Lab-grown diamonds are indistinguishable from natural diamonds, except they are produced in a controlled laboratory environment using advanced technology rather than forming deep within the earth.
The primary methods for creating lab-grown diamonds are High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). These techniques replicate the natural processes of diamond formation, resulting in stunning diamonds grown in a meticulously regulated lab setting.
The High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) method for producing diamonds was initially developed for industrial applications in the 1950s. Although it is primarily utilized for creating lab-grown diamonds, the HPHT process can also be applied to natural diamonds to enhance their clarity and color.
The HPHT method is designed to replicate the extreme temperatures and pressures found deep within the earth, where natural diamond crystals slowly form over billions of years. Unlike the 1-3 billion year formation period of natural diamonds, the HPHT process enables the creation of diamonds in just a few weeks.
HPHT diamonds are manufactured using three primary techniques: the split-sphere (BARS) press, the cubic press, and the belt press. In this process, a small diamond seed encased in pure carbon is placed into a growth chamber subjected to high pressure and temperature for several days. As the carbon melts, it forms around the seed, eventually growing into a full-sized diamond.
In the CVD process, diamonds are formed from a hydrocarbon gas mixture, much like the formation of diamonds in interstellar gas clouds. Developed in the 1980s, this method is considered more cost-effective than the HPHT process because it requires less energy.
A thin slice of diamond seed is heated to approximately 800°C in a sealed chamber, which is then filled with carbon-rich gases like methane. Microwaves, lasers, and other equipment are used to ionize these gases and produce plasma. The ionization process breaks down the gases, allowing the carbon to bond with the diamond seed, gradually forming the diamond layer by layer.
Carat Creations lab diamonds are obtained from laboratories that utilize both HPHT and CVD production methods, depending on the desired size and carat weight of the diamond.