Synthetic diamonds

While diamonds synthesised in the laboratory or factory have been commonplace for decades, gem-quality synthetic diamonds are a relatively recent phenomenon. While synthetic diamonds predominantly have been used for industrial purposes, such as in the production of cutting tools, they can also be found in jewellery nowadays.

Fair trade practices require companies dealing in synthetic diamonds to qualify them as such, with the commonly accepted descriptive terms being “synthetic,” “man-made” or “laboratory created.” A definitive finding as to whether a diamond is synthetic, requires examination in a qualified gem lab.

In 1954, the first successful attempt to synthesise diamonds took place, when a team of researchers from General Electric created a diamond in a laboratory by subjecting carbon to extremely high temperatures and pressure, in a process that mimicked the environment in which diamonds were created in nature. Another method for creating synthetic diamonds was also developed in the 1950’s. This method is called “Chemical Vapour Deposition” (CVD). These diamonds are grown at very low pressure and relatively low temperatures, by depositing carbon from a carbon-containing gas mixture onto a diamond substrate.