The Art of Creating Diamonds in a Laboratory
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Time to read 17 min
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Time to read 17 min
Content
Laboratory diamond making processes include two distinct techniques, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) methods. These processes artificially capture how diamonds are formed under extreme conditions from carbon to high temperature and pressure to crystallize them in identical structures as mined ones.
Synthetic diamonds are chemically, still physically, and optically identical to natural diamonds. They share the same crystal structure, hardness, and optical properties as naturally occurring diamonds. They are certified by gemological institutes as real diamonds that differ in their origin.
Lab-grown diamonds are generally priced at 30 to 50% less than mine-borne diamonds for a similar quality. The reduced cost associated with controlled production processes, lower cost of mining, and more efficient manufacturing techniques is without compromising on the diamond's basic characteristics.
Lab-grown diamonds take anywhere between 6-10 weeks depending on the process use. CVD, for instance, takes about 2-3 weeks while HPHT takes about 4-6 weeks to create one carat.
Laboratory diamonds are significantly less harmful to the environment than mined diamonds. They reduce disruption to ecosystems, eliminate mining-related carbon emissions, land degradation is much less and they are produced using significantly less water and energy.
Identification of a lab-created diamond can be done very successfully by a gemologist with the use of some sophisticated equipment like a spectroscope or advanced microscopic analysis. What they will tell you, in short, is that to the naked eye, a lab and a natural diamond are very similar in appearance and properties as well.
Currently, the most common ways of producing synthetic diamonds are chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and high-pressure-high-temperature (HPHT). In the first method, carbonaceous gases are introduced into a chamber, while in the second, the natural formation of diamonds is simulated with extremely high pressure and temperature conditions.
The main difference between lab-created diamonds and those created through nature is their general resale value, as lab diamonds always command a lesser value than natural diamonds. Although the two types of diamonds are identical in quality, the traditional process of valuing diamonds in secondary markets is such that mined diamonds currently have a higher value in the secondary market than diamonds created in the process.
Yes, lab-created diamonds can be intentionally color-treated using trace elements during growth. By this means, the color characteristics are controlled and produced in a more predictable way in creating intense and even-colored diamonds than in natural formation.
The same internationally accepted 4C grading standards are utilized to grade laboratory-grade diamonds as secular ones. Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight are the factors according to which these diamonds are graded. These are also evaluated in the same way that natural diamonds are assessed in gemological institutes like GIA.