Natural Vs Synthetic Diamonds

In modern times, Diamonds are considered as a symbol of relationships. But like relationships, no two diamonds are same.

Natural Diamonds, which are created by mother nature, mined by humans and then brought to their real charm are the ones which allure and mesmerize the gemstone industry.

Because of huge shortages of industrial diamonds in war and other areas, ASEA, GE, and De Beers embarked into the world’s most wanted scientific breakthrough of producing Synthetic Industrial Diamonds in 1956.

What many of us do not know is that a large proportion of diamonds available in the market today are synthetic ones. With the advancement of High-Quality Single Crystal Growth Technology, a segment of synthetic gems is growing in the gem market.

How Are Synthetic Diamonds Made?

Synthetic Diamonds are made in two ways – the HIGH PRESSURE & HIGH-TEMPERATURE route or CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION (CVD) TECHNIQUE.

Genesis, one of the world’s largest synthetic diamond manufacturers uses both the HPHT as well as CVD technique, whereas the SCIO Diamond Technology Corporation, which bought over synthetic diamond trailblazer Apollo Diamond Inc. uses CVD Method.

Another synthetic diamond manufacturing giant, New Diamond Technology Russia is synthesizing colorless diamonds using HPHT Technique.

De Beers Group, one of the world’s leading natural diamond miners, is well advanced with synthetic diamond technology. Its manufacturing unit called “ Element Six “ uses both HPHT as well as CVD techniques.

Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation continues to manufacture large crystal synthetic diamonds today. Research Establishments like the Carnegie Institute also produce synthetic diamonds and also introduce new technologies and innovations in the synthetic diamond making.

There are many more synthetic diamond production facilities in Russia, China, and Malaysia.

While the HPHT method mimics the conditions found in nature to produce a diamond, CVD system uses relatively lower temperature and pressure to grow on a substrate a flat sheet of diamond that can be allowed to grow thick.

While these flat sheets can be cut into gemstones later, the CVD technique’s biggest potential lies in the high end and military electronics market as advanced heat-sinks and microchip substrates.

In value terms, the potential electronics application market dwarfs the gemstone market.

So now it becomes clear that to make a synthetic diamond charm and dazzle like a real one, it requires a lot of effort and advanced technology.