What are Lab-Made Diamond?
BEGIN WITH THE JOURNEY
Imagine two diamonds. Both are stunningly beautiful, with identical physical, chemical and aesthetic properties. The difference? It is only the journeys these stones have taken to arrive before you that are different.
For mined diamonds, thousands of tonnes of soil has been shifted to unearth it causing irreversible environmental damage, civil wars have been funded from their proceeds and thousands of innocent humans have been murdered, raped or enslaved.
On the other hand, scientific brilliance gives us the newer, modern, ethical and conflict-free stones whose story and the journey begins with you.
All jewellery by Ahimsa London from www.labmadediamonds.co.uk are 100% lab-grown diamonds.
“What’s the difference between ice formed at home, or ice formed outside on a cold winter morning”?
Chemically, physically and structurally Lab Made Diamonds are exactly the same as mined diamonds.
What is a Diamond?
A diamond is a crystallized form of pure carbon which is created deep beneath the earth’s crust under intense pressure and high temperatures. A diamond is the hardest known material on the Mohs scale.
What is a Lab Made Diamond?
Lab-made diamonds or Laboratory grown diamonds share the exact same chemical, physical and optical properties as mined diamonds. There is no difference between a naturally occurring mined diamonds and lab grown diamonds. Even expert gemologists cannot distinguish between a lab made diamond and a mined diamond without sophisticated atomic instruments, this is because they are identical and exactly the same.
How is a diamond grown in a lab?
Scientists were able to mimic the intense pressure and the high heat which is found 90 miles beneath the earth’s crust in a laboratory setting. This was the first process used to grow diamonds in a laboratory and it had great beneficial use in different industries. Due to the tough nature of diamonds and being the hardest material, diamonds are used to all sorts of tools, knives, drill bits. It is even used heavily in dentistry! However, the process commonly known as HPHT (high-pressure high temperature) did not produce colourless diamonds which we favour in jewellery. There is still a huge demand for these diamonds as it is still used in tools, polishing and in modern technology as diamond is a good thermal conductor.
In recent years a new cutting edge technology known as CVD (chemical vapour deposition) emerged. During this process a diamond seed (usually created by HPHT or CVD) is placed into a vacuum chamber, a gas mixture is introduced into the chamber and is heated to 900 to 1200°C. This active carbon-hydrogen gas attaches to the carbon atom on the diamond seed, the seed is now one carbon atom thicker. The process continuously repeats itself until a 3-dimensional crystalline structure has been created, this is a rough diamond which is then expertly polished to create the diamond as we know it.
“Lab Made Diamonds should NOT be confused with diamond simulates like Swarovski’s, Cubic Zirconia & Moissanite stones”
Lab Made Diamonds are Diamonds, just made in a lab.
So is a Lab Made Diamond the same as a Swarovski, Cubic Zirconia or Mossanite?
No, certainly not. A Swarovski is a brand name for a type of simulated glass, Swarovski’s are actually not even crystals, it is a mixture of glass and silicon dioxide with a lead content of 32%. This high lead content mimics the optical properties of a diamond. However, similar to cubic zirconia’s a Swarovski is much more delicate measuring between 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, this makes it extremely susceptible to chipping, general wear & tear and scratches.
Cubic Zirconia is also a crystal which is slightly different from Swarvoski’s. These crystals are completely different to diamonds whether lab made or naturally mined. CZ (cubic zirconia) is made from zirconium dioxide, it is much heavier than a diamond, it has a lower refractive index which makes it less sparkly, and is also not as hard as a diamond and measures at an 8 on the Mohs scale. Over time Cubic Zirconia’s lose their shine and start to look dull.
A Moissanite is another diamond imitation which is made from silicon carbide, it is harder than cubic zircona’s and Swarovski measuring at 9.45 on the Mohs scale however it is still a cheaper fake version of a diamond and is an imitation whereas a lab grown diamond is no different to a naturally mined diamond