The most reliable way to tell whether a diamond is fake or real is to use a special-purpose diamond tester. The mode of operation of this device is based on detecting conductivity, which is different for each type of material. The thing is that heat and electricity pass through glass or moissanite in a different way than they do through a diamond. 

Diamond testers are available in a wide price range, from around $30 to $200 and more. However, we do not recommend buying cheap models as they are made by unknown manufacturers and are likely to be very inaccurate. Indeed, it would be weird to use a low-quality tester to buy expensive diamond jewelry pieces.

How Diamond Testers Differ

Diamond testers can be categorized into two types: thermal and electric models.

  • The electric tester uses heat to create thermal conductivity between the object and the unit’s tip. By calculating how fast the heat passes through the stone, the device determines whether a diamond is genuine or not. 
  • The downside to thermal diamond testers is that they provide less accurate results and cannot distinguish diamonds from moissanite. On the other hand, a thermal diamond tester is more budget-friendly and is very helpful as a complementary tool.

Diamond Testers from Trusted Manufacturers Compared

An excellent example is the PDMT-A Diamond Mate Electronic Tester A which can differentiate diamonds from simulants.

This battery-powered handheld device is made by a trusted manufacturer, Singapore-based Presidium with 40 years of experience in the industry. Presidium was the world’s first company to launch numerous gemological instruments.

In fact, the company offers a broad range of gemological instruments, while the PDMT-A is the most basic option.

For more reliable results, we would recommend the Presidium Instruments Gem Tester II which is able to detect 16 types of gemstones and, unlike thermal testers, uses electrical current to detect a stone’s quality.

Electric diamond testers are more accurate and work by measuring a stone’s electrical properties. In particular, electric models can differentiate a diamond from a laboratory-grown synthetic simulant known as moissanite.

For this purpose, we suggest the GemOro Ultratester 3+ that utilizes new UV-F1 moissanite identification technology. The device can even detect the new Forever One moissanite that features super-low conductivity and is hard to distinguish from a diamond.

The GemOro Ultratester 3+ is produced by Gemoro, a division of Sy Kessler Sales headquartered in Texas. Incorporated in 1968, Sy Kessler Sales is a world-class supplier of equipment for the jewelry industry and a reliable producer of diamond testers.

Best-Selling Diamond Testers | Comparison Table

Most Popular

Products with 5 star rating

 

Product5 Stars Votes
Diamond Tester Diamond Selector II2075(81.9%)
Presidium Instruments Gem Tester II283(11.2%)
Presidium Multi Tester III100(3.9%)
PRESIDIUM DIAMOND MATE-C ELECTRONIC DIAMOND TESTER75(3%)

 

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Cheap Jewelry Diamond Testers under $20

 

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