Lab diamonds are gemstones, made by a machine that mimics the process by which diamonds grow in nature. The basic requirements are heat, pressure, and of course carbon – which is the material of which diamonds are made along with trace elements responsible for their color. Diamonds are produced using a method called Chemical Vapor Deposition, in which carbon in the form of a graphite spray is introduced to a chamber at high pressure. Over time, diamonds form on ’seed’ diamonds in this chamber.
The economic turbulence of the last 18 months has left many families looking for cheaper ways to enjoy some of their favorite things without compromising on quality. This extends to all facets of life – food, entertainment, and of course shopping for jewelry along with that. As such, lab created diamonds are enjoying a resurgence in popularity!
The amazing thing about man made diamonds is that they are chemically identical to a real mined stone. They have the same physical properties such as hardness, and they can not be told apart by the naked eye! It takes a complex and dedicated piece of machinery to detect whether a diamond is real or man-made. These machines work by using UV light to analyze the invisible internal structure of the stone to identify the growth pattern and tell whether it grew in a machine or under the ground.
Lab diamonds weren’t always made with jewelry in mind though. They were initially produced for military use by the Soviet Union, so that international embargoes could not stop Russia producing tools and military equipment! This technology was perfected to the point that synthetic diamonds produced by the Russians were soon on the market in Europe, before anyone was able to identify that they weren’t the real thing.So next time you are shopping for a synthetic stone, think about the interesting and chequered history of the new sparkler that is about to be on your finger!