Over the last few years I have noticed the popularity increasing for lab-grown diamonds instead of mined diamonds due to their sustainable and more ethical properties. Otherwise called manufactured or socialized jewels, these are the precious stones that are developed in labs where conditions are controlled through cutting edge innovation. Something that is fascinating about these cultivated diamonds is the plethora of ways they are being produced. In this exhaustive guide, we are going to learn the lab grown diamond process used to make synthetic diamonds and understand the technologies used for their growth.
Introduction to Lab-Grown Diamonds
While they have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as a mined diamond, they are pure carbon diamonds like you would find deep in the earth, but are lab-grown through controlled processes. This also embodies the idea of sustainability and ethics; appealing to consumers who are now more aware of the human and environmental consequences of diamond mining.
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Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is one of the most popular methods that is applied to grow lab-grown diamonds. Photo credit: De Beers For De Beers, this is a two-step process in sealed chambers, where a small diamond seed (a slice of natural or lab-grown diamond) is set in a mixture of carbon gases (methane and hydrogen) at very low pressures (but very high temperatures). When these gases are heated to high temperatures, they cease to exist and the carbon atoms sink onto the original diamond seed eventually, layer by layer, regenerating the diamond into a larger crystal over time.
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High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT)
High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) is one of the ways that lab-grown diamonds are created. Where it is then heated (to ~1500 celsius )and pressurized (up to 1.5 million pounds per square inch), mimicking the conditions deep in the Earth where natural diamonds are formed. Here, under these extreme pressures and temperatures, carbon atoms from a carbon source (usually graphite) dissolve around the diamond seed and eventually crystallize, creating a larger diamond crystal over time.
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Other Techniques
Apart from CVD and HPHT, there are other methods that used to produce lab-grown diamonds, they are :
- Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (MPCVD) Microwave-assisted chemical vapor deposition is that the MPCVD process uses microwave energy to deactivate carbon-rich gases and deposit carbon ions on a diamond seed, which in another bigger diamond crystal grows.
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There are Hybrid Methods as well; Combinations of both CVD and HPHT which provide a higher degree of flexibility in achieving desired conditions in lab-grown diamonds from their processes.
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Advantages of Lab-Grown Diamonds
Other than the environment, there are some benefits of lab-grown diamonds.
- Sustainable- Lab-grown diamonds use 7 times less resources in the manufacturing process compared to a diamond grown to the same size from the Reserve as no soil is required to be processed and no heavy machinery is required.
- Ethical Sourcing: Lab-cultivated diamonds are created in a laboratory urban area rather than a dark, hollandaise mine. Lab-cultivated diamonds do not interact with conflict.
Moreover, as lab-grown diamonds are grown in controlled environments, they tend to have better quality and higher purity levels as compared to their mined counterparts as they are grown without the risk of any flaws or impurities.
Consumer demand for more sustainable and ethical products is driving lab-grown diamonds to become a top choice in the fine jewelry world. Consumers can now pay attention to the fact that by understanding the art, method, and technique done, designed and crafted the diamonds use, they can make proper decisions about their diamonds, and can be aware that they support an eco-friendlier and socially change alternative to mine diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds can either come from Chemical Vapor Deposition, High Pressure High Temperature, or one of the many emerging techniques, and, either way, they are a beautiful and sustainable way to wear this classic gemstone.
Read More: How Lab-Grown Diamonds are Redefining the World of Luxury Jewellery
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