Introduction To Real And Lab Grown Diamonds
Let Us Learn The Difference –
Real and Lab Grown diamonds have a similar appearance. Lab diamonds grow in labs using special equipment, and real diamonds take millions of years to grow. Of course, both are diamonds. The only thing that sets apart a natural diamond from lab grown diamonds is its source of origin.
A real diamond grows by using the conditions inside the earth's crust. The second one, i.e., the Lab grown diamond that grows in the laboratory and contains identical physical, chemical, and optical features. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission develops guides for the gem and jewelry industry for their trading. FTC considers the diamond – not the gem but the material a pure carbon in the form of pure crystallization in the cubic isometric system. According to FTC, real diamonds contain pure carbon, but there is also a presence of other substances. It contains traces of nitrogen that provide them with yellow color or boron responsible for giving it the blue color. Naturally extracted diamonds also contain inclusions of tiny pieces of foreign material. These foreign materials were confined in the diamond, which did not yet form millions of years ago.
A diamond grown in the laboratory was introduced into the jewelry and gem market in commercial quantities about five years ago. Only trained gemologists using sophisticated technology can differentiate the subtle differences between natural and lab grown diamonds. It is not easy to find the exact dissimilarities between them for a normal person. Ever since the introduction of Lab grown diamonds in the jewelry market, its market share has increased quickly. The market size of Lab grown diamonds is expected to reach dollars 49.9 billion in 2030 from dollars 19.3 billion in 2020.
Origin Of Natural And Lab Grown Diamonds
Natural Diamonds –
Three billion years ago, natural diamonds formed deep under the earth’s crust due to intense heat and pressure. Volcanic eruptions brought natural diamonds to the surface of the earth. You can find natural diamonds in kimberlite pipes, a type of volcanic rock waiting to be mined. The earth contains only 5% of kimberlite pipes that are economically sensible to mine out from the earth.
Lab Grown Diamonds
In 1950, the first Lab grown diamonds suitable for industrial use were grown in laboratories. Diamonds that can be studded in the jewelry were first grown in 1971. Transparent Lab made diamonds were introduced into the jewelry market in commercial quantities in the mid-2010s. Dr James Shigley claims diamonds are made in laboratories through CVD and HPHT methods. Dr Shigley is a renowned scientist at GIA, researching laboratory grown diamonds for more than thirty years.
As the name suggests, the HPHT method uses high temperature and high pressure to form diamonds in the laboratories. The HPHT method mimics the exact procedure of the formation of natural diamonds. The process helps to grow a distinctively shaped lab made transparent crystal. The CVD diamonds or the Carbon Vapor Deposition process breaks down the molecules of a gas-rich in carbon. The carbon-rich gas breaks into hydrogen, carbon, and methane atoms. The molecules deposit on the seeds of the diamond to form a tabular, square-shaped crystal of diamond.
The CVD or HPHT method takes about a month to grow diamonds in the laboratories. CVD Diamonds may need some additional supplements such as radiation or heat. The additional supplements influence their after the growth process and enhance them. Lab grown diamonds usually weigh a carat or less, but larger stones have come into the market with the improvement in technology.
How Can You Differentiate Between Lab Grown Diamonds Vs Real
it is vital to recognize Lab made diamonds. Consumer needs to understand what they are buying. There is a substantial difference in the prices of real and Lab made diamonds. Therefore, to inform and protect the public buying gem, GIA provides diploma programs. The diploma program contains the GIA Graduate Gemologist credential. It also has seminars that educate about the grading systems of diamonds and how to differentiate between real and man made diamonds.
Traditional gemological observations and 'diamond detectors' cannot differentiate between real and Lab grown diamonds. The similar chemical, physical, and optical properties of both types make them a replica of each other. The only method you can rely on to tell the difference is using sophisticated devices developed by GIA. One can also visit a professional gemological laboratory to identify their diamonds as natural or man made.
Are Lab Grown Diamonds Graded?
GIA tests every sample of diamond that is put forward in its grading and identification laboratory locations around the world. It tests the diamond for issuing a report on whether they are Lab grown or man made.
GIA has provided grading reports for man made diamonds for more than ten years. It also changed the name of the reports to GIA Laboratory-Grown Diamond Reports. In 2019, FTC introduced this rule to change the name of the report. To lower the potential for confusion, the grading report of natural diamonds looks considerably distinct from that with Lab made diamonds. Additionally, the words denoting the grading reports of clarity and color are different for both the diamonds.
One can say that there is not much difference between real and Lab grown diamonds. The only distinct point between the two types of lab created diamonds is their source of origin. They are both graded and have the same properties. Only a professional gemologist can identify the difference between the two. So a person who does not want to go beyond his means can buy a lab grown diamond to look her most spectacular self!
