These Diamonds Really Are Forever

How Are Lab Grown Diamonds Created?

“A Diamond Is Forever” has been De Beers’ famed slogan since 1947, but in recent years, the company has changed its tune: with the natural diamond supply depleting, De Beers’ may not, in fact, have enough diamonds to last forever.

De Beers’ public statements are without a doubt intended to drive consumers to make impulse purchases that will help the company continue to increase its revenue—which was $6.1 billion in 2018. But, that doesn’t change the fact that the mined diamond industry has pillaged so much of our natural resources that it’s becoming harder to find those diamonds in the rough.

Luckily, New World Diamonds has an alternative. Instead of heading to increasingly remote areas to mine diamonds from the Earth, we create lab-grown diamonds in a controlled setting. Our lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically identical to mined diamonds, but because of our sustainable processes, our diamonds really will last forever.

 How are mined diamonds created?

Mined diamonds are formed over billions of years as a result of the extreme heat and pressure that exists beneath the Earth’s surface. Under these conditions, carbon is broken down into atoms, which bond together again into a crystalline structure, creating diamonds.

How are lab-grown diamonds created?

While there are a couple of different processes used to create lab-grown diamonds, New World Diamonds uses Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), which creates our breathtaking gemstones by replicating the organic process that takes place beneath the Earth’s surface. During this process, we place a diamond seed on a disc in a controlled chamber. We heat the chamber to 500-600 degrees Celsius and add methane gas (CH4). As the methane breaks down into its components, carbon and hydrogen, the carbon accumulates onto the diamond seed. The layers of carbon atoms bond, and the diamond grows.

So, why are lab-grown diamonds the smarter choice?

Although volcanic eruptions brought diamonds closer to Earth’s surface hundreds of millions of years ago, finding diamonds still requires enormous mining expeditions that include significant environmental and human costs. Conversely, lab-grown diamonds recreate the same process in a controlled laboratory setting, where land isn’t ravaged, and workers aren’t exploited.

It is only by buying lab-grown diamonds that you can ensure your gorgeous jewels are environmentally-conscious, conflict-free, and humane. At New World Diamonds, every diamond that we sell is grown in our very own lab right here in the United States, making our carbon footprint even lower than our competitors. So, as you browse the dazzling collection we have at New World Diamonds, you can set your mind at ease because we care about the impact we have on the world around us.