LAB GROWN DIAMOND - SCI
& TECH
News: Are lab-grown diamonds as
sustainable as advertised?
What's in the news?
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The natural diamond industry has been fueled by a
glittering marketing strategy for decades, but is the sustainability of modern,
lab-grown diamonds as clear-cut as consumers believe as the production of
laboratory-grown diamonds is an energy-intensive process.
Key takeaways:
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Laboratory-grown diamonds (LGDs) are much in demand now and the Indian
government has decided to promote them in a big way to boost the diamond
industry, which has its headquarters in Surat.
Lab-grown Diamond:
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Lab-grown diamonds (LGDs) are diamonds that are produced using specific technology
which mimics the geological processes that grow natural diamonds.
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They are not the same as “diamond simulants” – LGDs
are chemically, physically and optically diamond and thus are difficult to
identify as “lab-grown.”
Properties of LGDs:
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LGDs have basic
properties similar to natural diamonds, including their optical dispersion,
which provide them the signature diamond sheen.
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However, since they are created in controlled environments, many of their properties can be
enhanced for various purposes.
Hard to differentiate:
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While materials such as Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia (CZ), White Sapphire, YAG, etc. are “diamond
simulants” that simply attempt to “look” like a diamond, they lack the
sparkle and durability of a diamond and are thus easily identifiable.
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However, differentiating between an LGD and an
Earth Mined Diamond is hard, with advanced equipment required for the purpose.
Production of LGDs:
There are multiple ways in which LGDs can be produced.
Significance:
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LGDs are more
eco-friendly than traditional diamond mining.
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The production of LGDs skips the most socially
exploitative aspects of diamond manufacturing, namely the highly exploitative
mining process which often employs impoverished Africans in terrible
conditions.