plastic diamonds difficult to distinguish between true and false

The new synthesis method to make synthetic diamonds and natural diamonds getting closer and closer.

 Consumers are now more and more plastic diamonds and can not tell the difference "Really stone" between the. Since the 1950s, scientists have been able to at high temperature and pressure environment, the carbon atoms placed tiny natural or synthetic diamond seed surface, to "cultivate" jewelry beads; but jewelers still use a magnifying glass to find flaws surface . However, a more fine-grained control seed ambient temperature gradient method can, is gradually removing such defects can not cover.

This synthesis method is to let the seed grow slowly in order to avoid the synthesis of metal atoms required to fall within the growing wholesale rhinestone trim, causing obvious impurities. To use this method to synthesize one karat plastic diamonds size shall be time-consuming one week. Because of impurities does not affect the diamond's hardness, so the industry used to do cut diamond, synthetic time can be shorter. Polycrystalline diamond coating tools, it is manufactured using a chemical vapor deposition method.

The first strip lamination machine is a piston to squeeze the seed. Industrial wholesale rhinestone trim are still the two leading manufacturers in using this method, one is a singular company, another kingdom De Beers diamond is natural, but neither is the retailer synthetic gemstones. According to reports, the Russian physicists have created a pool surface pressure machine, can effectively control the deposition, so gems grow faster and more pure, but the details are proprietary part, can not be disclosed. Florida, USA, a company newly established salad Sauceda City "gem of the Road," recently hired several of Russia's "The Alchemist", intended to produce every year thousands of pieces of synthetic gemstones. 
Such gems contest, making testing laboratories must invent more sophisticated instruments to prevent jewelry beads fish. Aidamasi gemological laboratory of Massachusetts has developed a spectrophotometer, can emit full spectrum light, gem after penetration, detection is a nitrogen atom cluster absorption of a specific wavelength; a nitrogen atom in natural stones quite common, but it is no synthetic gems. Other instruments are cold light detection gem issued under laser irradiation. 

Diamond dealers worry, you can see high-quality plastic diamonds, consumer confidence may be abrasive natural stones, however, if wholesale rhinestone trim and diamond exactly true, those many atoms are in place, then it is it not true diamonds? Readers why not try more logical to think of Valentine's Day in the situation: "My dear, diamond behalf of my love for you I was in Rite bought in power tools that district next door.." 

do you know?

 ◆ indeed Cubism: isometric crystal zircon "Gem" is the first successful synthesis of Fangzuan out, but they will not be treated as synthetic diamonds, because they are not carbon. The method is to let the zirconia powder in the normal atmospheric pressure, high temperature of 2400 ℃ among other compounds such as calcium oxide or magnesium oxide melting, crystals will form after cooling. Using a simple heat detectors can distinguish between this almost like genuine "gem."◆ deformed Price: many diamonds are in fact not pure carbon. Some specific position of the diamond crystal, if they are occupied by other atoms, it will make the diamond presents another color; for example nitrogen will render yellow diamond, boron is blue. Approximately 1% of diamonds are not nitrogen, but they may be due to crystal deformation sake, and showed brown. If these gems at 60,000 atmospheres and environment of 2500 ℃, into synthetic diamonds lamination machines, basically elongated plane deformation of the crystal, within minutes, will be able to produce a flawless gem. A few hundred dollars can buy a "brown gem" worth will rise after purification to ten thousand US dollars; compared to synthetic diamonds from the high cost of the seed needed, perhaps more cost-effective. 

A hotbed of synthetic diamonds

Diamond press machine is to use a hydraulic piston extruder diamond seed inside a special container, which pressures up to 55,000 atm (approximately 57 metric tons per square centimeter); while current container will be heated to a higher temperature or 1400 ℃.

In the production process, the diamond powder small container will spread down through the molten iron-nickel mixed layer. These diamond powder will dissolve in the molten metal and carbon atoms condense on one at a time on a relatively low temperature below the seed, like the smoke-like vapor condenses on the cold glass to form small droplets same. Crystal jewelry beads are tiny grain of natural or synthetic diamond pieces, this grain seed will grow into one carat diamond in a week later. If the pressure is not enough, these carbon atoms will form graphite. 

Crystal structure of diamonds

DIAMOND (left) crystal structure is octahedral diamond If placed under ultraviolet light, so that it emits fluorescence, can be seen. wholesale rhinestone trim (right) is having a cubic structure, can also be seen from the fluorescence. 

Share from science 2003 on 13 March