Diamond imitation is a matter that a large number of scientists have worked on. It arose after the appearance of the theory that it is possible to artificially recreate a natural diamond. Under natural conditions, the stone is rare, and it can not be called perfect. Since the popularity of such stones is high, as well as the needs of people, we consider diamond fakes, as they are called, and in what conditions are created.
Making stones in the laboratory - fake or not
Diamonds created artificially from synthetic materials cannot be called copies. This is due to the fact that identical materials are used for their manufacture, but they are obtained in different ways. A real diamond and a fake are distinguished by the fact that in the first case the mineral is born in nature, and in the second it comes from the hands of man.
Artificial stones have all the properties of real diamonds:
- high strength;
- ability to conduct heat;
- identical indicators of resistance;
- pronounced brilliance;
- characteristic structure;
- same refractive index.
The only difference between a fake for a diamond will be that it does not have any defects. Due to this feature, they are used both in jewelry production and in industry. According to statistics, no more than 20% of natural stones are suitable for use in jewelry. The remaining 80% have cracks, inclusions, turbidity. If you use high-quality materials when creating synthetic stones, it is very difficult to distinguish natural stone from a fake, even with modern equipment.
The difference between scientific and popular names
Many scientists have worked in the field of diamond imitation. "Made in the USSR" - this marking can be seen on precious jewelry with "diamonds" from the Soviet Union. In the sphere where synthetic stones are actively “grown”, they are called according to the production technology.
If the creation takes place with the participation of high pressure and temperature, the abbreviation HPHT is used, and the CDV marking indicates that a chemical vapor deposition technique was used. Not always imitation of a diamond acts as its full copy. In common people they are better known as cubic zirconia, moissanite, rhinestone, ferroelectric, rutile, fabulite. However, the most popular is zirconium dioxide, which has no similarities with a real diamond.
Out of ignorance, most people call all fake stones cubic zirconia. Naturally, such a definition cannot be considered correct. However, it is he who copes well with the role of imitation of diamond, since it shines in the sun, poured with colors, which is due to the high refractive power. Due to this, cubic zirconia is often used in jewelry.
The history of the appearance of artificial diamonds
After natural diamonds were discovered in nature, the hypothesis was established that they cannot be grown under artificial conditions. Around 1797, after it was possible to establish that the stone consists of carbon, scientists began to speculate on the possibility of their laboratory “cultivation”.
The first attempts to realize the idea came in 1926, but they were unsuccessful. The sample, which scientists received, was not much like a real stone. However, this experience is considered the starting point for further testing and research. In 1941, General Electrics drew attention to this.
Initially, it was assumed that the technology would consist in heating carbon to 3000 degrees Celsius under a pressure of 5 GPa. It did not work out to the end, since the Second World War began. It took scientists, researchers and employees of the company 10 years for them to be able to return to this work again.
It was possible to get a good quality stone (imitation of diamond) only in 1953. It could already be used in mass production. The only drawback was the excessively small size, which did not allow them to be introduced into jewelry production, so diamonds went into industry.
A relative solution to the problem was in 1970, but the maximum size of the synthetic stone was within its weight of 1 carat. In modern laboratories, everything is different. The Guinness Book of Records is the largest diamond in the world, created in artificial conditions. Its mass is 34 carats.
What colors are fake stones
Natural imitation of a diamond is a complex and lengthy process. Therefore, today fakes get in special laboratories. Many consumers are interested in how wide the color scheme of synthetic stones is. Unfortunately, the choice is so small that it is limited only to a blue and yellow tint.
Along with this, transparent “diamonds” have always been more popular, but creating them requires a lot of time and effort. The process of obtaining colorless stones is complicated by the fact that scientists must constantly monitor the process and prevent ingress of boron or nitrogen.
To obtain artificial blue diamonds, bromine is used (it is added at a certain stage of production). Hue can vary from a dense, saturated tone to a bright, barely perceptible shine. Yellow stones are "grown" with the addition of nitrogen. Sometimes they make black diamonds. In this case, nickel is used.
In what areas are artificial diamonds used?
About 80% of all fake stones are used in various industries. In particular, they are used for the manufacture of bearings, tips for drills. If the sample is small, then it is useful for processing into crumbs or dust. Subsequently, it will process the surface of the knives, as well as tools for grinding.
The diamond simulation process plays a special role in the production of electronics. Subsequently, needles, some details of microcircuits, interlayers in chips are made of this material. Thanks to this, it is possible to preserve the thermal conductivity and resistance level. From diamonds created using CVD technology, make parts for mobile phones. They are actively used to create medical laser beams. These are just some of the sales areas where you can sell quality fake stones.
Production technology
Since it is known that in laboratory conditions it is possible to “grow” diamonds, one should understand how this happens. In modern factories, only two technologies are practiced. The first was the HPHT technique, and today it remains the most popular. The process occurs due to the heating of carbon under pressure to critical high temperatures. The main advantage is the low cost of fake diamonds.
The next technology is CVD. For a simpler understanding of the process, it is necessary to imagine a chamber filled with carbon gas. Subsequently, it will be deposited on a silicon plate due to heating or using microwave rays. The result of all the actions is to obtain a plate up to 3 mm thick. That is why such diamonds are often used in electronics and optics.
There are laboratories that specialize in growing synthetic diamonds using explosive technology that helps get diamond chips. The specificity of the process is that an explosion creates increased pressure, and also releases a lot of heat. If you do not immerse the camera in water in time, then the stones will overheat and turn into graphite.
The technology is not perfect, because that very precious crumb is inside graphite. To get it, you have to go through the washing process (the layer is boiled for a day in nitric acid at 250 degrees Celsius). More modern laboratories are still working on a new technique - obtaining fake stones through ultrasonic cavitation. But she is currently in the testing phase.
Modern technology for fake diamonds
In mid-1999, scientists found a way to get diamond from the ashes of animals or humans. After 3 years, this technique was submitted to the general court. Due to the wide publicity, the business of creating diamonds from the remains has become very profitable. As technology evolves, today it is not necessary to use all the dust to produce stone. It will be enough ash from a lock of hair.
The whole process of obtaining the stone lasts about 12-14 weeks, and its weight will be from 0.25 to 2 carats.
How much does a fake diamond jewelry cost
The very word "imitation" makes people think that jewelry made from such stones will be cheap. I must say that such an opinion is erroneous, and sometimes a fake is much more expensive than a natural diamond.
There are several reasons for this, for example, in appearance they are very difficult to distinguish, you can get a "stone of pure water" and not worry that it will fade. The price is primarily affected by the weight of the diamond, but the creation technique and the quality of the cut are also taken into account. Most often, fianit (zirconium dioxide) is chosen for fakes. Its cost for 1 carat is in the range of 1.5-6 dollars, but if you use moissanite, you will have to pay 75-100 dollars.
Comparative characteristics
In appearance, synthetic stones and natural diamonds do not visually, without the use of special tools. Therefore, you can think about creating your own business to "grow" diamonds. The table below shows the most significant parameters of natural and fake stones.
Specifications | Natural diamond | Synthetic diamond |
Chemical formula | Carbon (C) | Carbon (C) |
Refractive index | 2.42 | 2.42 |
Dispersion | 0.44 | 0.44 |
Hardness | 10 | 10 |
Density | 3.52 | 3.52 |
Based on the available data, it becomes clear that both stones have the same characteristics. The only difference will be only the duration of the "growth" of diamond in natural and artificial conditions. In the first case, it takes millions of years, and in the second it will take only a few hours. Diamond is an exhaustible resource, and soon it will not be, so imitation of diamonds will always be in demand.