Synthetic diamond

Synthetic diamond is diamond produced through chemical or physical processes in a laboratory. Like naturally occurring diamond it is composed of a three-dimensional carbon crystal. Synthetic diamonds are also called cultured diamonds, manufactured diamonds, and artificial diamonds. Synthetic diamond is not the same as diamond imitation which can be made of other material such as cubic zirconia or Moissanite.

Synthetic gems

While visiting Moscow in 1995 someone asked Carter Clarke if he wanted to buy a diamond making machine. He brought the machines and the scientists to Sarasota, Florida and started the first diamond making company, Gemesis. Gemesis grows diamonds in high-pressure, high-temperature crystal growth chambers that resemble washing machines. The device bathes a tiny sliver of natural diamond in molten carbon at 1500 ºC and 58,000 atm (5.9 GPa). This produces a 2.8 carat (560 mg) rough diamond which can be cut to 1.5 carats (300 mg). Gemesis diamonds have a yellow tint that is rare in natural diamonds and therefore a valuable aesthetic trait. The yellow tint occurs when less than five out of each 100,000 carbon atoms in the diamond crystal lattice are replaced with nitrogen atoms. Technically it is a contaminant, but colored diamonds are more profitable because they can be made more quickly, cost less to manufacture, and are very popular.

Related Topics:
Moscow - Carter Clarke - Sarasota - Gemesis - Carat - Atoms - Crystal lattice - Nitrogen

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A second company, Boston, Massachusetts-based Apollo Diamond, uses the low-pressure technique of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to produce larger, less expensive diamonds with greater control over impurities. The diamond produced is a single crystal, as opposed to the polycrystalline patchworks formerly produced by CVD. This greater measure of control allows Apollo Diamond to produce diamonds of various colors, from pink to black. The ability to control the intentional introduction of impurities, doping, is necessary for the creation of diamond semiconductor devices.

Related Topics:
Boston, Massachusetts - Apollo Diamond - Chemical vapor deposition - Doping

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Both types of diamonds mentioned above are visually indistinguishable from the naturally occurring ones. However, the companies have taken steps to ensure that they can be distinguished by laser inscription, trace impurities, and infrared and X-ray spectroscopy. The diamonds are being marketed at $4,000 per carat ($20,000/g), or roughly 30% less than the price of a comparable natural diamond. The traditional diamond industry is evaluating countermeasures to these cheaper alternatives. (sources : Wired.com, Chemical and Engineering News: The Many Facets of Man-Made Diamonds).

Related Topics:
Laser - Infrared - Spectroscopy

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