Lab-grown diamond earrings offer a more sustainable option to mined gems and are up to 40% cheaper, providing budget-conscious individuals with more choices than ever before.
Lab-grown diamonds are produced through two primary processes, High Pressure Temperature Hydrogenation (HPTH) and Chemical Vapour Distribution (CVD). Each uses high pressure temperatures to generate rough diamonds at various levels of purity.
Chemical Vapour Distribution (CVD)
Chemical Vapour Distribution (CVD) is the future of lab created diamond technology and production. Similar to 3D printing, CVD uses a process seed – such as a thin slice of diamond or graphite – as its foundation for chemical deposition.
To begin the process, the seed is placed into a vacuum chamber. Next, carbon-rich gases such as methane or hydrogen are added to the chamber.
As carbon rich gas is absorbed into a diamond seed, it breaks down bonds between carbon atoms and forms the diamond layer by layer. A diamond grows in one direction with controllable size.
With advances in CVD methods, lab-grown diamonds appear to have a bright future in a range of applications. These could include sensors and electro analysis systems for high-tech industries.
High Pressure Temperature Hydrogenation (HPTH)
Natural diamonds take millions of years to form in the Earth, while lab-grown or synthetic diamonds can be created within weeks in laboratories. This isn’t just a marketing ploy – these artificial gems possess the same optical, physical and chemical characteristics as natural diamonds.
Laboratory-grown diamonds are nearly 40% cheaper than mined diamonds and come from a transparent supply chain. Furthermore, they have less environmental impact compared to their mined counterparts.
Lab diamonds can benefit the environment by disinfecting water sources that have been polluted with industrial waste or heavy metals. These diamonds are doped with boron to conduct electricity and oxidize any toxic organic materials present in the water.
Lab diamonds are typically grown using two methods: high pressure/high temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapour deposition (CVD). HPHT is often employed to create gem-quality synthetic diamonds for jewellery, while CVD is the preferred choice for larger, colourless synthetic diamonds.
High Temperature Hydrogenation
High temperature hydrogenation (HTH) is the next frontier in lab-grown diamond technology and production. This environmentally friendly and cost-effective process of creating diamonds can be employed for a range of uses.
It is an incredibly versatile process and can be employed to create diamonds with fancy colours such as red, pink or blue. Furthermore, it produces a diamond that has more uniform colouring and less density than natural diamonds do.
HTH technology also has the major benefit of being able to create diamonds with incredible precision. This is an advantage in diamond electronics, where precision is crucial.
Diamond surfaces possess extraordinary stability and chemical inertness, making them ideal electrode materials for electrochemical synthesis and processing. This property makes diamond electrodes especially advantageous in processes requiring large area electrodes to operate in harsh chemical environments such as electrolysis of water.
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is a branch of science that involves designing and fabricating structures, devices and systems at the nanoscale by manipulating atoms and molecules. These creations can be achieved using biomimetic techniques as well as mechanical engineering principles.
Chemical Vapour Distribution (CVD) is the technology behind lab-grown diamonds. CVD utilizes high pressure and heat to cultivate diamonds in an environment similar to how they form naturally.
Scientists are employing this process to grow diamonds in just days, rather than the centuries it used to take. Furthermore, this new process enables larger, colourless diamonds to be grown in large numbers.
Conclusion
Thus, lab-grown diamonds can be more cost effective as they don’t need to go through the lengthy and expensive mining process. Furthermore, they avoid untraceable exchanges with untrustworthy middlemen, creating a transparent supply chain.
