How are created diamonds made?

As we have discussed previously, there are several main methods of producing lab diamonds. All involve creating an environment to mimic the conditions under which diamonds are produced in nature, namely that of high pressure and high temperature. These conditions are created using a series of ‘anvils’ which are designed to increase pressure by transferring force through a series of smaller and smaller surfaces. Because the diamonds grown are formed so much more quickly than in nature, the conditions must be precisely controlled. In fact, diamond producing companies like Gemesis might have experimented with millions of possible combinations of temperature, pressure and trace elements before finding te perfect combination to produce optimal diamonds.

Are lab created diamonds real?

Yes! Lab diamonds are as ‘real’ as a mined diamond. They are made out of the same material and they are grown in a similar way as in nature. They are man made, but they are real diamonds in every sense of the word.

Choosing the best lab created diamonds

Buying lab diamonds can be a perilous affair if you aren’t familiar with the terminology. Look out for words like ‘simulated’, ‘synthetic’, ‘simulant’ or similar. If you hear this language, be very clear about what you are getting. Is it a real, lab grown diamond, made out of carbon? Or is it another material manufactured to look like a diamond? One of the best ways to tell is the price. Genuine lab diamonds, while cheaper than real gems, are still very expensive. You might pay several thousand dollars to buy a high quality one carat lab created gem. In contrast, good quality diamond simulants sell for closer to $100 per carat. Not that these can’t be lovely gems – but be clear that you are getting what you want.

How hard are lab created diamonds?

Because lab diamonds are chemically identical to real diamonds, they are extremely hard. Lab diamonds can scratch glass just like a real diamond.

Do created diamonds have flaws?

Yes! This is a common misconception. Lab diamonds are just as likely to have flaws in the stone as a real one. These are called inclusions and a good gem cutter will be able to minimize the visibility of these. The greater the clarity of a created diamond the greater the rarity and higher the price, just like a real diamond.

History of lab created diamonds

Lab diamonds were first produced in the 50s and 60s by both the Russian government and American companies – specifically General Electric. Initially the focus was on military and industrial usage, and the diamonds produced were fairly low quality. However quality wasn’t an issue when even diamond powder had immense industrial value. At this time, diamonds were made using the High Pressure High Temperature method, which required large costs in electricity.

The current method used to produce lab made diamonds tends to be Chemical Vapor Deposition, which still uses a high pressure environment but is much more efficient. The equipment used is smaller in scale, but produces better quality diamonds. Some say that this technology is an offshoot of the Russian diamond production methods.

What are lab created diamonds?

Lab created diamonds are jewels made using the same base elements as real, mined diamonds. Just like real diamonds, they are produced in conditions of high temperature and pressure. However while natural diamonds grew deep in the earth millions of years ago, diamonds can be made in the lab in a matter of days. These man-made diamonds are chemically identical to a real diamond and it is impossible to tell them apart by eye, even with a jewelers loupe. Complex lab equipment is needed to tell them apart, and the only known method is to analyse the invisible crystalline structure, which reveals how the diamond grew over time.

What are Russian diamonds?

The term ‘Russian diamonds’ is most commonly used to describe a diamond stimulant called Cubic Zirconia. Diamond simulants are stones that look similar to a genuine or lab diamond but are not chemically the same. These can usually be told apart by the naked eye, at least by a jeweler.

Such memorial diamonds are synthetic, lab created diamonds — not natural diamonds. But they are chemically identical with a natural diamond in that they are made from carbon. They are not ‘imitation’ or ‘simulant’ diamonds, ie another substance than carbon pretending to be or resembling diamond. They are the real thing, just made by people instead of nature.

A cremation diamond is increasingly popular as a way of remembering loved ones who have passed away, whether they were human or animal. The memorial diamond or hair diamond can be cut and polished in just the same way as a regular diamond and mounted as a gemstone in a piece of jewelry, or otherwise used as a normal gem. Generally, the final color of the stone will be a pale golden yellow or blue (from, respectively, nitrogen or boron present during the creation of the crystal), though colorless, red or green diamonds can also be created by this process.

When hair is used as the basic material from which the diamond will be made, it is possible to obtain a detailed analysis of the hair showing its unique composition. The diamond made from that hair can also be identified uniquely according to a patented process. A  hair diamond can, of course, be made from the hair (or fur, nails, or hooves) of a loved one who is still living.

Around 250g of cremated remains are all that is needed to produce one small diamond. The final diamond size depends on budget and quantity of original material, but would usually be from around one-fifth of a carat to one carat. The process typically takes between six and nine months. At the moment, memorial diamonds are available in the US, UK, Russia, Japan, Netherlands, Switzerland and other countries.

This means that lab created Emerald jewelry offers stunningly clear, large stones that work well with or without other synthetic stones like lab created Diamonds. This is a collection of the most beautiful and modern designs in lab created emerald rings, all from the created jewelry experts at finejewelers.com.

First, this stunning 14k Gold Lab Created Heart Shape Emerald and Diamond Ring which is on sale at $299. This ring features a total of 4 carats of created Emeralds, with the two main stones very tastefully set in a ring that comes in either white or yellow gold. 2 small natural diamonds are included. Jewelry aficionados will realize that this ring for under $300 is a steal given the size of the Emerald – a mined stone could cost as much as 5 or 10 times more yet have more inclusions than a created Emerald. Click here for more details or to buy one for yourself – or that special someone.

If you are looking for something a little understated yet elegant, take a look at this 10k Gold Lab Created Round Emerald and Diamond Ring. This one retails for $359, but is an absolute steal at the moment for $179. Featuring a 1.5 carat round brilliant cut stone, offset by two natural diamonds, this would be suitable for evening or casual wear. As with the previous ring, this is available in white or yellow gold.

Finally, this ultra stylish created Emerald ring is easily within reach at $129. With a shank of Sterling silver and plated with 14K white gold, the 1.3 carat created emerald is set with twin baguette cut white Topaz. In a design for the young, or young at heart, this could be dressed up or down as desired.

Of course, you can view this ring and many other styles before making a decision. If you head on over to Fine Jewelers you can score 10% off and free shipping for a limited time. Just use code PR2532Z when you complete a purchase.

More about created Emeralds

Emeralds are in the group of gems known as Beryl. Structurally the same apart from a small number of particles which are responsible for the differing colors, this family also includes the rare Red Beryl or Red Emerald, Heliodor and Goshenite.

Created emeralds can be produced in the lab by several different methods. The best quality lab created emeralds are made using the hydrothermal method. This method produces single, high quality crystals and works by introducing dissolved minerals to an aqueous environment under pressure and at high temperature. The temperature in the chamber is controlled so that minerals come out of solution and grow crystals over a period of days. Many different created gemstones can be produced using this method.

Cubic Zirconia was first produced in Russia for industrial use, with the intention of using it in manufacturing laser equipment. However it was quickly realized that this new material could have jewelry applications. In the 70s and 80s new manufacturing technology, which employed microwaves to melt the mineral used to make Cubic Zirconia meant that large scale production could commence. These gems are now so popular that almost every clear or colored imitation gemstone on the market is likely to be a CZ.

For the story of Russian lab diamonds we need to rewind a little to the late 40s and early 50s. Around this time at the start of the cold war, it was realized that a source of diamonds was needed that was independent of western control. Diamonds are immensely important for industrial and military manufacturing and if the supply was interrupted, this would have significant impacts on Russia’s manufacturing capability.

Joint efforts were made to discover natural sources of diamonds as well as investigate whether industrial grade diamonds could be manufactured. Both efforts met with success, and around the time the first Russian diamond mine started production, synthetic diamonds were also being produced using the High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) method. The newly mined diamonds were quickly brought to the international jewelry market and became a valuable part of the countries GDP.

The interesting story here is that worldwide estimates of the production capacity of the new mine were exceeded, massively and over a prolonged period. The production was so great, and the diamonds of such consistent quality, that the oversupply threatened to destabilize the world price of diamonds for a time. In the 70s, Scientists realized that some of the diamonds coming out of the country were in fact synthetic. Russian officials claimed that it was not cost effective to produce these for gemological use but it is interesting to speculate that some new technology was discovered and some percentage of the diamonds sold were in fact Russian man made diamonds.

The footnote to this story is that the present volume of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) diamonds which are being produced in the US owe their technology to Russia. One of the founders of Gemesis is said to have sourced his equipment from a Russian government bureau which was tasked with selling Soviet technology. As we know, diamonds produced by the CVD method are substantially cheaper than HPHT diamonds. The question must be asked – exactly when did the Soviets perfect the CVD technology. We may never know… but it is fascinating to speculate how many of the sparkling diamonds on the fingers of European socialites over the last 50 years were actually made in a Russian lab!

As a rule of thumb if the price is just ten or twenty dollars, chances are you are looking at a cubic zirconia or another synthetic diamond. The costs involved in making a lab created diamonds can be quite substantial – to end up with one carat of finished cut diamond you need a few carats of rough diamond. Gemstone cutters charge by the carat, and this might cost $1-200. Even if the diamond didn’t cost a cent the seller would still have to charge at least $400 per carat just to break even, and obviously the raw diamond itself is not free. So if you see someone selling man made diamonds at less than $100 a carat you can be pretty confident it is not real lab created diamond, regardless of what they claim.

Read the description carefully! If it says simulated lab diamond it is probably not a genuine lab diamond. If it says it is a Russian lab diamond, it is most likely cubic zirconia (cubic zirconia is often called a Russian diamond).
The absolute best way to make sure you are getting a good quality created diamond is to buy from a reputable source either online or in a real shop, and make sure it comes with some kind of certification from an independent lab. Most created diamonds these days should come with a grading report.

In particular, I’m really into the old-world, antique styled stuff – in fact, you could still use a lab stone in a semi-precious metal fitting and have a beautiful and cheap piece! For some examples of this style, have a look at this necklace (actually very cheap at $50 odd dollars). Note – I have no affiliation with this site so can’t tell you what their customer service or reliability is like.

If you’re into that style but want something a little more mainstream, I’ve seen some lovely things in the range of Pandora charms, with pictures at that link. These are a great fusion of modern design sensibilities but still referencing some of the vintage style – or maybe it’s just the elegance of their flowing lines that reminds me of more classic pieces. For a good example of what I mean, try searching for their ‘Lovepods’ series. These use a range of semi precious stones – I liked the quartz crystal ring and if you’re interested in cheaper and created gems, these might be worth checking out too!

Carats are also used to describe the weight of other gem stones. A point to look out for is that two different types of stone with the same carat weight might be a different size. This is because some stones are denser than others, and so an equal weight has a smaller volume.

Most gemstones increase in cost exponentially as they increase in size – for example, a 1 carat diamond will be worth much more than twice as much as a 0.5 carat diamond.

For stones of less than one carat, the size of the stone is often given in ‘points’, which is simply the size of the stone shown as a percentage of one full carat. For example an .50 carat stone is equal to half a carat.

Although larger stones are worth more, size is not the most important attribute when choosing a diamond. Many feel that a better quality stone is preferable to a larger, poorer quality one.

Read more about: Cut, Color, Clarity

Inclusions in a stone generally take the form of small discolored specks inside the stone, and many consider them to be part of the character of the diamond. Inclusions are often hidden by the setting, so don’t let the presence of minor inclusions put you off a stone straight away.

Clarity is measured on a scale from ‘F’ to ‘I’, with the letter(s) describing the grade of the stone as follows as below. Grades F through to SI will decrease in value as you go down the scale but it will be hard to detect a difference without magnification.

F – Flawless
These are extremely rare.

IF – Internally Flawless
No internal flaws, but might have minor surface flaws. Very rare.

VVS1 – VVS2 – Very Very Slightly Included
There are two grades in this category, with 1 being a higher grade than 2. Very small inclusions, difficult to detect under 10x magnification.

VS1-VS2 – Very Slightly Included
There are two grades in this category, with 1 being a higher grade than 2. Small inclusions seen with difficulty under 10x magnification.

SI1-SI2 – Slightly Included
Again two grades with 1 being higher. Small inclusions more easily seen under 10x magnification.

I1-I2-I3 – Included
Three grades, with 1 being the highest. Inclusions visible to the human eye without magnification.

Read more about: Cut, Color, Carats

Diamonds are also available in a range of colors, called ‘fancy’ color diamonds. These diamonds come in all the colors of the rainbow and they are graded differently to ‘white’ diamonds. Fancy diamonds are described by their primary color and a description of how strong the color is:
1. Faint
2. Very Light
3. Light
4. Fancy Light
5. Fancy
6. Fancy Dark
7. Fancy Intense
8. Fancy Deep
9. Fancy Vivid
So for example you might see a diamond rated as ‘Light Pink’ or ‘Fancy Intense Blue’.
The availability of fancy colors is one of the great features about created diamonds. Created diamonds can be purchased in a wide range of colors for a similar price. In comparison, good quality fancy colored natural diamonds sell for incredible sums. For example, fancy vivid pink natural diamonds can sell for well over $250,000 per carat!

Read more about: Cut, Clarity, Carats