Synthetic Diamonds - the Future? Maybe!

It’s very important to recognize first of all that synthetic diamonds although many believe is an imitation, or a simulant to natural diamonds, it is NOT an imitation material.

Synthetic diamonds have the exact same chemical, physical and optical properties of a natural diamond. Just like natural diamond, they’re the hardest material on earth, they can be fashioned to sparkle just like natural diamonds. A diamond tester will detect synthetic diamond as a diamond.

In other words it is a diamond, the difference is, synthetic diamonds are grown in a lab (in a matter of weeks), and a natural diamond is mined from the earth (formed over1 billion - 3.3 billion years). While there are simpler tests available to identify a Synthetic Diamond from a Natural Diamond, advanced lab testing is the widely recommended in the jewelry industry.

Synthetic diamonds are also referred to as: Lab created diamonds, Lab grown diamonds, Above ground diamonds, Cultured Diamonds, Manufactured or Man-made diamonds.

Synthetic Diamonds, although more economical to buy in comparison to a natural diamond, is still pricier than diamond simulants i.e. Synthetic Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia, Synthetic Rutile etc.

The very first synthetic diamond was successfully created in 1954 by physicist Tracy Hall of General Electric. The early synthetic diamonds were far from gem quality, they were used mostly in industrial equipment and tools due to superior physical and chemical properties of diamond i.e. hardness, thermal and electric conductivity.

While Synthetic Diamonds are still primarily manufactured for industrial use, approx.10% of the revenue of synthetic diamond market is attributed to gem quality diamonds. according to Bain&Company research, in 2018 and 2019, production of gem quality synthetic diamonds increased 15 to 20 percent, with majority of the growth coming from China.

With production quality and quantity of synthetic diamonds steadily increasing, gem quality synthetic diamonds are expected to be more readily available in the market place. Gemological Institute of America (GIA) predicts the total annual sales of laboratory diamonds will be well over $100 billion in the not too distant future, from about $20 billion today.

I can’t help but think, Synthetic Diamonds will eventually become the industry norm, like Cultured Pearls today. Diamond mining is an extremely costly exercise, large scale mining has been scrutinized more than ever recently due to its long term negative environmental and social impacts. One of the world’s largest Diamond mines are currently shutting down as extraction costs have risen with the mine becoming deeper, making the site unviable. It is very likely the landscape of diamond mining will change over the next few decades. As a result it is very likely that natural diamond prices will see a sharp increase due to rarity.

But forget about gem quality synthetic diamonds, what's more exciting is Industrial synthetic diamonds and its impact on technology. Industry experts believe that synthetic diamonds play a much more significant role in the advancement of science and technology applications than in jewelry. Having more control over the synthesizing process of diamonds, allows scientists to engineer synthetic diamonds with elements or impurities they need, rather than having to work with what comes out of the earth.

For instance high powered lasers need diamonds that are not contaminated with nitrogen, majority of natural diamonds contain nitrogen, but they are now able to engineer ultra pure synthetic diamonds with no nitrogen. Another example is Diamond with Boron, which is quite rare in nature - these are generally blue diamonds - synthetic diamond manufacturers are engineering synthetic diamonds with boron making them super conductive, making diamonds available for use in high tech and smart electronics. Diamonds like these are now apparently being used for water purification, instead of chemicals.

Synthetic diamonds are also said to have started replacing silicon as a far superior semi-conductor in high tech innovations and solutions. Resilience to extreme temperatures with super-conductive properties, diamonds can withstand conditions that silicon cannot.

But the most cutting-edge synthetic diamonds, are the ones being engineered for quantum computing - yes! this is happening.

References

Danziger, P. N. (2019, December 18). While Mined Diamond Sales Decline, The Future Of Lab Grown Diamonds Is Much More Than Jewelry. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/2019/12/15/mined-diamond-sales-decline-as-the-future-is-in-laboratory-grown-diamonds/#4b7c6e2978d7

Diamonds in the rough: Global diamond industry experiences challenges across value chain leading up to holiday season. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bain.com/about/media-center/press-releases/2019/global-diamond-report/

Garcia, Cardiff, and Sally Herships. “Lab-Grown Diamonds Shake Up The Diamond Industry.” NPR, NPR, 28 Mar. 2019, www.npr.org/2019/03/28/707722624/lab-grown-diamonds-shake-up-the-diamond-industry.

Palmer, M. (2019, March 22). Are diamonds the next silicon? Retrieved from https://sifted.eu/articles/diamonds-the-next-silicon/

Treadgold, Tim. “Diamond Wars; And The Winner Is Not Natural!” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 11 Oct. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/timtreadgold/2019/10/11/diamond-wars-and-the-winner-is-not-natural/#3aa442436297.