I just don’t get it.
What does time do to atoms that pressure by it’s self can’t do??
Unless my understanding is all wrong (and it must be), precious stones are created under specific conditions, while under great pressure, when great heat is applied, over great periods of time. I don’t understand how** time** can be an ingredient in this recipe! What does “Time” it’s self contribute to the process?
It seems to me that if we could duplicate the correct environment in a lab, materials like diamonds and the like would create themselves. This obviously isn’t the case but, why not? Are we talking about pressures or heat that can’t be duplicated in a lab? With our technology I find those factors not being very hard to reproduce. Does it actually take eons for electrons to slow down to the point of chemical change? What gives?? What the hell am I missing here???
:smack:
The first synthetic diamonds of appreciable size were made in 1913.
Gem quality stones were first made in the 1970s.
Apparently, synthetic diamonds from Russia are being fed into the gem market. They’re difficult to pick. Their extreme flawlessness is about the only thing that sets them apart from natural diamonds.
Depends on what one defines as “crappy.” Diamonds for industrial use (grinding blades, etc.) have been manufactured for over 35 years. (I don’t know the first dates, but it preceded my entry to high school.) However, the clarity required for jewelry had not been achieved on an economical basis until recently. This site discusses gem quality manufactured diamonds. (Adobe Acrobat required.) Google cached version.
I heard the piece a few months ago about the human remains converted to diamonds, but are you sure they claimed they were gem quality?
I think the production of any crystal relies upon slow growth to give visually good quality crystals. Why would diamonds be any different?
But of course, there is the distinct possibility that it is all a scam - and they are just throwing your carbon sample away, selling you an overpriced diamond from some other source - particularly in view of their comment above.
Diamonds are not very rare, only the careful control of supply by the few diamond cartels combined with advertising has managed to keep up the price and demand. There isn’t a market for non-industrial synthetic gems since they wouldn’t be able to compete with the natural stones.
The Russians perfected a machine to make gem quality diamonds. For reasons I can’t explain they require a seed diamond to produce a larger gem. The diamond industry spent millions to come up with a way to detect the difference. Man made diamonds fluoresce under a black light so it is possible to tell one from another. Last I heard, the machines were being used in the United States.
Trjkster is right, the value of diamonds are kept artificially high by through monopoly. Since I don’t like monopolies that profit off the sweat of the little guy I would not buy (given a choice) a natural diamond . I also found it ironic that the test to determine a man made diamond proves it reflects light better.
There are a lot of web sites that discuss these diamonds but I’m including one that discusses colored stones (my preference).
Frontline did an episode back in 1994 on the DeBeers diamond monopoly, in which it was strongly suggested that DeBeers had been actively suppressing the technology (by swooping in and buying off anyone close to perfecting the process of creating gem-quality diamonds.)
(Maybe this is why the technology has been largely developed in Russia rather than elsewhere.)
Bottom line: yes, the price of diamonds is artificially inflated.
It is true that artificial diamonds can be created in a lab. If I understand correctly, they are quite beautiful. The fact is, however, they are a whole lot cheaper. When I proposed to my wife, I considered this option. Ultimately, I decided to go with real diamonds because I didn’t want to feel like a cheapskate. Especially since I was buying an engagement ring, not something like a pair of earrings.
To answer another question, and I may be wrong in this since I heard about it years ago in an economics class, DeBeers buys all the diamonds it can and stockpiles them to control the price.