Lab grown diamonds are created with one of two methods. Both start with a tiny diamond seed and both end with a real diamond.
#CVD — Chemical Vapour Deposition
A diamond seed is placed in a sealed chamber with carbon-rich gas. Energised into a plasma, the gas releases carbon atoms that settle onto the seed layer by layer, slowly growing the crystal over several weeks.
#HPHT — High Pressure, High Temperature
HPHT recreates the conditions deep inside the earth. A seed and a carbon source are exposed to enormous pressure and temperatures above 1,400°C until carbon crystallises around the seed.
#Does the method matter?
For the way a diamond looks, not really. A well-cut CVD diamond and a well-cut HPHT diamond with the same grades will look the same. Focus on the certificate and the 4Cs — they matter far more than the growth method.
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