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Writer's pictureerebounijewellery1

Natural or Synthetic diamond? Which one? #Jewellery #Engagementring #Diamondring

In the past few years there has been a large increase in the popularity of synthetic diamonds (marketed under the terms, “gemesis”, “created”, “laboratory grown”, “lab made”) across the entire jewellery and diamond trade.


Generally speaking, synthetic diamonds are used in jewellery for price-based reasons, currently being at least 90% cheaper than their natural counterpart. Prices have trended down since the start of synthetic diamond production being a commercially available material in the early 2000s. There are 2 types of synthetic diamond commonly available on the market, they are CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) and HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature).


A CVD is made by using a seed crystal, which is usually a piece of small diamond rough, placed in a chamber, that is then filled with specific gases that are heated. Once the gases reach the right temperature, layers of carbon begin to form on the seed crystal, giving us the diamond rough to cut into a gemstone for use in jewellery.


A High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) diamond is made by using a very large machine that replicates the earth’s process of forming Natural Diamonds. To do this, natural graphite is placed in the centre of the machine that crushes it from 6 sides with extreme pressure and temperatures. Under these conditions, the graphite turns into a diamond. This method was first used in the 1960s to form the first diamonds that were synthetic.


A sample image of a synthetic diamond factory using HPHT method is in the image below:



This is a rather small set up, as most factories today tend to have at least 3-4 times the machines in usage manufacturing diamonds.


Natural diamonds on the other hand, are a well known and have been throughout the centuries, found near volcanic magma tubes which have brought up the diamonds to the earths surface during the formation of the earths crust that we have today.


There is no discernible difference between a man-made diamond and a mined diamond to the naked eye or even when using a loupe of microscope, as both materials are Carbon arranged in a lattice formation, the only way to tell is with a combination of tools (if the stone is large enough and loose or easily viewable from multiple angles) or specialised equipment that gives us a spectrum response.


If you are interested in having us make something for your engagement ring, come in and have a no obligation friendly chat in our store in located on level 4 of the Dymocks building, Sydney.


You can find some examples of previous work here https://www.erebounijewellery.com.au/rings


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