Origin (2)

Lab-grown diamonds, first successfully produced in the 1950s by General Electric (GE) scientist H. Tracy Hall, have significantly evolved over time. Initially, these diamonds weren't of high purity or size, but technological advancements have since overcome these limitations. The demand for lab-grown diamonds has been rising due to their ethical and environmental advantages over mined diamonds. They don't contribute to environmental harm associated with mining nor fuel armed conflicts, unlike some traditionally mined diamonds. As the demand for these diamonds increases, advancements in the technology used to produce them are expected to continue, making lab-grown diamonds more affordable and widely accessible.

• They are chemically, physically, and optically identical to mined diamonds. The only difference is the point of origin. Mined diamonds are formed inside the earth's surface, while lab-grown diamonds are created in the laboratory.
  

Lab-grown diamonds, just like natural diamonds, are among the hardest substances known to exist on Earth. As such, they do not age in the typical sense of the term. A diamond's crystal structure is incredibly stable, which gives diamonds their renowned hardness and durability. Consequently, both lab-grown and natural diamonds can theoretically last forever if properly cared for.

The origin of the first lab-grown diamonds were by a team of scientists at General Electric (GE) led by H. Tracy Hall. Hall and his team used a process called high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) to grow diamonds. HPHT involves heating and pressurising carbon in a sealed chamber until it forms a diamond crystal.

• What are lab-grown diamonds? Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds that are grown in a controlled laboratory environment. They are made of the same material as natural diamonds, which is pure carbon. They have the same physical and chemical properties as natural diamonds, and they can be certified by the same gemological laboratories.

A lab-created diamond is a diamond that is grown in a controlled laboratory environment, which is physically, chemically, and optically identical to a natural diamond. The difference is in their origin: natural diamonds form over billions of years in Earth's mantle, while lab-grown diamonds are made in a matter of weeks or months. The process of growing a lab-created diamond is similar to the way that natural diamonds are formed, but it takes place much faster. Lab-created diamonds are made of the same material as natural diamonds, which is pure carbon. They have the same physical and chemical properties as natural diamonds, and they can be certified by the same gemological laboratories.

The first successful creation of lab-grown diamonds is credited to Dr. H. Tracy Hall, a research scientist at General Electric. In 1954, he and his team developed the High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) method, which replicates the natural conditions of diamond formation. This technique led to the production of synthetic diamonds, primarily for industrial use. Advancements for producing gem-quality diamonds came later with the Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) process in the 1980s. While Hall laid the groundwork for synthetic diamonds, the progression to gem-quality production was a collective scientific effort.