The Historical Timeline of Lab Grown Diamonds

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Diamonds have existed millions of years ago and its beauty have been appreciated for centuries; people commonly wear them as jewellery, and they signify the celebration of life’s most important events. Those were mined from the Earth, but with the availability of technological advances today – comes the arrival of lab grown diamonds. When compared side by side, mined diamonds and those created in a lab are atomically identical and share the same chemical, optical and physical properties.

But how did lab grown diamonds first come about? We explore more on its historical timeline.

Creating diamonds with science

More than 60 years back, diamond synthesis efforts started around the world where people had the idea to grow diamonds similarly like how they grew in nature. The idea of recreating the hardest substance that’s naturally occurring in the Earth inside a lab seemed impossible, and it came with mixed success. It was not until the 1950s that General Electric (GE) announced it had created industrial diamonds after discovering the correct mix of pressure, heat and carbon flux to reliably grow diamonds in a lab.

In the 1960s, the International Diamond Laboratory (IDL) developed the high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) method to grow industrial diamonds. HPHT diamonds are formed within the chamber under the geological process that creates diamonds in nature.

However, there were still challenges of producing diamonds that were not large enough or of good enough quality. By the 1980s, IDL introduced the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), a recently developed technique at that time which uses hydrocarbon gas mixture to grow better quality diamonds.

With technology constantly advancing, larger and better quality gems are being produced. And in 2016, the 3 carat CVD diamond was graded by the international grading laboratory – Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Later on in 2018, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) expanded the definition of diamonds to include those created in labs. These signify success in the technological efforts and advancements to create diamonds that share the chemical composition, appearance and quality to natural stones in the jewellery market.

4C diamond gradingA new diamond option in the 21st century

Today, lab grown diamonds are produced at an optimum level – cleaner, purer and clearer. They undergo the same 4C diamond grading as mined diamonds, carried out by diamond certification labs, to establish its quality and price.

Aside from quality, another plus point is its pocket-friendly price. Traditionally mined diamonds are known for its luxurious price tag, but lab grown diamonds offer a more accessible price point without compromising on quality.

More value in quality and price

Star Carat diamonds recently launched in 2019, offering an assortment of lab grown diamond earrings, pendant and rings. Available in various designs and styles, the wide range of Star Carat diamonds enables consumers to have more flexibility in making their most preferred choice. Star Carat diamonds belong to Type IIA diamonds – the purest quality and highly valuable diamonds which are created through the CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) process. This offers consumers a clearer, purer and brighter diamond at just a fraction of the cost.

With as much as 50% savings, you can get more bang for your buck with Star Carat diamonds. For couples shopping for one carat diamond engagement ring, they can maximise their budget and get the same carat weight at just half the price. At the same time, for those who yearn to have a bigger carat diamond – they can get a stone that’s 50% bigger while remaining value-conscious.

All in all, diamonds created in labs have come a long way, and with technological advancements, they present to be an attractive alternative in terms of quality and price as compared to mined diamonds.

Our Star Carat 1.0 carat diamond retails from $2,999 – now available in Star Carat Shop, SK Jewellery and Love & Co. Shop online and on the go at www.starcaratshop.com.