Lab-Grown Diamonds
What are lab grown diamonds?
Lab Grown Diamonds are 100% diamond that is grown in a laboratory setting rather than dug out of the earth. Through the art of alchemy science has developed methods to recreate what the earth takes millions of years to create.
The result are stones that share the same exact chemical composition, light refractions, and brilliance as their natural counterparts, but at a fractions of the price.
Diamond Growth Plate
The adjacent photo depicts diamond growth plates. Small seed diamonds are placed on these plates inside the diamond grow chamber. The chamber is then placed under extreme high pressure and temperature while carbon molecules are showered into the chamber. These carbon molecules begin to bond and collect on the seed diamond, forming new diamond crystal. Diamond growers can grow up 5.00 carat stones in less than two weeks.
HPHT vs CVD
Currently there are two main methods for growing diamonds. One method is called HPHT otherwise known as the High Pressure High Temperature method and CVD known as Chemical Vapor Disposition. Although both methods create diamonds, it is noted that CVD diamonds tend to be optically more brilliant.
Also worth noting is that just like the earth uses HPHT to continue to harden and improve the color of natural diamonds. CVD growers use the HPHT treatment after growing the raw material to improve upon the color of the finished stone. The end result is usually stones that are cleaner and more brilliant than CVD stones that do not go through this process.
