The Difference Between CVD Diamonds and Synthetic Diamonds


The idea of owning a diamond, whether it’s for an engagement ring or some other special occasion, is incredibly appealing to many people. However, diamonds can be incredibly expensive and come with certain ethical dilemmas attached to them. CVD (chemical vapor deposition) diamonds are an alternative to buying mined diamonds. CVD diamonds are created in labs, rather than in the earth, which gives consumers the opportunity to have beautiful diamonds at lower costs and without the ethical concerns of mined diamonds. Although synthetic diamonds aren’t quite as hard as natural diamonds, they still make beautiful additions to any jewelry collection.

 

Why Would I Choose CVD Diamonds?

Natural blue sapphire are quite rare; in fact, most blue sapphires that you find today have been colored by a process called heat treatment. This process involves putting a blue sapphire in an oven or using other intense sources of heat to alter its appearance. While many people like both natural blue sapphires and heat-treated ones, there are some differences between them. When buying a natural blue sapphire, you will be able to choose from high, medium or low tone colors; if your budget allows for it, go for a high tone color because it will mean that less color has been removed from your stone.

 

So How Are They Made?

There are four ways to make synthetic diamonds. They include chemical vapor deposition (CVD), high pressure, high temperature (HPHT), laser/ion implantation, and electrochemical deposition (ECD). For today's post we're going to focus on how synthetic diamonds are made via CVD. This is a proven method for creating lab-grown gems. There are several steps that go into making CVD diamonds . First, a small amount of diamond seed material is added to a tube furnace containing hydrogen gas at high temperatures. The material then melts down into a liquid state where it becomes saturated with carbon atoms. The liquid then passes through an electric arc between two electrodes which create an extremely hot plasma field in which carbon atoms can form new diamond crystals. These new crystals grow larger as they move along toward cooler areas within the tube furnace until they reach about 1 millimeter in size. At that point they are pulled out of the tube furnace using tongs and placed onto another electrode where they continue growing larger until they reach their final size of 3 millimeters or more depending on what type of gemstone you want them to be when finished: round brilliant cut or princess cut.

 

3 Types of Quality in a CVD

There are three qualities to consider when you buy a synthetic diamond: structural quality, optical quality, and chemical quality. Structural Quality refers to how well-made your diamond is. Are there inclusions? Is it free of defects or cracks? How well did it hold up after being crushed into powder? On a 0-10 scale, any stone that receives a rating below 7 is considered subpar. However, if you aren’t purchasing CVD for investment purposes, then structural quality probably isn’t as important to you as optical or chemical quality. Optical Quality refers to how good your diamond looks. Is it perfectly clear? Any yellow tinting?

 

4 Options for buying a unique, ethical diamond

  1. Take a trip to Europe, where they are more readily available. Two choices here: France or Belgium. In both places, certified dealers can provide you with natural diamonds of all shapes and sizes. 2. Look into buying a diamond from Canada, which is working hard to make synthetic diamonds something consumers can easily buy in stores. 3. Find an online jeweler that sells conflict-free diamonds—diamonds mined in countries outside of Africa (since most synthetic diamonds today come from there).