The market for diamonds has prompted companies to find new and better ways to create artificial diamonds. After over 100 years of knowing it was possible, today we have man made diamonds that, compositionally, are exactly like real diamonds.

Unlike “simulants” - cubic zirconia, moissanite and other diamond imitators - modern, real man made diamonds are real diamonds. Both mined diamonds and man made diamonds have a refractive index of 2.42, they both have dispersion rates of .044, densities of 3.52 and a level 10 hardness rating.

Currently there are two primary methods for mimicking nature’s process and creating man made diamonds. The first is known as HPHT: High Pressure, High Temperature. The second, CVD: Chemical Vapor Deposition.

HPHT

This is the least expensive method of producing man made diamonds, so is also naturally still the most common process. Over decades companies and scientists have studied this highly temperamental process in order to achieve the high quality, natural level, man made diamonds we create today.

The high pressure, high temperature method works as one might expect. Earth’s natural process can be mimicked by putting extremely high temperatures and high pressures onto carbon. Inside the HPHT machine, a tiny “diamond seed” is placed at the center of the machine and heated to over 1,300 degrees Celsius (2,372 degrees Fahrenheit) and over 50,000 atmospheres of pressure is applied. These man made diamonds are built atom-by-atom, just as in nature, but at a much faster rate.

CVD

This method of creating man made diamonds is still somewhat new, but growing in popularity. During the CVD process, carbon and hydrogen gases are sent into a chamber with heating elements, where the gas is broken down. Next, the usual heat and pressure is applied. Man made diamond creators are getting excited over the CVD method, as they have more control over the process and larger diamonds can be created.

However, CVD is a much more costly process, so many man made diamond creators are still sticking solely with the HPHT process.

“Man made diamonds” no longer refer to cubic zirconia or moissanite (which are simply simulants), but lab created diamonds that, for all intents and purposes, are real diamonds. Compositionally, man made diamonds and mined diamonds are exactly the same, and today even the most experienced jewelers have trouble telling the two apart.