When testing for imitation or fake diamonds, the see-through test involves looking at the diamond face up. If you can see through the diamond, such as the color of any surrounding material, it is probably an imitation.

Alternatively, place the diamond face down over a newspaper or magazine. If you can see lettering through the diamond, it is probably an imitation. This works mainly for round diamonds - for fancy-shape diamonds, stick to the former method.

For antique-cut diamonds, this doesn't always work as you may be able to see through such a diamond due to the different cut.

Don't care if it's fake? Modern-day fake diamonds such as cubic zirconia (CZ) or moissanite are hard to tell from the real thing and can offer good value. Check out the links below if you're interested in buying fake diamonds: