Diamond help

[therobertsmith]

So we have a few stones in question. The one I am posting I have done everything I could research on about testing them. I just tried a grease test with a board coated in axle grease and a handful of quartz and other items. I set it at an angle and used a hose to let water stream down. All the stones rolled down except for one. Under a 10x mag it looks really nice and all edges are smooth and not rough. When doing a water test it wicks water away like it is coated with rainx. I am trying to figure it out before going to a geologist. The weight was .8 grams. Fingers crossed. Also, if this would be real do diamonds tend to be in pockets or close together? I just can't imagine this would be the lone stone.

RS

 

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[therobertsmith]

Also the pictures are not blurry but the stone is kind of blurry itself. Any simple tests I can do that I haven't tried?

 

[Jim in Idaho]

MY first inclination is to say no, but if it were mine, I'd take it to a jeweler and have it tested. Another way to get an idea is to do a specific gravity test. Diamonds are 3.54. If the SG is close to that, and it will easily scratch into quartz, you may have a diamond. The smooth edges bother me, as diamond is extremely hard, and rarely gets smoothed out as it travels in the stream. Diamonds are also usually symmetrical also, unless you find a broken piece. You should also examine it under a magnifying glass, or microscope, to look for "trigons", which are raised, or depressed tiny triangles on the surface.
Jim

 

[therobertsmith]

Thanks for your response. I plan on going tomorrow to have it looked at. It seems the edges are smooth and not rough and I did try and scratch quartz and it did gouge it as well. I decided to take my small torch to it and measure the heat with a laser temp gun. The range went to about 175 and dropped quickly down to about 78. I know that is kind of a redneck way but I figured diamond would disperse heat quickly. I wasn't looking for this since I was just panning for gold but this caught my eye.

 

[therobertsmith]

The area my wife and I are working seems to be some kind of a hydrothermal area. We are finding material that indicate this and it raised my suspicion if this could also produce diamond. It is fun to hope but I am not banking the farm on it. Why can't I be the redneck on tv that gets rich off a rock

 

[Jim in Idaho]

LOL...maybe you will be! All the best.
Jim

 

[therobertsmith]

Update: called a jewelry store and asked to have my wife's engagement ring looked at. So I went to the store and the gentleman looked it over and broke out the loupe and said he wasnt sure at first. He then said oh yes this is real. I take it he spotted the engraving on the diamond. We both know it is real and have the papers. So anyway, I asked if he could look at a loose stone. He told me yes. I handed it to him and he examined it and then looked at it with the loupe. He was very curios and didnt say much when looking at it.
He looked at me and said " where did you find this" well me being me I said "that is the million dollar question. I found it in my backyard." His look changed quickly after that. He said "I will test it in the back."
He walked back and about a minute later a woman came up and told me I t wasn't real.

 

[therobertsmith]

Sorry guys phone cut me off.
So my thing is this. All test at home seem legit. Grease tests etc. What got me was the guy was very nice until I told him I found it in my backyard. I guess he thought I was an ahole or maybe I had stolen it. I think I am going to buy a tester online and use it. I may head into Charlotte this week and go to a reputable place and ask them.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I'll be interested in the results of further tests. Good luck.
Jim

 

[therobertsmith]

Thanks Jim. I had a guy check a few with a tester and they failed although he wasn't to sure on how to work it. We had to youtube it. I am still on the fence and would like to do a gravity test. With the gravity test where would I acquire the specific fluid needed or can I use anything from home? The gentleman was a really great guy and knew more about gold mining than diamonds. I even ended up buying a highbanker from him and a classifier so not all is lost. I plan on buying a tester to have here for my kit. You never know

 

[Jim in Idaho]

You simply use water. What you're doing is comparing the weight in air to the weight in water.
Jim

 

[therobertsmith]

Nice, thanks Jim. I appreciate it.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Here's one SG testing video on Youtube:

The procedure is simple. You weigh the rock dry. Then you put a container, with enough water to submerge the rock, on the scale and zero the scale. Now you submerge the rock in the water, as shown. Write down the result. Then you divide the dry weight by the result submerged, and that gives you the SG.
Jim

 

[therobertsmith]

Awesome. Grabbing my scale now. Thanks buddy

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I'm going prospecting, so won't be checking back 'til the end of the week. Good luck.
Jim

 

[therobertsmith]

Update: I took it to a really nice jeweler and he once again asked where I found it. I told him my backyard. He said and I quote "if you told me it was from Africa I would say it is real"
So, since it isn't a blood diamond it isn't real. And since it is from NC it is fake.
I tried the water test and it came back dead on. So now I just need a reliable gemologist to take it to so I can make sure.

 

[Nappy701]

Looks like it could be a herkimer diamond? Anyways u will have a very hard time getting a jeweler to admit its a diamond lots are controled by masons and what have u..

 

[stdenis_jd]

Might as well just start telling 'em you found this thing under a Lion's butt in Africa. Maybe then someone will commit to ID'ing the thing LOL

 

[therobertsmith]

So, I have a tester now. Just a simple handheld unit. I have dug in the same spot a few times since and classified the stuff down and tested them.
Okay, so the one in question went straight to red. The thing is with the stone it isn't polished so I have to find a clear spot on it and she pegs out. I tried to clean it with a light speed dremel tool and it destroyed the sander and it would not polish. I don't want to over due it just in case. I mean at 4ct. I would probably have a heart attack. Also, the other stones I found in the same area 4 tested as good. I tried various levels of the settings and they all still read the same.
My next game plan is to find a gemologist and I have a shaving kit from WW2 and I figure I can put them in there and say my great uncle was in Africa during the war.
Do diamond's value

 

[therobertsmith]

Does the value of a diamond stay the same no matter where they are found? I know Africa is diamond rich but NC diamonds are supposed to be rare. Just curious if the location affects the value.