LAB GROWN DIAMONDS

Lab grown diamonds are composed of the same carbon atoms and chemicals as natural diamonds. They are real diamonds. Man-made diamonds have the same physical, chemical, and optical properties as mined diamonds. The only thing that makes a lab grown diamond different from a natural diamond is its origin. Lab diamonds, also known as cultured or engineered diamonds, are grown in a laboratory environment using advanced technology that mimics the environment that a natural diamond would usually form. Lab diamonds consist of the same carbon atoms as natural diamonds, and since they are made of the same chemical materials, they have the same optical qualities.

Lab diamonds are grown from a specialised carbon plate known as a seed. There are two methods used to grow lab diamonds: High-pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).

The HPHT diamond growth process:

• Diamond seed is placed in a specifically designed press.

• The growth chamber is heated to 1300-1600 °C with pressures above 870,000 pounds per square inch.

• The molten metal dissolves the high purity carbon source.

• Carbon atoms precipitate on a small diamond seed crystal, and a synthetic diamond begins to grow.

The CVD diamond growth process:

• Diamond seed crystals are placed in a diamond growth chamber.

• The chamber is filled with carbon-containing gas.

• The chamber is heated to about 900-1200°C.

• A microwave beam causes carbon to precipitate out of a plasma cloud and deposit onto a seed crystal.

• Diamonds are removed every few days to have the top surface polished to remove any non-diamond carbon before being put back in to grow. Each batch of diamonds may require several stop/start cycles, and the entire growth process can take three or four weeks.

Once the process is completed, the diamond is then cut and polished by a diamond cutter, the same as if it was a mined diamond. It will then be certified by Australian Diamond Grading Laboratory (ADGL).

Some people might refer to lab grown diamonds as imitations or simulants, but this is incorrect. Actual imitations like cubic zirconia or synthetic moissanite — which only look like diamonds — have very different chemical and physical properties. Imitation diamonds can be distinguished from lab grown diamonds using only your eye. There are significant environmental, ethical and economic benefits to choosing a lab diamond for your next design.

If you would like more information regarding lab diamonds or would like to incorporate a lab diamond in your next design, contact us for more information.