When it comes to diamond rings, don't believe everything you're told or read. There are diamond scams taking place across the world and the last thing that you’d want to have happen is to fall for one of these scams and lose your hard-earned money. Diamonds are often purchased as part of an engagement ring or wedding ring. They are sentimental objects and when you have been scammed on a diamond, you will feel the loss heavily.Fortunately, there are a lot of above-board places where you can buy diamonds and ways to tell if you are getting a real one or not. You just need to do some research and do your due diligence to make sure that you are getting a high-valued diamond and not anything else.The Costco Diamond FiascoCostco made the news during the last few years for allegedly selling "Tiffany" diamonds. Back in 2017, the company Tiffany & Co. sued Costco for using their name in advertising. There were approximately 2,500 diamond rings sold that were generic in nature. Tiffany & Co. won the lawsuit and a judge from the federal district ordered that Costco pay the company $19 million.This ruling, however, was overturned in 2020. Costco claimed that the use of the "Tiffany" name did not make a reference to Tiffany & Co. but rather referred to the setting of the diamond. For now, Costco has won the lawsuit, but it is expected that this case will continue.This is a real-life reminder that anybody that is shopping for diamond engagement rings Toronto or custom engagement rings should make purchase decisions carefully to ensure they receive exactly what they are paying for.Authentication PapersWhen you receive any sort of diamond jewelry it should come with a certificate outlining information about the diamond along with authentication papers. There have been scams in this area too, however, with fake papers being delivered through online stores or through individuals selling through third-party sources such as Kijiji or at flea markets.The best way to protect yourself is to only deal with reputable jewelers and make sure that you find out what the return policy is before making your purchase. This way, if there does turn out to be a problem, you will not have any issue taking back the ring. You can also take the diamond ring to another reputable jeweler for a second opinion if you have any worries at all about the stone being fake. You will not have to pay a lot to get it looked at by a different jeweler and you'll get peace of mind when you find out that it is real.Scratch TestIf you look online you'll see references to a scratch test that you can perform to find out whether your diamond is real or not. There is a problem with this, however, that often isn't mentioned on many websites. If you take your ring and try to scratch a mirror, you still will not know for sure that your diamond is real.The hardness of minerals is measured by what is known as the Mohs scale. Glass has been given a rating of 5.5 while diamonds have a rating of 10. A genuine diamond will definitely scratch a mirror but so will cubic zirconia, which has a hardness rating of 8. As well, moissanite also has a rating of 8 while quartz has a hardness of 7. As a result, moissanite, quartz and cubic zirconia stones will all scratch a mirror.Water TestWhen you're shopping for Toronto engagement rings, keep in mind that scammers have figured out how to make their diamond rings look as real as possible while at the same time able to pass a variety of common tests. The water test involves dropping your diamond into a glass of water. Since diamonds are so dense, they should quickly fall down to the bottom. Fake diamonds are more prone to floating or at least falling slowly. Be careful though because heavy moissanite and cubic zirconia can fall much like a diamond when placed into water.Heat TestOn some websites you'll be told to heat up your diamond to see if it shatters or breaks. While real diamonds are very strong, they're not completely indestructible. This is not a test that you should be doing on diamond rings to test whether they are real or not.How to Find out If Your Diamond Is RealThe only real way to know for sure that your diamond is real is to take it to a reputable jeweler. As a professional, he will own a jeweler’s loupe, which is much more powerful than even a strong magnifying glass. This is the only way to be certain about the authenticity of your diamond. It is well worth the cost involved to have to have your diamond tested by a pro.When it comes to Toronto engagement rings, you need to know that you are purchasing the real thing. If you are interested in custom engagement rings, you'll also need to be sure that you are working with someone you can trust who has a glowing reputation in the field and plenty of testimonials to back up his work.If you have any questions or concerns about a diamond you currently own or want to know more about creating customized engagement rings Toronto, please call Livia Diamonds now at 416-737-0050 or fill in the contact form on our website at liviadiamonds.com.