SYNTHETICS

Synthetic diamonds are “grown” in a laboratory using sophisticated techniques such as HPHT and CVD. While synthetic diamonds exhibit the same chemical and physical properties as a natural diamond, they cannot completely replicate natural diamonds. One of the most popular simulated stones is cubic zirconia (CZ), a mineral that when synthesized simulates a diamond.
HPHT mimics the geological conditions that create natural diamonds. This method of applying high pressure and high temperature to a carbon diamond “seed” can produce a synthetic diamond in approximately three and one-half days. In the CVD process, moderate heat is applied to hydrogen and methane in a vacuum chamber, producing a chemical reaction that creates a diamond seed