Improvements in the diamond making process make it harder than ever to tell natural and synthetic diamonds apart.
Synthetic diamonds are nothing new. They’ve been around since the 1950’s, when General Electric first figured out how to grow diamonds in a lab. However, it’s only recently that diamond dealers have become concerned about protecting the natural diamond supply from becoming compromised by synthetics.
Why Diamond Dealers Are Concerned Today
The first synthetic diamonds were made using the High Pressure High Temperature method. This is essentially a sped-up version of what happens in nature, where carbon exposed to high pressure and temperatures in the earth eventually crystallizes into diamond. These early synthetic diamonds typically had yellow and brown tones and were mainly used for industrial purposes. About a decade ago, diamonds made by the Chemical Vapor Deposition method began appearing on the market. These diamonds are made by exposing a gas to microwaves in a vacuum chamber to break down the molecules of the gas and cause the carbon atoms to accumulate on a diamond “seed” placed inside the chamber. At first these synthetic diamonds were of less than ideal quality and could easily be distinguished from natural diamonds. But soon scientists made various advances in the process that helped to produce clearer diamonds and to mask some of the tell-tale signs such as grain patterns that were previously used to identify synthetic diamonds.
Protecting the Natural Diamond Supply
Although gem-quality synthetic diamonds only make up a tiny fraction of the current diamond production for jewelry, diamond dealers are very vigilant about protecting their supply of natural diamonds. After all, if one synthetic sneaks in and gets sold as a natural diamond, that dealer will lose their credibility forever. The first layer of protection is the fact that all diamonds are expected to come with detailed records that show where they were mined. This process was adopted to protect the market from “blood diamonds” being mined in unsafe work conditions and sold to fund the activities of warlords. The next layer of protection being used by diamond dealers is testing. Although today’s synthetic diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically the same as mined diamonds, they still have a different spectroscopic signature that can be identified with specialized equipment. De Beers has created equipment that can test up to 360 stones per hour, and the Israel Diamond Exchange offers spot testing for any buyer who requests it on their trading floor.
How to Ensure You’re Buying a Natural Diamond
Because a synthetic diamond can sell for 20 to 50 percent less than a natural stone, you want to make sure you know what you’re getting when you buy a loose diamond or a piece of diamond jewelry. First and foremost, always make sure you get an official diamond certification and grading card with your purpose. This card describes the stone you are purchasing, not only certifying it as natural but also describing the color, clarity, cut, and official carat weight. Saving this card will help you get an accurate insurance valuation for your diamonds as well as an excellent price should you ever decide to pawn or sell your diamonds.
