Can you rely on diamond authenticity tools or only experts?
It’s shiny, it’s pretty, and it looks like it has all the right angles and cuts—but is it real?
This is a question many diamond owners have asked, whether their precious stones are set in jewelry or are kept loose as investments. To answer the question, the industry has come up with various ways to conveniently test diamond authenticity. One of them is through the SmartPro MAX, a nifty handheld device made for this purpose.
What Is the SmartPro MAX?
It’s an uncomplicated device that can be used at home by anyone. The manual details a step-by-step guide for how to charge, calibrate, use, and interpret results that are flashed on the touchscreen digital display.
How to Use the SmartPro MAX Diamond Tester
SmartPro MAX’s main feature is basically a probe on one end (think of it as the tip of a ballpoint pen, but larger), which remains covered with a cap when not in use. After turning it on, the cap is removed, and you basically touch the probe to the diamond you are testing. Make sure that the probe is properly touching the diamond. It shouldn’t be slanted, touching metal parts of the jewelry, or only slightly touching the diamond. This is to avoid incorrect or inaccurate results.
Keep the probe and diamond connected until the digital display flashes results. If your stones are indeed genuine, it will display “DIAMOND” in big, bold letters.
Key Features of the SmartPro MAX
Aside from ease of use, what sets the SmartPro MAX apart from other readily available diamond testers in the Philippines is that it can distinguish between HPHT and CVD diamonds (i.e.: the ways in which diamonds are synthesized or made). This information is a lot more valuable than just knowing whether a stone is a diamond or not. This is mostly because even lab-grown diamonds, when tested using less sensitive testers, will register as diamonds. Some individuals may prefer organically occurring diamonds and this is one way to determine whether a stone was naturally made or manmade.
Identifying Moissanite with SmartPro MAX
The tool will also let you know if what you have instead is a moissanite, a stone which may appear diamond-like, but is chemically distinct from a diamond. A moissanite, to start, is grown in a lab and does not exist in nature.
Limitations of the SmartPro MAX
Convenient as the Smart Pro Max is, it is not always accurate. It can yield mixed readings for the same stone, possibly saying that it is a diamond the first time it is tested, then saying it is a moissanite in the succeeding round.
A Smart Pro Max cannot level with the accuracy provided by more established tools and techniques for diamond authenticity such as looping, especially when performed by an experienced jeweler or professional appraiser.
Why Jewelers Still Rely on Looping
Looping, within seconds under a trained eye, will show you if a diamond has rounded or straight-cut or sharp edges. A diamond will always have sharp edges, never rounded ones. SmartPro MAX will not be able to determine this.
Should You Buy the SmartPro MAX?
At the end of the day, the SmartPro MAX is only recommended for individuals who are beginning to explore their career or hobby in gemology or jewelry. If you find it being used in a certified jeweler or appraiser’s shop, it’s likely just there to start a conversation or to provide initial evaluations, not to help clients make absolute decisions.
For the best advice, visit a professional and accredited appraiser with formal training on this matter.
