamonds are usually not a small investment. So it's understandable if you want to be absolutely sure that your specimen is a real, natural diamond.

Here you'll find out:

• What other gems are often referred to as diamonds
• How to recognize synthetic diamonds and why you should avoid them
• How you can be sure to buy a real diamond

"Real" or "natural" diamonds consist of a single element, namely carbon. After thousands of years, diamonds are created from the carbon molecules by the enormous pressure and heat in the earth's interior. Through movements in the earth's surface they finally reach the surface.

1. Diamonds are the hardest material in the world and only get scratched by other diamonds. That is why they do not wear out even when worn daily.
2. No other gemstone surpasses the fascinating sparkle of a perfectly cut, genuine diamond.
3. A real diamond is a stable, reliable investment.
4. A real diamond is absolutely unique: No two diamonds are alike.
5. Their thousands of years of history make diamonds the ultimate symbol of eternal love.

On the Internet, but also at "normal" jewellers, ready-made "engagement rings" are often offered. Do not rejoice too soon when the price of a single-carat stone appears surprisingly low: On closer inspection you will notice that the set stone is not a diamond, but another white gemstone.

Note: Of course an engagement ring does not necessarily have to be a diamond ring. However, if you decide to buy a ring with a different gemstone, make sure you always pay a fair price! Rings with colored gemstones can be found for example here.

When looking for an engagement ring, make sure ob the set gemstone is a diamond or one of these gemstones:

• White sapphire
• Colourless zircon (not to be confused with the material zirconia)
• Colourless topaz

Because diamonds are the most popular, but also the rarest gemstones, imitations of the precious natural products are now being produced with a huge expenditure of energy. The purchase of an artificial diamond is one of the most common mistakes made when buying an engagement ring.

Compared to real diamonds, the synthetic version has a much lower value. The sentimental value is also lost: After thousands of years of creation and with their small flaws that make them unmistakable, diamonds are the ultimate symbol of an eternal, unique love story.

It is often worthwhile to visit a trustworthy jeweler to confirm the authenticity of a diamond. However, there are some tricks you can use to test the authenticity of your diamond yourself:

1. Fluorescence in black light

Most diamonds glow medium to very strong blue under black light. If this effect shows on your specimen, you can assume that it is a real diamond. If, on the other hand, the stone glows slightly green, yellow or grey, it is probably a different or fake gemstone.

Attention! Not every real diamond fluoresces in black light. Since fluorescence is one of the characteristics that influence the value of a diamond, it is noted in diamond certificates issued by the GIA.

2. Impurities under magnifying glass or magnifying glass

If you can't see any impurities (visible as smaller or larger black dots) under a magnification of at least ten times, it is either a fake diamond or an extremely valuable, exceptionally pure specimen.

Top: Diamond of purity level "I" with clearly visible impurities

You can also use the magnification to check whether there is an engraved number on the so-called girdle. This number corresponds to the certificate of your diamond:

3. How you can be absolutely sure of holding a real diamond in your hand: Diamond Certificate

We recommend that you only buy diamonds that have been certified by an independent institute. Only then can you be absolutely sure that your diamond

• was ethically mined
• was not stolen
• meets the specified quality characteristics

The best known relevant institutes are the GIA, AGS, and IGI. The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is the world's most highly respected organization for the certification of diamonds and other gemstones and has developed, among other things, the scales used today to classify the value of diamonds.

For these reasons, My Diamond Ring offers only GIA certified diamonds.

Further information:

• The GIA Certificate
• Why do I need a diamond certificate?

• Tutorial: 3 steps to a custom-made diamond ring
• The 4C: How to recognize the quality and value of diamonds
• Checklist: These are the things to remember when buying an engagement ring
• The Fine Jewelry Collection of My Diamond Ring
• View stock diamond rings