Lab grown diamonds NZ are becoming increasingly popular among jewelry consumers looking for a way to make an ethical and environmental impact. They offer a more sustainable alternative to mined diamonds and are also less expensive than natural diamonds. In recent years, this trend has pushed diamond producers to introduce lab-grown products, and even De Beers, the world’s largest diamond mining company, has launched a line of synthetic diamond jewelry called Lightbox.
A lab-grown diamond is a diamond that has been created in a laboratory using state-of-the-art technology. The process replicates the conditions occurring deep in the earth, allowing the diamond to grow from seed.
There have been many attempts to make man made diamonds in the lab, but none have succeeded until recently. The first attempt was made by General Electric chemist Tracy Hall, who developed a method of creating a diamond in the laboratory that is still used today.
GE was not the only company that tried to develop lab diamonds; it took decades to create a successful product. Scientists continued to try and find ways to duplicate this process. One of the more advanced methods is High Pressure-High Temperature, or HPHT, which replicates the underground environment that naturally produces diamonds.
Another process is Chemical Vapor Deposition, or CVD. This process mimics the way carbon atoms form in nature, and can produce diamonds of varying sizes.
These diamonds are produced by adding carbon-based gases to a substrate and heating them until they break apart. The resulting gas particles then fall onto a diamond substrate and build up layers, similar to the way that a naturally occurring diamond forms.
Making a gem-grade Type IIa lab-grown diamond takes six to ten weeks. These diamonds are cut and polished in the same way that natural diamonds are.
If you’re considering purchasing a diamond, it’s important to understand the process and how to identify a lab-grown diamond. This will help you get the best value for your money, and it will also give you peace of mind knowing that the diamond you’re buying is not only ethically sourced but that it was created in a way that doesn’t harm the environment.
While many different lab-grown diamonds are available, the most common ones have a clarity level of IF or better. They are typically colorless but can also be found in yellow, pink, blue and green colors.
The color of a lab-grown diamond can be significantly affected by the environment where it was created and by the cutting and polishing process. It can also be affected by fluorescence, which is a phenomenon that can make diamonds appear whiter or more yellow in certain lighting conditions.
In addition to a diamond’s clarity, color, and cut, the amount of fluorescence can also affect its price. Because of this, knowing the amount of fluorescence in a lab-grown diamond before purchasing is essential.