Get to Know More about Sustainable Diamonds
Sustainable diamonds are diamonds that were grown by scientists in a lab. They share the same optical, chemical, thermal and physical characteristics as natural diamonds, making the both of them identical. The biggest differences between natural and lab-created diamonds are how they’re made, and how rare they are.
Laboratory grown diamonds share an identical chemical make up to natural diamonds, both consisting of pure carbon in a cubic crystalline form. The difference between sustainable diamonds and natural diamonds is how they are formed. Natural diamonds form below the surface of the earth over millions of years. Meanwhile, sustainable diamonds can be created in a lab over a period of a few weeks. Hēbē's diamonds are grown to match the chemical properties of a natural diamond and the finished stone is optically identical.
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There are a few methods used to create sustainable diamonds. Typically, sustainable diamonds start with a tiny lab diamond, like a seed. The seeds are placed in a chamber called a plasma reactor (in the case of CVD synthesis) or a large mechanical press (if manufactured by HPHT). Then, depending on the technology used, some combination of heat, pressure and a carbon source are used to make the crystals grow, layer by layer.
Diamond seeds are loaded into a CVD reactor. Then, a mix of gasses containing carbon is added at a very low pressure. Microwave energy is used to heat the gases and generate a plasma. When the temperatures climb over several thousand degrees, the gas molecules break apart and carbon atoms bond to the seeds, growing them one layer at a time.
The HPHT MethodThis method mimics the conditions under which diamonds naturally form. Large mechanical presses are used to apply extreme pressure and high temperature to carbon in the presence of a diamond seed. The seeds act as a template for a lattice of carbon to grow layer by layer over the course of a few days.
In nature, it takes millions of years for diamonds to form. In a lab, we can grow a one carat stone in about two weeks.
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While they may look similar, diamond simulants (like cubic zirconia) are chemically not diamonds at all. They’re completely different gems and materials. On the other hand, sustainably-grown diamonds are chemically the same as natural diamonds, but their creation process is sped up by science.
Diamond simulants and lab-created diamonds often get mixed up, but they’re completely different. A diamond simulant is not a diamond at all, because the chemical properties are completely different. They can be made out of anything from glass to cubic zirconia. While they may look similar at first, diamond simulants aren’t as hard and don’t have the same optical properties as diamonds, so they’ll show signs of wear and won’t be as sparkly.
Moissanite is a completely different gem, that tends to be less expensive than a diamond. It started out as a naturally occurring mineral, but natural supply wasn’t enough to make even the smallest pieces of jewelry. Scientists then found a way to replicate it in a lab to make it commercially available. While it might look like diamond it’s a much lower grade on color and hardness.
Cubic zirconia was created to be a less expensive alternative to diamonds. It’s chemically completely different, not as hard and lacks the same sparkle. It’s also not considered a gemstone because it can’t be found in nature. It’s made from powdered zirconium and zirconium dioxide, melted together and formed into a stone.
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At Hēbē, our sustainable diamond fine jewelry are priced at least 50% chaper than natural diamond fine jewelry. In natural diamond pricing, the price goes up exponentially when a larger weight is combined with high quality cut, color and clarity as this increases a stones rarity and value. In sustainable diamonds, this rarity is removed, meaning we can price our stones in a more affordable way, no matter the carat weight.