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High temperature and high pressure method: Using graphite as raw material, with the help of metal catalysts, high temperature and high pressure method is used to cultivate diamonds.

Chemical vapor deposition: Use electricity to decompose carbon-containing gases such as methane acetylene, and let carbon atoms grow layer by layer on top of the seed crystal.

(Domestic hinged six-sided top press)

China is almost a monopoly in the field of high-temperature and high-pressure methods. With its advantages in four-sided jacking and six-sided jacking of key equipment, China has become the world’s largest man-made diamond producer.

Data show that in 2017, China’s artificial diamond output was about 25 billion carats, accounting for more than 90% of the world’s total, ranking first in the world for 15 consecutive years.

(China’s annual output of artificial diamonds (diamonds))

High temperatureThe small grain diamonds are synthesized by the compression method, so most of the diamonds made in China are small grain diamonds. China does not have an advantage in large-grain diamonds synthesized by vapor deposition.

However, this is also about to become history. In October this year, the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that one week of diamonds could be “bred” in the laboratory.

(News Article)

Natural diamonds may be formed after millions of years of nature and magic. Artificial diamonds can be “grown” in the laboratory in just one week.

This technology is very similar to artificial meat, and it has almost got rid of the time and raw material limitations of natural drilling.

In addition, a report from “China Gold Jewellery” shows that there are 7,000 six-sided presses in China, of which 5,000 are idle due to excess capacity. Once put into use, it is bound to be able to mass-produce synthetic diamonds.

This will greatly impact the international diamond supply chain and even reshape the global diamond industry monopolized by Western companies.

3. Counterattack of natural diamond merchants

The advantages of synthetic diamonds are large quantities and cheap.

According to Morgan Stanley’s research report, by 2020, the market price of small-grain artificial diamonds will reach 50% of natural diamonds of the same level, and the price of large-grain artificial diamonds may fall to the same level 30% of diamonds.

This pair of natural diamonds is undoubtedly bad news. To this end, natural diamond dealers racked their brains to suppress synthetic diamonds.

First, public opinion has created momentum to publicize the shortcomings of synthetic diamonds.

In the beginning, synthetic diamonds were indeed inferior to natural diamonds. But with the techniqueWith the development of technology, the quality of artificial diamonds has been rapidly improved. Diamonds synthesized in China have been confirmed after testing, which is the same as that of natural diamonds.

(Comparison of synthetic diamond and natural diamond data)

Natural diamonds and synthetic diamonds cannot be recognized by the naked eye even with appraisal experts. The growth lines can only be seen by using a polarizing microscope. After the post-processing, the artificial diamonds around 1 carat can not see the growth pattern, and there is no difference with natural diamonds.

Not a single move, think of other moves. Natural diamond merchants also think of the old routine of marketing, publicizing how natural diamonds are rarer and more noble than artificial diamonds, and they represent true love.

(The slogan of the Natural Diamond Manufacturers Association, “True is rare, truth is diamond”)

But it is interesting that De Beers, the world’s largest diamond seller, insisted that it would not sell cultivated diamonds in the past two years, and recently launched its own synthetic diamond sub-brand Lightbox, which costs only $ 800 for 1 carat. It sells its synthetic diamonds for a tenth of the price of natural diamonds.

The mouth refuses, but the body is honest.