Lab Grown Diamond Education
WHAT IS A LAB GROWN DIAMOND ?
For over five decades, the technology to cultivate diamonds for industrial applications has been in existence, but it's only in the recent ten years that notable advancements in both quality and affordability have made these lab-cultivated gems suitable for jewelry as well. Adjusting the formulation in the laboratory allows for the creation of lab-grown diamonds in various hues, including vibrant blues and pinks.
ARE LAB GROWN DIAMONDS REAL ?
Both lab-cultivated diamonds and their natural counterparts are composed of pure carbon, structured in the same cubic crystalline format. An expert, with the aid of sophisticated equipment, can identify the differences between lab-grown and natural diamonds, though these distinctions are invisible to the unaided eye.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS AND NATURAL DIAMONDS?
Both lab-cultivated and mined diamonds are pure carbon, transformed into gleaming cubic crystals. The chemical structure of lab-grown diamonds provides them with optical qualities identical to those of natural diamonds, yet without the inherent scarcity. Natural diamonds form over eons under the immense pressures within the earth’s mantle, making every existing natural diamond a unique rarity. In contrast, the production of lab-grown diamonds is not constrained by such limitations.
HOW ARE LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS MADE?
It all starts with a seed. Made from a tiny lab-grown diamond, the seed follows one of two processes: CVD or HPHT. Chemical Vapor Deposition, or CVD, takes the seed and puts it into a plasma reactor chamber where a mix of carbon-rich gasses are added at very low pressure. Microwaves are then introduced to heat the gasses and generate plasma. As the temperature climbs over several thousand degrees, the gas molecules break apart, making way for carbon atoms to bond to the seed one layer at a time.
The High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) method mimics the conditions of natural diamond creation by placing seeds in a large mechanical press and applying extreme pressure and high temperature to the carbon that is present. The seed acts as a guide for the lattice of carbon (that will soon become the diamond) to grow layer by layer within a matter of days until the desired carat weight is achieved.
ARE LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS PRICED DIFFERENTLY THAN NATURAL DIAMONDS?
Unlike the price of natural diamonds, which is determined by a stone’s unique characteristics and rarity, lab-grown diamonds can be priced uniformly per carat. Lab-grown diamonds also have the benefit of being priced significantly lower than natural diamonds since their production capacity is unlimited.
