Is it true that a diamond cannot be seen in clear water?
Old films about robbers and spies taught the whole world one simple “life hack”: if you want to hide a diamond, put it in water! If you had plans to hide several jewelry in this way, it is better to reconsider your tactics now.
If everything were that simple, there would simply be no real diamonds left in stores. The robbers would have stolen everything!
Diamonds are very expensive gemstones that many jewelry aficionados dream of. Not everyone can afford such a luxury, so the stores have jewelry with diamond analogues. Very often, instead of a cut diamond, jewelers use cubic zirconia or zircon. Of course, there are jewelry that is created without the use of precious stones, but it can look very convincing.
It is believed that the authenticity of a diamond can be determined using a glass of water. This is partly true. However, if you lower the gem to the bottom of the glass, it will not disappear.
It’s all about the refractive index of light. We can see transparent substances and objects only because their refractive index differs from that of the medium (usually air) in which they are located. For a diamond this figure is 2.4, and for water it is 1.3.
However, experience with water can sometimes still help determine the authenticity of a diamond. Since these stones are very dense, if you carefully lower one of them into a glass of water, it will sink to the very bottom. If it floats in the middle or on the surface of the water, it is safe to say that it is a fake. Unfortunately, some analogs can also drown, so you shouldn’t rely heavily on such tests.