Laboratory-grown diamonds are also commonly called lab created, factory-grown, man-made, synthetic, and lab-grown. These diamonds have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as natural diamonds, but they are grown in specifically designed equipment called reactors.
Don’t confuse simulants such as cubic zirconia and moissanite as diamond. While they look similar to diamond, they do not have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as diamond.
Lab-grown diamonds were first introduced in 1954 by the Swedish company ASEA and a year later by General Electric (GE) (Simic, p.18). These diamonds were used commercially, on diamond cutting wheels for example, because of the many imperfections and small size. Today, lab-grown diamonds have been perfected so well that they are used in jewelry, and are visually indistinguishable from natural diamonds.
Currently, there are two methods for growing lab diamonds: HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition). HPHT’s technique requires a small seed diamond + graphite powder + high temperature + high pressure. This method produces a one carat sized diamond in less than 24 hours! CVD’s technique requires lower pressure + many seed diamonds + methane gas + microwave energy. Within 2-3 weeks, hundreds can be created in one reactor. Read more though this link: HPHT and CVD Diamond Growth Processes | How Lab-Grown Diamonds are Made | GIA
Today’s lab-grown diamonds are often colorless (D-F) and very, very slightly included (VVS) in clarity. Some other interesting facts about lab-grown diamonds are that reactors can routinely produce up to an 8-carat rough, and that 1 out of 10 diamonds in circulation today are lab-grown. The largest lab-grown diamond weighed 155 carats in 2017. In 2018, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) graded a 15.32 carat HPHT of near colorless (G – J) quality (Simic, p56).
Lab-grown diamonds are being perfected to such a degree that they are difficult to detect without scientific and gemological equipment. Many synthetic diamonds are laser-inscribed indicating their laboratory-grown origin, but some are not (see initial cover photo). Olufson Designs has trained gemologists and the appropriate technology to detect undisclosed lab-grown diamonds.
Lab-grown diamonds offer a budget-friendly alternative to natural diamonds. Many people who purchase lab-grown diamonds want a larger carat weight than they might otherwise be able to afford. Olufson Deigns carries both natural and man-made diamonds, and we will work with every customer to find the right diamond for them.
References
Borenstein, Guy, Lab-grown Diamonds (2023), National Association of Jewelry Appraisers conference.
Deljanin, Branko, Diamonds: Natural, Treated & Laboratory-grown (2021), Gemmological Research Industries, Inc., Canada.
Simic, Dusan & Deljanin, Branko, Laboratory-grown Diamonds 3rd Ed. (2020), Gemmological Research Industries, Inc., Canada.