How Laboratory-Made Diamonds are Created
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What Are Laboratory-Created Diamonds?
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Laboratory-created diamonds are gem-quality diamonds that are manufactured in a laboratory using techniques mirroring conditions and pressures that create natural diamonds. Though the process of creating diamonds in laboratories has been around since the 1950s, developed by such companies as Quintas (a Swedish company), General Electric and De Beers, recent technological advances have enabled manufacturers to create crystal diamonds that simulate diamonds created in nature with far greater authenticity and precision. Unlike diamonds formed out of nature, laboratory-created diamonds are made in controlled environments that can eliminate imperfections. Therefore, man-made diamonds are often flawless and colorless gems suitable for jewelry. There are two very basic techniques that are used to create diamonds in laboratories. Individual manufacturers may patent different processes of laboratory-created diamonds through the adaptation of these techniques, depending on their specific needs. The two techniques that are used to make laboratory-created diamonds include the high pressure high temperature creation method and the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.
High Pressure High Temperature Creation
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High pressure high temperature creation is a simple technique that employs the use of carbon as a source material, pressure and temperature. The carbon source is placed in a heavy press, either a belt or cubic press (again, this will depend on the patent of the particular manufacturer that will adapt these methods to its own needs) and then, using extreme pressures, usually around 5 GPA, is compressed at a temperature of 1500 degrees Celsius. The force and temperatures of this method are so strong that the carbon is compressed into diamond crystals. The crystals made from this method can be of high quality, though greater precision will often be needed to make them quality gems suited for jewelry.
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Chemical Vapor Deposition
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Chemical vapor deposition, or CVD, is another technique that is commonly applied in the manufacturing of laboratory-created diamonds. This method involves the use of diamond chips or other gemstones. The chips act as seeds on which new diamonds are grown. The growth of this new diamond occurs when carbon is spread evenly onto the top layer of the seed. A variety of gases is used to create the environment in which diamond crystals will form. The gases cause the crystals to grow in size. Once the raw crystal has developed to a desirable state, it is chipped away from the original seed and then shaped according to a specific design, such as a baguette.
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