Hypnotic, timeless, glittering with unmatched brilliance – diamonds have fascinated people for centuries, and their beauty and durability have made them the most famous and most desired gemstones in the world, with a royal status. Such distinguished features translate into value… High-quality diamonds are extremely expensive jewels, and every carat is worth its weight in gold.
How can diamonds be made more affordable?
This question had long been asked by scientists trying to invent a laboratory method for producing synthetic diamonds, which, while maintaining all the characteristics of a natural crystal, would at the same time be its economical substitute. An experiment conducted in the USA in the mid-20th century ended successfully, and the world saw, for the first time, a diamond grown by humans.
Artifacts from the dawn of humanity
As the name itself suggests, synthetic diamonds are created or, in other words, “synthesized” in laboratories. To understand the mechanism that occurs then, one must first understand how natural diamonds are formed.
This process takes place deep inside the Earth, under conditions of high pressure and high temperature for millions, if not billions of years. The formation of diamonds begins when carbon atoms (in minerals such as graphite and carbonates) are subjected to intense heat and pressure caused by tectonic or volcanic activity in the Earth’s mantle, about 150 to 200 kilometers below the surface. The combination of high pressure and temperature transforms the carbon atoms into an ordered and symmetrical crystal structure, which forms diamond.
Laboratory diamond
Scientists discovered that diamonds are made of pure carbon as early as 1797, which sparked the race to create the first synthetic equivalent. Throughout the 19th century, many leading figures in geology, physics, and chemistry attempted to recreate a mineral with a regular structure and covalent bonds in laboratory conditions, using various methods of compressing carbon at high temperatures and pressures to crystallize it, but without success.
It was not until 1954 that the first synthetically produced diamonds were documented, manufactured by General Electric (GE) as part of a secret project codenamed “Project SuperpressureUsing a high-pressure reaction chamber, scientists at GE subjected small, synthetic graphite crystal embryos to a temperature of 1600º C and a pressure of 100,000 atmospheres. Then, in the reactor, they dissolved a synthetic powder with additives of iron, cobalt, and nickel to accelerate the transformation of graphite into diamond. The resulting material had the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as natural diamonds, as well as a hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale, confirming that the scientists had succeeded.
Laboratory-produced gem-quality diamonds
The GE diamonds produced in this process were too small to be used as gemstones in the jewelry industry – they mainly went to the industrial sector – nevertheless, this discovery paved the way for continuous improvement of the process and the creation of multi-carat crystals of gem quality. Currently, the diamond growth rate takes about 6 to 10 weeks, which, compared to the millions and billions of years of the natural process, is like the blink of an eye on the time scale.
Over the following decades, research enabled the creation of diamonds in laboratories that surpass natural diamonds in terms of carats (size), color, and clarity. Work was also done to make this process commercially viable.
Synthetic diamonds are the future of jewelry art
Although lab-grown diamonds make up only a small percentage of today’s market, the demand for these stones grows every year, along with a loyal fan base. Synthetic diamonds cost 30-40% less than natural stones, and the growing consumer awareness regarding their ethical sourcing makes Synthetic gemstones are an attractive option for potential buyers, combining the stunning appearance and characteristics of a natural diamond, a lower price, and the aforementioned ethical and environmentally friendly mining. This has a noticeable impact on the diamond industry – even De Beers, the world’s largest diamond mining company, has launched a line of lab-grown stones called Lightbox to meet the growing demand. Additionally, some of the biggest brands in the jewelry industry (such as Chanel and Bulgari) are choosing to use lab-grown diamonds in their designs rather than their natural counterparts, taking into account the well-being of our planet.
Choose a trusted jewelry workshop
Diamonds, thanks to their enormous heritage and reputation as the most valued gemstones, will undoubtedly always be a girl’s best friend, as sang Marilyn Monroe, and thanks to the growing role and popularity of synthetic diamonds, luxury gold jewelry adorned with brilliants has stopped being available only to clients with so-called deep pockets. So if you dream of a beautiful diamond at a really attractive price, you don’t have to wait for someone to give it to you, you can fulfill your dreams yourself. ☺️ We invite you