LAB DIAMOND SNAPSHOT
Let us start by answering the obvious – Are Laboratory-grown diamonds real diamonds – the answer is YES!
Lab created diamonds, also known as engineered or synthetic, are grown in highly controlled laboratory environments using advanced technological processes that duplicate the conditions under which diamonds naturally develop when they form in the mantle, beneath the Earth’s crust.
As they are often referred to as a synthetic diamond, many people get scared off by this term. However the word can be defined as “a man made material that has a counterpart in nature.” This is true to a Lab created diamond. Both the natural and man-made counterparts have essentially the same chemical composition and crystal structure. Therefore, they have all the same properties; both physical and optical. And so, a natural diamond and a lab diamond are the same material, however, they have different growth origins.
Lab Diamonds are grown all over the world in high-tech facilities staffed by scientists, engineers, and technicians. There are many countries that have leading laboratories including:
• United States
• India
• United Kingdom
• China
• Russia
• Singapore
How are they derived ?
Well, firstly our lab experts select the finest quality diamond seeds. It is most important to select seeds without any imperfections. The best seeds are carefully positioned on a metal disk to be placed inside the diamond-growing chamber.
The metal disk with the diamond seeds is placed inside a diamond growing reactor. Our labs use both processes – High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).
Over the next 12 – 20 days the seeds go through various processes. A combination of gases, pressure and temperature create an environment that allows carbon atoms to break down and rain upon the seeds. As weeks go by, atom-by- atom, layer-by- layer, the seeds transform into rough diamonds. 1 carat diamonds generally take 3 weeks to grow whereas larger diamonds generally take 1 month to grow.
These rough diamonds acquire the same chemical, physical and optical properties as mined diamonds, through both, the HPHT and CVD processes.
The rough diamonds are then cut and polished to exacting standards in our high tech factory. The expertise of our master cutters and laser techniques ensure each diamond is carefully cut and polished to yield a beautiful and real cultivated diamond ready to be set into one of our stunning Deltora Diamonds Settings.
We also offer something extra special at Deltora Diamonds and that is the opportunity to grow your own lab diamond, unique to you. It’s a very special process and offering.
