To mention a simpler definition, lab-grown diamonds are synthetic diamonds that made by people and are not gained from the natural mining process. Now, you might be interested in knowing about the process of creating diamonds in a lab, right? So, let’s begin to understand the formation process and characteristics of lab-grown diamonds. There are mainly two methods to grow artificial diamonds – High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technique. Among this, the HPHT technique is the oldest and is rarely used nowadays but CVD is popular and most used. Let’s understand the latter process in detail.
Process Of Manufacturing CVD Diamonds
In the CVD process, a chamber is filled with a carbon-rich vapor where carbon atoms are extracted from the remaining gas and deposited on a wafer of a diamond crystal. Further, the deposited gas establishes the crystal structure as the gemstone grows layer by layer. The important takeaway is that it produces crystals with similar chemical structure and optical properties when compared with natural diamonds. Now, let’s see the characteristics of lab-grown synthetic diamonds:
Optical Properties: Transparent from the UV (225 nm) to the infrared, large bandgap (5.45 eV), extreme thermal conductivity, hardness, wear, and chemical resistance.
Thermal Property: Unsurpassed thermal conductivity (2000 W/mK)
Mechanical Property: Exceptional wear resistance and a low coefficient of friction, density (3.515 g/cm3), and tensile strength (thickness 500µm).
Bottom Line
Lab-grown CVD diamonds are just like natural diamonds, but man-made. They appear and function just like natural diamonds. What makes lab grown diamonds valuable is that they are sustainable and holds high ethical importance. Now that you have understood the properties of a lab-grown diamond, you could better decide if a lab-grown diamond is right for you. And, you can rest assured that the gemologists you choose are there to answer any queries and clearly explain the origins of the diamonds they sell. If you are looking for such gemologists then you can surely count upon ABD – a leading CVD diamond company. We will help you find the perfect diamond in your budget.
