How are lab-grown diamonds grown?

There are two processes labs use to grow diamonds- Chemical Vapor Decomposition (CVD) and High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT).

Diamond Foundry grows diamonds using CVD by placing a thin slice of a diamond, which acts as the initial footprint for growth, in a plasma reactor that heats carbon to temperatures as high as the outer layer of the sun.

Our plasma reactor then displaces carbon atoms directly onto the diamond slice creating a diamond atomically identical to diamonds that come out of the ground. Each is a unique, one-of-a-kind crystal of pristine diamond, just like mined diamonds.

How long does it take to grow an lab-grown diamond?

It takes approximately 2-3 weeks to grow a rough diamond that will yield a 1ct polished gemstone.

Cutting and polishing may take another 4-8 weeks. The longer a rough is left in the reactor, the greater chance of developing more inclusions or cracks, which is why we continually monitor each stone during the growth the process for several types of measurements to ensure that we grow each rough to its maximum weight and highest clarity.

Are lab-grown diamonds synthetic?

In 2018, the Federal Trade Commisionredefined the definition of “diamond” removing the word natural as to include lab-grown diamonds.  Diamonds are “A mineral consisting essentially of pure carbon crystallized in the isometric system”.

The FTC declared “These stones have the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as mined diamonds.  Thus, they are diamonds.”

This is essential in consumer education of created diamonds, as for many decades, the word “synthetic” applied to them often alluded in consumer minds to an artificial stone (glass or plastic) or not diamond material, such as cubic zirconia.

What should we call a lab-grown diamond?

There are many names for an lab-grown diamond, choosing the correct terminology can help correctly educate a consumer.

Diamond Foundry diamonds are:

  • Lab-grown
  • Grown
  • Created
  • Man-made

How are lab-grown diamonds different from mined?

In short, mined diamonds have a devastating environmental and social impact whereas Diamond Foundry lab-grown diamonds do not.