Before you go out and look for lab-grown diamond rings, you might want to know how they are created in a lab. There are mainly two methods that are employed for making lab-grown diamonds; HPHT and CVD. Both these methods have their own properties and they create excellent diamonds.
Keep on reading this article to know how they differ from each other.
High Pressure High Temperature
The early method that was utilized for the creation of lab-grown diamonds was High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT). The initial method of generating lab-grown diamonds used high pressure and high temperatures. It was in the early 1950s, gem-quality HPHT diamonds were first introduced. In addition, to create diamonds, the HPHT method can also be utilized for enhancing the colors of diamonds.
A little diamond seed is inserted into carbon, the element diamonds are formed of, to grow an HPHT diamond. The diamond seed is subjected to tremendous heat and pressure, simulating the natural growth of diamonds beneath. The diamond seed is then subjected to temperatures of approximately 2,000° F. and 1.5 million PSI of pressure. The carbon melts around the seed, forming a diamond. The gemstone is then formed after cooling.
Chemical Vapor Deposition
Chemical vapor deposition, or CVD, is the newest method developed for creating lab-grown diamonds. The CVD process is based on the formation of diamonds in interstellar gas clouds. The CVD process employs less pressure and smaller machinery than the HPHT method.
In the CVD process, a diamond seed is placed in a vacuum chamber. This chamber is heated to over 1500 degrees Fahrenheit and filled with carbon-rich vapors. Due to the extremely high temperatures, the gas transforms into plasma, resulting in the release of carbon fragments. These carbon shards are deposited onto the diamond seed, causing the diamond to develop.
Type IIA diamonds are created via the CVD technique, and they are extremely rare in nature. This can aid scientists in determining whether a diamond was formed in a lab or on the ground. Unlike HPHT diamonds, which are exposed to nitrogen, Type IIA diamonds are chemically pure.
CVD Or HPHT: Which Is Better?
Finding the difference between an HPHT diamond and a CVD diamond is impossible with the naked eye. You can make brilliant, high-quality diamonds with both of these methods. It is almost impossible to know which method is the better one. However, most companies these days utilize the CVD method to make lab-grown diamonds.