How are Lab Created Diamonds Made?

At Azalea, our lab diamonds offer a modern, ethical choice for fine jewelry. Designed for innovation and versatility, they allow you to craft and wear beautiful pieces like Azalea lab diamond rings, earrings, and necklaces. Explore the fascinating process behind how our diamonds are created in the laboratory, and experience the brilliance of science and craftsmanship combined.

How Are Azalea Lab Diamonds Created?

Azalea lab diamonds share the same physical, chemical, and optical properties as natural diamonds, but are crafted in a controlled environment using advanced technology — not mined from deep within the earth. Our diamonds are created through two primary methods: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). Both techniques replicate the earth’s natural diamond-forming process, producing stunning Azalea diamonds in a precisely managed laboratory setting.

High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) Method

Originally developed for industrial purposes in the 1950s, the High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) method is now widely used to create Azalea lab diamonds. It’s also occasionally used to enhance the clarity and color of natural, mined diamonds.

How Are HPHT Diamonds Created?

The HPHT process replicates the intense heat and pressure found deep within the earth, where natural diamonds form over billions of years. However, with HPHT technology, a stunning Azalea diamond can be created in just a few weeks. Three main techniques are used to produce HPHT diamonds: the split-sphere (BARS) press, the cubic press, and the belt press. In this method, a small diamond seed is placed in a chamber surrounded by pure carbon. Under extreme heat and pressure, the carbon melts and crystallizes around the seed, growing into a beautiful, full-sized Azalea diamond.

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Method

The Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process creates diamonds from a hydrocarbon gas mixture, much like the natural formation of diamonds within interstellar gas clouds. Developed in the 1980s, CVD is considered a more energy-efficient and cost-effective method compared to HPHT, offering a sustainable way to craft stunning Azalea lab diamonds.

How Are CVD Diamonds Created?

To create a CVD diamond, a thin slice of diamond seed is placed inside a sealed chamber and heated to approximately 800°C. Carbon-rich gases, like methane, are introduced into the chamber. Using microwaves, lasers, or other energy sources, the gases are ionized to form plasma. This process breaks down the gases, allowing carbon atoms to bond to the diamond seed, gradually building the diamond layer by layer into a stunning Azalea lab diamond.

Grown Brilliance lab diamonds are sourced from labs that use HPHT and CVD manufacturing techniques, depending on the size and carat weight of the diamond required.