Are lab diamonds, real diamonds? YES!
There has been a lot of debate regarding what a lab grown (also known as lab-created) diamond is and if it’s a “real” diamond.
Let’s dive into what sets these stones apart (or doesn’t) from naturally-mined diamonds. Of course, it’s a personal preference, but we don’t think lab grown diamonds are a fad, in fact, we think they’re here for the long haul. They are becoming an increasingly popular choice for wedding bands. Here are some of the facts so you can decide what’s best for you
What is a lab grown diamond?
The main difference between a lab grown diamond and a naturally-mined diamond is simply the way it is created. A mined diamond is formed naturally deep beneath the Earth’s crust where temperatures and pressures are very high. These diamonds can only be mined when rare volcanoes erupt and bring them close to the surface.
We imitate that same process in our lab using a High-Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) or Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process. What starts as a diamond seed— a minuscule slice of a diamond— blossoms into a large, rough diamond as carbon atoms grow around it. These elegant pieces are grown in certified labs that use very limited energy and emit next to no emissions.
Are Lab Grown Diamonds Real?
These questions are somewhat misleading. This is because they are based upon the assumption that there is a significant difference between lab created diamonds vs. natural or real diamonds. Many people automatically believe that a diamond made in a lab is a fake diamond.
The truth is that no such distinction exists. In terms of chemical makeup, physical properties, and visual appearance, lab created diamonds are identical to natural diamonds.
Properties Comparison of a Lab Diamond vs. Natural
“[Lab created diamonds] are not fakes. They’re not cubic zirconias. They have all the same physical and chemical properties of a mined diamond.”
– Stephen Morisseau, a spokesman for the Gemological Institute of America, a nonprofit organization that oversees the international diamond grading system.
Another term for lab created diamonds is synthetic diamonds. While not technically inaccurate, the term “synthetic” contributes to the reason people undervalue lab created diamonds. A lab grown diamond is real, not fake.
Comparing the physical and chemical properties of lab grown and natural diamonds, lab grown diamonds are, in fact, the real deal.
Lab diamonds shine just as bright as natural diamonds. Whether you’re using diamonds for industrial drill bits or eye-catching engagement rings, there’s really no substitute for a diamond.
The truth is that no such distinction exists. In terms of chemical makeup, physical properties, and visual appearance, lab created diamonds are identical to natural diamonds.
How Is It Possible to “Grow” Real Diamonds in a Lab?
Mined Diamonds
Geologists believe diamonds formed deep within the Earth between 1 billion to 3 billion years ago. While they don’t know precisely how those diamonds came to be, they believe the process starts with carbon dioxide buried roughly 100 miles beneath the Earth’s surface.
The carbon dioxide is exposed to heat in excess of 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit and put under extreme pressure of roughly 727,000 pounds per square inch. The diamonds are then transported from deep within the Earth’s core to the surface by way of deep volcanic explosions.
These natural diamonds are then mined from deep under the Earth’s crust.
Lab Created Diamonds
There are two processes labs use to grow diamonds — High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).
HPHT
One of three manufacturing processes results in HPHT diamonds: the belt press, the cubic press, and the split-sphere (BARS) press. All of these processes create an environment of extremely high temperature and pressure conducive to diamond growth.
An HPHT diamond begins as a tiny diamond seed placed into carbon. Using one of the manufacturing processes above, the seed is exposed to temperatures of about 1500 degrees Celsius and pressurized to approximately 1.5 million pounds per square inch.
The pure carbon melts and starts to form a diamond around the starter seed. Then carefully cooled to form a pure carbon diamond.
CVD
A CVD diamond begins as a thin slice of diamond seed, which is often an HPHT-produced diamond.
The seed crystal is in a small chamber filled with carbon-rich gas, like Methane and other gases. The gases are ionized into plasma using technology similar to microwaves or lasers. The ionization breaks the molecular bonds in the gases, and the pure carbon adheres to the seed crystal and slowly crystallizes.
To the naked eye, distinguishing a lab grown diamond from a natural one is impossible. It’s highly unlikely a jeweler in the professional diamond industry could determine a lab grown or mined.
While processes can identify one from the other, it is incredibly complex and typically only performed in diamond certification labs.
