Are CVD Diamonds a Good Investment? The Future Of Diamonds

Diamonds grown in laboratories are created by two methods: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). What are these two methods?

• HPHT: This method replicates the process through which diamonds get formed beneath the earth, over thousands of years. Pressures of 5-6 GPa and temperatures of 1400-1600ºC form diamonds.
• CVD: This method involves diamond seeds going through chemical processes under low pressure.

A brief history of CVD diamonds

When lab-grown diamonds were first discovered in 1956, the HPHT method was used to produce them. Post that, scientists and innovators had been trying to find new ways to create diamonds. It was only in the 1980s that the CVD process of creating diamonds was fully established and realized. Some names of the first creators of CVD diamonds are: W.G. Eversole, Derjaguin and J. C. Angus.

According to an article by Robert Linares, Integrated Diamond Technologies, LLC, on the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) website, “the earliest CVD growth chambers enabled growth on only one seed at a time. Although reactor seed capacity is a closely guarded industrial secret, some CVD manufacturing systems are reportedly capable of growing on 50 or more seeds simultaneously. That number is expected to increase.” Improved CVD technique: Another report by the GIA reveals, the CVD technology has enhanced over the years and innovators are rapidly improving techniques to produce large, high-quality, near-colorless diamonds. In 2016, a 3-carat, the largest CVD synthetic diamond was tested by GIA, after which a 5 carat diamond was tested.” The ability to minimize, control and manipulate defects in CVD diamond has grown rapidly over the last 20 years.

What is the CVD process?

The CVD process of producing diamonds, like the name suggests, includes chemicals – a mixture of hydrocarbon gas and hydrogen. This mixture is introduced in the diamond growing temperature at low pressure. Here, some of the hydrogen gets converted to atomic hydrogen, which aids in the formation of the diamond. With the help heat, atomic hydrogen reacts with the hydrocarbon gas to form pure carbon, which is the diamond.

The advantages of CVD over HPHT

The CVD process has a number of advantages over the HPHT process of producing diamonds. Here are some:

• Higher flexibility of cvd diamond size and shape
• The addition of gases in this process can reduce impurity in diamonds
• The ability to grow diamond over large areas and on various substrates
• Better control over the chemical impurities and thus properties of the diamond.
• CVD process does not require high pressures, as the growth typically occurs at pressures under 27 kPa.

Cutting and polishing of CVD diamonds

CVD diamonds are cut and polished in the same manner as mined diamonds and at the same cost. The diamonds can be laser inscribed on the girdle so that buyers can identify it as a lab-grown diamond.

Why should you buy CVD diamonds?

• CVD Diamonds Price: They are less expensive than mined diamonds. They are as real as the mined diamonds are.
• Conflict-Free Diamonds: CVD diamonds are conflict-free. Socially and politically conscious buyers must buy only these lab-grown diamonds.
• Eco-Friendly Diamonds: CVD diamonds are environmentally safe as they are produced in safe laboratory environment.
• Type IIA Diamonds: CVD diamonds, colorless or near colorless (D-J) are classified as Type IIA, the purest form of diamonds.

HPHT or CVD, buyers are now leaning towards buying lab created carbon diamonds as opposed to mined diamonds. Lab created diamonds give buyers the possibility of creating their own unique diamond: from size, shape, cutting, polishing and designing your piece of jewelry, you can do it all with the HPHT or CVD-created lab-grown diamonds. Who would have thought this would be possible. And because it is possible, why go for the super expensive, conflict mined diamonds?