About Synthetic Diamond

Synthetic diamonds are an affordable alternative for people who are on a budget. These Synthetic Diamonds are man-made diamonds, produced in laboratories under a specialized technology involving an extremely controlled production conditions. Though lab-grown these diamonds retain the chemical, physical and optical characteristics of naturally found diamonds.

Over years, jewelers used two major gemstones as close substitutes of natural diamonds. Cubic Zirconia, commonly known as faux gems, is one of them. Cubic Zirconia (CZ) is almost as hard as diamonds, reasonably durable and shares a close visual likeness with a natural diamond as well. It has high optical brilliance just like a diamond and is often synthesized to flaunt a rainbow of colors. Next, in the list is the Moissanite. Though it is not as hard as a diamond, the Moissanite is simply too perfect to be used as a synthetic option for diamonds. Both CZ and Moissanite have greater brilliance and sparkle. For more than 3 decades, these radiant stones have been the closest approximation to diamonds not only for their compositional similarities but also for their reasonably lower prices.

But, the quest for synthetic diamonds has not come to an end. Constrained supply of CZ and Moissanite and natural scarcity of mined diamonds, backed by exorbitant prices gradually became a matter of deep concern. Several research efforts have been initiated and the state-of-art experiments are carried out worldwide in order to find out a better alternative for sustained growth of diamonds. Finally, scientists have cracked the secret of how to make synthetic diamonds! In the year 1971, the first man-made Diamond was synthesized in a laboratory owned by the General Electrics (GE), USA.

The first diamond of synthetic origin was predominantly cubic and octahedral in form and had yellow and brownish tints. It also contained inclusions, primarily of nitrogen and nickel. Later, these impurities were successfully removed by treating the stones with aluminum and boron. The GE synthetic diamonds also possessed strong yellow fluorescent properties, weighed up to 11 carats, and behaved as semi-conductors.

Soon, these types of synthetic Diamonds were commercialized for various purposes including cutting, grinding and polishing diamonds. They have industrial applications too- as electrical conductors and UV radiators. Synthetic diamonds possess almost all major properties similar to a natural diamond namely hardness, crystalline, presence of inclusions, brilliance and fluorescence. However, these characteristics vary in proportions, depending on the manufacturing process and other technical conditions applied during its production. These are also some crucial determining factors while judging the overall quality, performance and price of a synthetic diamond as a gemstone.

The Gemological Institute of America has also developed a specialized quality grading system for synthetic diamonds. Like natural Diamonds, you need to have a better understanding of cut, clarity, color and carat of a synthetic diamond. Do not be fooled by a bad purchase. Obtain a quality-certified Synthetic Diamond always.