IGI Explains Lab Grown Diamonds
Welcome to Hudson Lane Diamonds, where tradition meets innovation. As a family-owned business with a decades-long legacy in the diamond industry, we welcome a new era of brilliance. We use our years of expertise along cutting edge technology to provide the finest quality lab diamond jewelry for the best value you can find. Let us create something brilliant for you! Our lab diamonds are all IGI certified using the 4 Cs chart.
Lab vs Natural
Lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically identical to natural diamonds, but they are created in a controlled environment using advanced technology, rather than forming deep within the Earth's crust
The two primary methods used to create lab-grown diamonds are High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). Both techniques replicate the Earth’s natural diamond-forming processes, producing stunning diamonds in a carefully controlled laboratory environment.
High Pressure High Temperature Method (HPHT)
The High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) diamond production method was initially developed for industrial applications in the 1950s. Although it is primarily used to create lab-grown diamonds, the HPHT process can also be applied to natural diamonds to enhance their clarity and color.
How are HPHT diamonds made?
The HPHT method was designed to replicate the extreme pressure and temperature conditions deep within the Earth, where natural diamond crystals take billions of years to form. In contrast to the 1-3 billion years required for natural diamonds, the HPHT process can produce a diamond in just a few weeks. This technique relies on three main manufacturing methods: the split-sphere (BARS) press, the cubic press, and the belt press. A small diamond seed, surrounded by pure carbon, is placed in a growth chamber and subjected to intense heat and pressure for several days. As the carbon melts, it crystallizes around the seed, gradually forming a full-sized diamond.
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)
In the CVD process, a diamond is formed from a mixture of hydrocarbon gases, mimicking the way diamonds are created in interstellar gas clouds. Developed in the 1980s, this method is considered a more cost-effective way to produce diamonds, as it requires less energy compared to the HPHT process.
How are CVD Diamonds made?
A small diamond seed is heated to approximately 800°C in a sealed chamber, which is then filled with carbon-rich gases like methane. Microwaves, lasers, and other tools are used to ionize the gases, creating plasma. As the gases break down through ionization, the carbon bonds with the diamond seed, causing the diamond to grow layer by layer
