School me on jewelry and gem testers

Xxray · Sep 22, 2022

Digalicious said:
That electronic one that Detector posted looks sweet Either way, based on what you and Detector have said, then I'll definitely be testing my unmarked stuff. I'll watch that video a little later.

Apparently, the one that Xxray posted, and the one I ordered (and just cancelled lol), will give a positive on Moissanite. Any recommendation for another?

You'll find nothing that is full proof, all will give false positives at times. Like a detector signal, they are electronic best guesses.
Most important, the one I posted won't reject a legit diamond [false negative]. So think about it, what do you do then ? You'd take it to a jeweler and get the reading confirmed, so what you are looking for is a ballpark estimate, and these are great for that [and very cheap unless you are on your last $]

Diga · Sep 22, 2022

Xxray said:
You'll find nothing that is full proof, all will give false positives at times. Like a detector signal, they are electronic best guesses.
Most important, the one I posted won't reject a legit diamond [false negative]. So think about it, what do you do then ? You'd take it to a jeweler and get the reading confirmed, so what you are looking for is a ballpark estimate, and these are great for that [and very cheap unless you are on your last $]

That's exactly what I was thinking.

If I decide to sell a decent diamond studded ring, then I would be getting an appraisal anyway.

Cherry Picker · Sep 22, 2022

Xxray said:
Don't think its accurate, you can get a bar to go up touching anything. Diamonds have very specific heat transfer properties, and these testers are geared towards that.
[I used to watch Nora but got mad at her and unsubscribed when she went spear fishing for exotic fish, haven't seen any of her vids in months]

This is the one she uses. Why would it have different levels to test for a diamond? It either is or isn't a diamond right? Doesn't say anything about testing different qualities. I saw one video where she was testing what looked like sapphires and the first light would light up.

Xxray · Sep 22, 2022

Detector said:
This is the one she uses. Why would it have different levels to test for a diamond? It either is or isn't a diamond right? Doesn't say anything about testing different qualities. I saw one video where she was testing what looked like sapphires and the first light would light up.

This model, probably all of them, has to be calibrated each use to account for diamond size and even ambient air temp. Easy to do, there is a chart in the instructions or online https://tinyurl.com/2j9xd5p7
You basically just turn the bars up to 4, 5 or 6 before testing ,, And if you test a potential diamond and its fake, the bars will remain the same, maybe go up 1. If its legit, they'll instantly jack all the way up, filling all the bars and beeping. The 4 diamonds this thing has tested legit for me I have confirmed at a jewelers, and have had a dozen or so tested as fake [which I have not confirmed yet as I keep most of my finds anyhow] so I am satisfied it is fairly accurate.

Cherry Picker · Sep 22, 2022

Xxray said:
This model, probably all of them, has to be calibrated each use to account for diamond size and even ambient air temp. Easy to do, there is a chart in the instructions or online https://tinyurl.com/2j9xd5p7
You basically just turn the bars up to 4, 5 or 6 before testing ,, And if you test a potential diamond and its fake, the bars will remain the same, maybe go up 1. If its legit, they'll instantly jack all the way up, filling all the bars and beeping. The 4 diamonds this thing has tested legit for me I have confirmed at a jewelers, and have had a dozen or so tested as fake [which I have not confirmed yet as I keep most of my finds anyhow] so I am satisfied it is fairly accurate.

Sounds very hard to use. I use a diamonite DN-1 tests for diamonds and moissanite. It has a rotating on & off but you just turn it on, wait for it to beep (warm up) and test the diamond. Doesn't matter what ct diamond or room temp. On a diamond it lights up and beeps.

Xxray · Sep 22, 2022

Detector said:
Sounds very hard to use. I use a diamonite DN-1 tests for diamonds and moissanite. It has a rotating on & off but you just turn it on, wait for it to beep (warm up) and test the diamond. Doesn't matter what ct diamond or room temp. On a diamond it lights up and beeps.

Not hard at all, takes all of 2 seconds, does not have to be precise.
Your model is no doubt superior, but not many are minded to spend $100+ on something they may use a few times a year, if at all - And when its said and done, you can't sell a diamond on the strength of it passing a test, you'll have to get it appraised anyhow.
Now if you find dozens of potentially good rings every year, then yeah it may be worth the investment. For me, the $15 tester is a thing of beauty and all I need for my limited needs, it gives me a ballpark idea of good or bad then I can proceed from there.
[I have seen your model from $99 to $223 on amazon, don't know whats up with that but wild price swings is often a cause for concern - Also has some pretty spotty reviews] https://www.amazon.com/Mizar-Diamondnite-Diamond-Tester-DIA-650-00/dp/B0058ECVIC/

Chroma · Sep 22, 2022

Digalicious said:
If an unmarked item tests as, let's say, 14kt gold, how do you know that it's not 14kt plated?

The easiest way is to take a file to it, if you want no doubt. Shouldn't take much to get through to the (often copper/brass) base metal, if it is plated. But unless it is a really thick plating, if you look closely there are probably signs of wear in the plating, exposing the base metal without the need for filing. Magnet test is an easy check for ferrous base metals. Plated jewelry is also noticeably lighter than solid gold jewelry.

Diga · Sep 22, 2022

That's helpful Chroma. Thank you.

Hmm. A ferrous base metal. It doesn't get much cheaper than that!

School me on jewelry and gem testers

Xxray

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Diga

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Cherry Picker

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Xxray

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Chroma

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