Cultured Diamonds

Definition

An Attempt To Clarify
Lab Created and Lab Grown and Synthetic are synonymous terms. To use any of these terms, according to the FTC, the gemstone must be identical to the natural in every way. Composition, Hardness, and Optically.

Synthetic, Imitation and Treated
A synthetic gemstone will be just like its natural gemstone counterpart in virtually every way. This includes the same basic crystal structure, chemical composition, colors, and other characteristics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the cultured diamonds?

How do cultured diamonds compare to natural diamonds?

How to detect cultured diamond?

Selected Articles

Introduction

The New Diamond Age by Wired.com - the most famous article about cultured diamonds.

Synthetic Diamonds by GIA, Rapaport
The mass media has recently been filled with reports on various synthetic diamonds and their rate of detectability. The Gemological Institute of America’s (GIA) experts have written the following article to clarify some of the controversy surrounding these gem-quality synthetics.

GIA President's Address to the Rapaport International Diamond Conference, Technology: Friend or Foe by GIA
Ladies and gentlemen, this interview may have been more challenging if it had been about High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) treatment. While we at GIA can identify the vast majority of HPHT treated diamonds, the public’s confidence could be severely shaken by the prospect of taking otherwise inexpensive brown rough and transforming it into colorless or fancy colored diamonds.

Thoughts from the President: GIA Policies on Synthetic Diamonds by GIA
Since Wired magazine released its September 2003 cover story on “The New Diamond Age,” synthetic diamond has been a “hot” topic for gem and jewelry professionals. The public’s interest has also been piqued, as evidenced by the vast number of media inquiries we have received.

History

Growing Diamonds by AMNH
Diamond was discovered to be carbon in 1796, and it took more than 150 years from that time until a method of diamond synthesis was invented. The secret was pursued by many scientists but not unlocked until the 1950s, when diamond was synthesized almost simultaneously by Swedish and American researchers. Pressures of over 55,000 atmospheres and 1400C, plus molten iron to facilitate the change from graphite to diamond, were necessary. Now some 80 tons of synthetic diamonds are produced annually by General Electric, De Beers, and many others for industrial firms.

Synthetic Diamonds Detection

De Beers Diamond View by SSEF
Since the end of 1999, SSEF has yet another state-of-the-art instrument for diamond identification. De Beers gave us a Diamond View™ instrument as long-term loan. The Diamond View™, together with the DiamondSure™, was developed at De Beers DTC Research Centre, Maidenhead, to distinguish synthetic diamonds from natural diamonds.

Lab Created Diamonds Manufacturers