diamond simulants

Simulants include Moissanite, White Topaz, Cubic Zirconia, Glass, and any other materials that look like a diamond

diamond simulants

A diamond simulant is a gemstone or material that looks like a diamond, although it isn’t.

Simulants include Moissanite, White Topaz, Cubic Zirconia, Glass, and any other materials that look like a diamond (white, bright and sparkly).

Mainly, an experienced diamond grader can tell a simulant from a diamond using their eyes and a 10x loupe. It is important however, that other methods of testing are used to avoid any mistakes. The first port of call for any stone entering our laboratory as a diamond is to use a diamond and moissanite tester. This small machine will show only a diamond as a diamond. It will also detect a moissanite and indicate this to the grader. This is known as a thermal and electrical conductivity test.

Moissanite is the closest optically to a diamond and also has other similar properties to a diamond making it hard to detect by eye only. CZ and other stones are much easier as they possess a different range of optical properties to a diamond. They do not have the same fire and brilliance as a diamond.

Ultraviolet Fluorescence is also used to detect simulants especially in set jewellery pieces. It is very unlikely that two diamonds in a piece of jewellery will fluoresce exactly the same and the different levels of fluorescence indicate, but do not prove, that the diamonds are genuine.