Lab-Grown Diamonds
Prelims:
Science & Technology
Mains:
GS paper III-Science &
Technology
Current relevance:
Growing
concerns over the environmental, social, and ethical impacts of natural
diamond mining have increased attention on lab-grown diamonds as a
more sustainable, affordable, and traceable alternative, with India promoting
indigenous production and research.
Highlights:
Background:
1.
Natural
diamond production is declining
as major diamond mines are approaching exhaustion, highlighting the
finite nature of mined diamond resources.
2.
Challenges
of Natural Diamond Mining:
Diamond mining is associated with high water and
energy consumption, deforestation, ecosystem degradation, soil erosion, water
pollution, landslides, labour-related health risks, and forced
displacement.
3.
The illicit
trade in blood diamonds continues to contribute to political conflicts
despite mechanisms such as the Kimberley Process, owing to regulatory
gaps and difficulties in tracing the geographic origin of diamonds.
Lab-Grown Diamonds:
1.
They are chemically,
physically, and optically identical to natural diamonds while offering a more
affordable, traceable, and sustainable alternative to mined stones.
2.
The High-Pressure
High Temperature (HPHT) process replicates the natural conditions under
which diamonds are formed within the Earth's mantle.
3.
The Chemical
Vapour Deposition (CVD) process produces diamonds by depositing carbon onto
diamond seeds through chemical reactions involving carbon-rich gases.
4.
The carbon
footprint of lab-grown diamonds depends on the energy source used, with renewable
energy-based production offering significantly lower emissions and
supporting sustainable manufacturing.
5.
Applications:
Diamonds are widely used in
cutting and drilling operations, quantum computing, protective coatings,
semiconductor manufacturing, and other advanced industrial applications.
India's Initiative:
1.
The Government
of India announced measures in the Union Budget 2023–24 to encourage
indigenous production of lab-grown diamonds and support research in HPHT and
CVD technologies.
2.
IIT Madras has been supported to establish the India
Centre for Lab-Grown Diamond (InCent-LGD) to develop domestic expertise in
diamond seeds, machinery, and manufacturing processes.
Source: THE HINDU - https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/why-lab-grown-diamonds-are-a-sustainable-alternative-to-mined-stones/article71301201.ece