With all of the talk around lab grown vs natural diamonds, it’s easy to become confused quite quickly. Generally, a lab grown diamond and a mined diamond are virtually the same aside from their origin. In this article, we delve into just how lab grown diamonds are created. With this knowledge, you can make an informed decision about buying one for yourself or your loved one. Before we begin, it’s important to understand how to make a diamond both naturally and in a laboratory.

How to Create a Natural Diamond

Mined diamonds form under intense heat and high pressure over the course of millions of years. The process begins when pure carbon atoms are trapped in the Earth’s crust, where they’re subjected to intense heat and pressure. This causes them to bond together, forming a crystalline structure and resulting in the hard and sparkly mined diamond we know and love.

The rough diamond then moves closer to the Earth’s surface. This is where mining companies utilize a variety of techniques to mine the diamond. The diamond then enters the diamond industry, where it passes through many different hands to end up as the center stone in your stunning engagement ring or other pieces of fine jewelry.

How to Make Synthetic Diamonds

Like their natural counterparts, lab grown diamonds are formed under intense conditions, including extreme pressure and high temperatures. However, thanks to advanced technology, there is more than one way to successfully create a lab grown diamond. Below, we break down the various processes.

How to Make a Diamond with Chemical Vapor Deposition

Chemical vapor deposition, aka the CVD process, mimics the natural processes that create mined diamonds. In it, a small diamond seed is placed into a chamber and repeatedly exposed to carbon-rich gas and extremely high temperatures. This carbon dioxide mixture, when coupled with heat, creates a diamond crystal that grows over time until it’s big enough to be removed from the chamber and cut into a gemstone using industrial use stone cutters.

How to Make a Diamond with High Pressure High Temperature

Another growth process for synthetic diamonds is HPHT (high pressure, high temperature). In this process, pure carbon is placed in a chamber and heated to thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. The heat causes the carbon atoms in the seed to bond with oxygen atoms from the air, creating graphite. The graphite grows until it reaches the desired size and shape. Then, as with CVD, a professional cutter extracts, cuts, and polishes the stone to perfection.

Which Process Creates Better Lab Grown Diamonds?

Both HPHT and CVD create high quality diamonds that have the exact same chemical composition as mined diamonds. But most experts agree that of the two processes, the CVD process creates higher quality lab grown diamonds.

Why?

This is because the HPHT process utilizes metal which is able to be absorbed by the stone and cause more visible inclusions. However, as with other processes, inclusions can always occur.

Lab Grown Diamonds vs. Natural Diamonds

As we’ve mentioned before, a synthetic stone is exactly the same as a mined one. The only difference is that lab grown diamonds are grown in a lab as opposed to the Earth.

Lab grown diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from naturally grown diamonds. Whether the viewer is looking through a jeweler’s loupe or using their naked eye, they will not be able to tell the difference between natural and lab grown diamonds.

The Pros of Lab Grown Diamonds

Lab grown diamonds are a great option for people who want a diamond without the high price tag. Thanks to a shorter supply chain within the diamond industry, lab grown is 20-40% more affordable than naturally grown diamonds. Plus, unlike diamond simulants like cubic zirconia, a lab grown diamond has the exact same chemical composition as a mined diamond. It also looks just like an Earth grown diamond.

If that wasn’t enough, your lab grown diamond is also conflict free. This means that mining in a war zone or supporting human rights violations was not necessary for the growth process. Your purchase did not come from unethical or illegal activity.

One of the best perks of purchasing a lab grown diamond is the awareness that your stunning ring is eco-friendly. For every carat of diamond that is mined, about 100 square feet of land is disturbed and around 6,000 pounds of mineral waste is created. This is not the case when you buy lab grown. The energy and resources used to create the diamond are drastically minimized. Ultimately, this process results in a beautiful stone worthy of your partner’s finger.

Consider Clean Origin for Your Lab Grown Diamond Needs

If you’re looking for a clean, green, and socially responsible way to buy a diamond, look no further than Clean Origin.

When you’re shopping for a diamond engagement ring, it can be overwhelming to choose between all the options. Whether you are looking for a round brilliant cut diamond or a princess cut diamond, we have the perfect diamond for you.

We have a wide variety of diamond shapes, styles, and settings to choose from so that you are sure to find the perfect diamond for your once-in-a-lifetime engagement ring.

With Clean Origin, you can be sure that your purchase is not only environmentally friendly but also socially responsible and beautiful!