Those who adore the sparkle of diamondsbut cannot afford the excessive expense can adorn themselves with less costly synthetic diamonds. The process of manufacturing synthetic diamonds uses mechanical means to mimic the natural formation of diamonds.
Method
A synthetic diamond starts as a microscopic particle of a real diamond. The minute grain, which contains a diamond's sole element of carbon, goes into a two-ton machine about the size of a kitchen oven, which generates enormous amounts of pressure and heat.
Effect
Under several thousand pounds of pressure, and at a temperature of almost 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the tiny diamond speck expands in size, one atom at a time.
Time Frame
Since natural diamonds form deep under the earth's surface, it is uncertain whether their creation occurs in a few days or over a few million years. There is no timing guesswork with synthetic diamonds, which form quite quickly. A 2.5 carat diamond takes only about four days to grow.
Color
To produce colored diamonds, different elements can be added to the mechanical process. For instance, a miniscule amount of nitrogen produces yellow diamonds.
Alternative
Another synthetic diamond production technique imitates the manner in which carbon converts to diamonds in outer space. This process pumps gas into a chamber that produces carbon vapor. The resulting droplets of vapor develop into larger synthetic diamonds within two to four weeks.
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