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How to Tell the Difference Between Green Diamonds & Green Sapphires

Telling the difference between green diamonds and green sapphires is not easy as they are both very hard stones usually presented in what is known as a brilliant cut, with a round, multifaceted top half or crown and a pointed base. easily distinguishable from emeralds, which are much softer and given what is known as a 'step cut', with straight sides, the green sapphire and the green diamond are widely different in their value. Spotting the difference between the two is therefore a question of subtleties which will only reveal themselves under a jeweler's loupe.

Things You'll Need

Jeweler's loupe
Green diamond
Green sapphire

Instructions

- 1
  Check the condition of both stones under your jeweler's loup. Although sapphires and diamonds are both extremely hard, sapphires also have a tendency to brittleness, so you might possibly see the occasional minute chip in a green sapphire.
- 2
  Rotate both stones under the loupe. Unlike diamonds, sapphires show a pronounced dichroism. This is when the color within the stone seems to change according to the angle from which you view it. A colored diamond will not display this effect.
- 3
  Look next to see how well both stones reflect the light. The technical term for this is dispersion, but jewelers refer to it as 'fire.' Although effect of dispersion is muted in colored stones, a green diamond should still show more fire than a green sapphire.
- 4
  A diamond will scratch a sapphire, however a sapphire will be unable to scratch a diamond.

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