What they are and what they are not...
Man made diamonds... also called synthetic or lab created diamonds, no matter what name you put on them they are 100% diamond, period! They have the exact same physical, chemical, and optical properties as a natural diamond. They are not mined from the earth but are instead made in a laboratory. Lab created diamonds are not CZs or Moissanite... CZ and Moissanite are diamond simulants.
Man made diamonds do not simulate diamonds because they are actually diamonds. Telling the difference between a natural diamond and a lab created diamond is possible but it does require some sophisticated equipment and special training... 99.9999% of people will not be able to tell the difference.
There are other gemstones that have been synthesized in laboratories over the years but synthetic diamonds are a relative newcomer. Synthetic ruby has been around since 1837 but the first man made diamond that was successfully made by Dr. Tracy Hall from General Electric and was officially announced in 1955. Although diamond is composed of just one element, carbon... getting all those carbon atoms lined up to form the proper structure is easier said than done!
Different uses...
Most man made diamonds are manufactured for industrial uses, like cutting and drilling purposes. But there are new uses for lab created diamonds that are being applied at a very fast pace... windshields for jet fighters, computer chips, windows for high powered lasers, sensors, and the other day at Home Depot I saw that there is now a kitchen faucet with a washer that has a thin coating of diamond applied to it, which means that the faucet will never leak or wear out!
Because I am a Gemologist, these industrial applications are somewhat interesting but it is not my main interest... thankfully man made diamonds are used for "blingy" purposes as well.
Lab created diamonds are cut, polished, and finished into faceted gemstones. They come in different sizes, shapes, and colors (mostly yellow... but now also available in many more colors). Because of the low cost of manufacturing, they can also be offered at a good discount to the natural diamonds that come out of the earth.
How are they produced?
Today, there are two main processes for creating synthetic diamonds... and sorry, but these are very sophisticated procedures so you will not be able to make these in your basement for fun and profit!
The two common processes for making man made diamonds are as follows-
Process #1- HPHT Process- High Pressure / High Temperature (HPHT) This has been the result of a lot of experiments to reproduce similar conditions in which natural diamonds are formed. You can imagine that to recreate those conditions in order to produce synthetic diamonds is not an easy task.
Natural diamonds are formed 100 miles below the surface of the earth, under tremendous pressure and heat. The HPHT growth chamber is a little larger than a washing machine and it will create temperatures of about 1,500°C along with 58,000 atm of pressure. A small carbon seed is placed into the HPHT chamber and within about a week it is transformed into a crystal, also called a piece of "rough".
Process #2- CDV Process- Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) This method was developed in the 1980s and uses a different approach to the task of growing synthetic diamonds. CVD works by heating a hydrocarbon gas over numerous "seed" diamonds that are placed on a metal surface. The seeds grow into small bricks of synthetic diamonds, these are the pieces of rough that will be cut and polished into finished diamonds.
So, is a man made diamond right for you?
Maybe... Some people like the idea of a lab created diamond and some people do not. You would need to find a local jewelry store that offers lab created diamonds... every jeweler will have natural diamonds but not many jewelers will carry synthetic stones.
Man made diamonds are offered at better pricing in comparison to natural diamonds. In addition, these stones come along with the knowledge that lab created diamonds are produced in a socially and environmentally friendly manner. Because of the nature of the manufacturing process, many of the lab created diamonds come in a yellow color. The process is being refined at a fast pace which will allow for larger sizes, lower prices, and many other different colors.
Currently the gemological laboratories are issuing grading reports for synthetic diamonds... in the case of GIA's Gem Trade Laboratory the report uses only 5 clarity and 5 color grades. On the girdle of most cut and polished lab created stones will be a laser inscription stating that the stone is actually a synthetic. Most of the synthetic diamond manufacturers and the gem labs will do the laser inscription. They do this so that it will be more difficult for someone to pass off a man made diamond as a natural and in addition they are proud of what they have made.
Man made diamonds... also called synthetic or lab created diamonds, no matter what name you put on them they are 100% diamond, period! They have the exact same physical, chemical, and optical properties as a natural diamond. They are not mined from the earth but are instead made in a laboratory. Lab created diamonds are not CZs or Moissanite... CZ and Moissanite are diamond simulants.
Man made diamonds do not simulate diamonds because they are actually diamonds. Telling the difference between a natural diamond and a lab created diamond is possible but it does require some sophisticated equipment and special training... 99.9999% of people will not be able to tell the difference.
There are other gemstones that have been synthesized in laboratories over the years but synthetic diamonds are a relative newcomer. Synthetic ruby has been around since 1837 but the first man made diamond that was successfully made by Dr. Tracy Hall from General Electric and was officially announced in 1955. Although diamond is composed of just one element, carbon... getting all those carbon atoms lined up to form the proper structure is easier said than done!
Different uses...
Most man made diamonds are manufactured for industrial uses, like cutting and drilling purposes. But there are new uses for lab created diamonds that are being applied at a very fast pace... windshields for jet fighters, computer chips, windows for high powered lasers, sensors, and the other day at Home Depot I saw that there is now a kitchen faucet with a washer that has a thin coating of diamond applied to it, which means that the faucet will never leak or wear out!
Because I am a Gemologist, these industrial applications are somewhat interesting but it is not my main interest... thankfully man made diamonds are used for "blingy" purposes as well.
Lab created diamonds are cut, polished, and finished into faceted gemstones. They come in different sizes, shapes, and colors (mostly yellow... but now also available in many more colors). Because of the low cost of manufacturing, they can also be offered at a good discount to the natural diamonds that come out of the earth.
How are they produced?
Today, there are two main processes for creating synthetic diamonds... and sorry, but these are very sophisticated procedures so you will not be able to make these in your basement for fun and profit!
The two common processes for making man made diamonds are as follows-
Process #1- HPHT Process- High Pressure / High Temperature (HPHT) This has been the result of a lot of experiments to reproduce similar conditions in which natural diamonds are formed. You can imagine that to recreate those conditions in order to produce synthetic diamonds is not an easy task.
Natural diamonds are formed 100 miles below the surface of the earth, under tremendous pressure and heat. The HPHT growth chamber is a little larger than a washing machine and it will create temperatures of about 1,500°C along with 58,000 atm of pressure. A small carbon seed is placed into the HPHT chamber and within about a week it is transformed into a crystal, also called a piece of "rough".
Process #2- CDV Process- Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) This method was developed in the 1980s and uses a different approach to the task of growing synthetic diamonds. CVD works by heating a hydrocarbon gas over numerous "seed" diamonds that are placed on a metal surface. The seeds grow into small bricks of synthetic diamonds, these are the pieces of rough that will be cut and polished into finished diamonds.
So, is a man made diamond right for you?
Maybe... Some people like the idea of a lab created diamond and some people do not. You would need to find a local jewelry store that offers lab created diamonds... every jeweler will have natural diamonds but not many jewelers will carry synthetic stones.
Man made diamonds are offered at better pricing in comparison to natural diamonds. In addition, these stones come along with the knowledge that lab created diamonds are produced in a socially and environmentally friendly manner. Because of the nature of the manufacturing process, many of the lab created diamonds come in a yellow color. The process is being refined at a fast pace which will allow for larger sizes, lower prices, and many other different colors.
Currently the gemological laboratories are issuing grading reports for synthetic diamonds... in the case of GIA's Gem Trade Laboratory the report uses only 5 clarity and 5 color grades. On the girdle of most cut and polished lab created stones will be a laser inscription stating that the stone is actually a synthetic. Most of the synthetic diamond manufacturers and the gem labs will do the laser inscription. They do this so that it will be more difficult for someone to pass off a man made diamond as a natural and in addition they are proud of what they have made.
Bud Boland has been in the jewelry business for 40 years and has
done everything from watchmaking, diamond setting, jewelry making, and
has been a Gemologist for nearly 35 years. He is a Graduate Gemologist
from GIA (Gemological Institute of America), which is also the place
where he was an Instructor. He has taught about diamonds to hundreds of
students from all around the world.
He is currently committed to producing the only diamond buying guide a smart consumer would ever need... unbiased advice from inside of the jewelry business...
He is currently committed to producing the only diamond buying guide a smart consumer would ever need... unbiased advice from inside of the jewelry business...
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