Synthetic Diamond

Synthetic Diamonds are a laboratory-produced imitation of natural diamonds that serve wide range of purposes and are devoid of the properties or constraints of rarity and pricelessness of natural diamonds (provided you think rarity and pricelessness of natural diamonds to be constraints). Synthetic diamonds are man made wonders that coexist with the naturally obtained diamonds.

Synthetic Diamond is chemically and scientifically processed as a gem and is composed of a three-dimensional carbon crystal structure that is similar to a natural diamond. The first specimen of artificial diamond was first conceived by a French chemist, Henri Moissan, in 1893 by the process of heating charcoal at high temperatures with iron in a carbon crucible in an electric furnace.

The methods to produce synthetic diamond are of two types. The innovative method to produce the replication of diamond is High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) method which is a relatively low cost method. The technique uses a four-anvil 'tetrahedral press,' or six-anvil 'cubic press.' In the process, a diamond stone is placed into a growth chamber and is subjected to a combination of heat and pressure that endeavors to reproduce the natural conditions for diamond-formation.

The second method known as 'Chemical Vapor Deposition' method uses chemical vapor deposition or CVD. This method was developed in the 1980s. The method is based on applying vaporized carbon plasma combined with hydrogen that is deposited on the substrate, onto which the carbon atoms settle themselves to form diamond which has a three-dimensional carbon structure.

A synthetic diamond has the same clarity, rigidity, light diffusion, refractive index, specific gravity, and surface gleam as a natural diamond. Diamonds are always in demand irrespective of fluctuating economic conditions of nations. The major manufacturers of synthetic diamonds are Apollo Diamonds, Tairus Created Gems, Gemesis Cultured Diamonds and Chatham Created Diamonds. The synthetic diamonds also comprise the HPHT diamond grit, HPHT large single crystal diamond, CVD polycrystalline diamond and CVD single crystal diamond.

Besides acting as jewelry embellishments, synthetic diamonds have applications in the smooth functioning of machining tools, especially in machining non-ferrous alloys; electronics; and may be used as effective electrodes under many circumstances. They may also be utilized as radiation detection devices, semiconductors, and may be used to create designer diamond anvils.