How Are Diamonds Created in a Lab? The Different Steps Explained
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Glamorous and captivating, diamonds have been admired for centuries. But how are these stunning gems born? While mined diamonds take billions of years to form beneath the Earth’s surface, did you know that diamonds can also be crafted within the confines of a laboratory?
In this article, we’ll guide you through the fascinating world of lab-grown diamonds, showcasing how they’re created employing technology to mimic the conditions deep inside the Earth.
What are Lab-Grown Diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds, also known as synthetic or cultured diamonds, are gems created in laboratory conditions rather than extracted from the Earth’s crust. These diamonds mirror the physical and chemical properties of their mined counterparts, but they’re made differently.
Think, for example, of choosing your lab diamond ring. The diamond in it would be created with advanced technological processes over a matter of weeks or months as opposed to millions of years below the ground. It’s science, artistry, and sustainable luxury blended into one gem.
How are Lab-Grown Diamonds Made?
Lab-grown diamonds are made using two different methods: high pressure-high temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition (CVC). Both methods are popular with jewelers.
High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT)
The High Pressure-High Temperature process, often abbreviated as HPHT, is among the most widely used methods of creating lab-grown diamonds. This procedure replicates the natural conditions under which diamonds form in the Earth’s mantle, but at a much quicker speed.
HPHT uses high pressure, high temperature, and a bit of time to transform carbon into a diamond seed. This transformation unfolds in pressurized machines that can reach temperatures up to 1300 degrees Celsius and pressure levels ranging around five gigapascals.
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVC)
A relatively newer method for growing diamonds in a lab is Chemical Vapor Deposition, often shortened to CVD. Unlike HPHT, the CVD process does not require high pressure.
Instead, it introduces a mix of gasses (typically methane and hydrogen) under controlled heat (around 800-1200 degrees Celsius) into a vacuum chamber. These gas molecules are heated until they break apart and start forming layers on a tiny diamond seed. Over time, these carbon layers accumulate and crystallize into a larger diamond form, facilitated by sophisticated tech.
The Step-By-Step Process for HPHT and CVC
To create lab-grown diamonds using the HPHT or CVC process, you have to follow a certain number of steps in order. Let’s look at how lab-grown diamonds are made with either method.
The Step-by-Step Process of HPHT
To start the diamond creation process, you’d follow these steps:
- Place the diamond seed in a specifically designed press.
- Heat the growth chamber to 1300 °C with pressures above 870,000 lbs per square inch.
- Carbon atoms grow on the seed in 3 days to 3 weeks, depending on the requested size.
- The lab-grown diamond is cut and polished by the diamond cutter.
HPHT diamonds grow in a small capsule inside an apparatus that’s capable of high pressure. The diamond crystal, often graphite, dissolves in a molten flux that contains metals like iron, nickel, and cobalt. This lowers the temperature and pressure, allowing the diamond to grow.
The Step-by-Step Process of CVC
To start the diamond creation process, you’d follow these steps:
- Place the diamond seed in the growth chamber.
- Heat the growth chamber to 1200 °C.
- A beam will cause carbon to precipitate out of a plasma cloud and go into the seed.
- Diamonds are removed every few days and polished for up to 4 weeks.
- Synthetic diamond crystals are removed, cut, and polished.
CVC diamonds grow inside a vacuum chamber that’s filled with hydrogen and carbon-containing gas like methane. A microwave beam breaks down gas molecules while the carbon atoms diffuse toward the flat seed plates. Several crystals will grow in the chamber simultaneously.
In Conclusion…
With information about lab-grown gems, you may appreciate them in a completely new light. It’s astounding how modern technology can replicate a process that naturally takes billions of years. So, if you’re looking to add more sparkle to your life, why not consider a lab-grown diamond?