Synthetic diamonds are made in a lab. We do not sell them.
From GIA:
How Are Synthetic Diamonds Made?
While natural diamonds may take billions of years to form, synthetic diamonds can be grown in a matter of weeks, using one of two processes:
1. High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT): With this method, synthetic diamond is produced in a laboratory by mimicking the high-pressure, high-temperature conditions of natural diamond formation in the earth. The result is a distinctive crystal shape that is, for the most part, a combination of octahedral and cube faces with a flat base.
2. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD): With this newer technique, synthetic diamonds are grown in an apparatus that uses moderate temperatures and very low pressures in a vacuum chamber. The CVD process involves heating a mixture of a hydrocarbon gas (such as methane) and hydrogen, which releases carbon atoms that then settle onto the cooler, typically square-shaped seed plate of natural or, more likely, synthetic diamond. This results in a square-shaped, tabular synthetic diamond crystal.
Do Synthetic Diamonds Look like Natural Diamonds?
Synthetic diamonds have nearly the same physical and optical properties of natural diamonds. They are just as hard, and they are available in a range of colors and qualities. Just like natural diamonds, they can have an excellent cut—and, therefore, excellent fire, brightness and scintillation—or they can have a poor cut or anything in between. It all depends on the quality of the synthetic diamond and the skill of the cutter.
How Do You Identify a Synthetic Diamond?
Because the optical and physical properties of today’s synthetic diamonds are nearly identical to those of natural diamonds, identifying synthetic diamonds is complex. Only a gemological lab with equipment that allows for advanced testing techniques can make an authoritative determination if a diamond is natural or synthetic.
This is a compelling reason to purchase only from your trusted jeweler.
Read more from the GIA article here
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