A beautiful of metaphor of the sustainability of life itself, lab diamonds are diamonds that are man-made. Created, pure, exquisite.
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It’s a bit romantic, but one of the things that makes me smile is that a diamond is a kind of metaphor of life itself, of everything that is part of our world. Diamonds ‘are forever’ not just because DeBeers told us they were, but because they are a symbol of life. We literally map the historical age of artefacts and explore history through looking at carbon. So, the fact that we can create diamonds is truly a beautiful way to honour and respect an earth positive take on the foreverness of a diamond. There is a reverence to the beauty of a diamond, and it’s more than a history of something coveted, it's a reverence for the earth and life itself.
CVD stands for Chemical Vapour Deposition, and is the most innovative, cutting-edge diamond growth technology available. CVD is highly controlled, whereby each diamond created builds in exact replication the unique 'dna' of the originating seedling diamond. This means the quality of the diamond can be absolutely extraordinary. Crucially, the CVD process produces the type IIA diamond, the rarest, purest and most valuable type of diamond. Type IIA are the only type of diamonds Avila Vara selects for her jewellery designs.
We source our CVD Diamonds strictly from Madestones, a diamond producer, in the business of lab diamonds and at the forefront of ethical, sustainable practices for nearly 4 decades. Following is the real ‘nitty gritty’, science of the majority of the diamonds used at Avila Vara, CVD lab created diamonds.
CVD DIAMOND SEEDLING
The process begins with the selection of a high-quality diamond seed crystal which acts as a base for the growth of the lab-grown diamond. For Avila Vara, we select diamonds from our supplier that are created from the purest, highest quality ‘seedling’.
CVD DIAMOND GROWTH CHAMBER
A growth chamber, also known as a deposition chamber, is set up for the CVD process. The seedling is thoroughly cleaned and then placed in a controlled and contamination-free environment chamber. The chamber, known as the ‘diamond growth chamber’ is made of a material that withstands very high temperatures and is extremely resistant to chemical reactions.
CVD DIAMOND BEGINNING
The growth chamber is first evacuated to create a vacuum, to ensure there are no impurities and gases present. Then, a mixture of gases is introduced into the chamber to initiate the growth process, adding a gas mixture of hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4).
CVD DIAMOND ACTIVATION
Once the gases are introduced, they are activated by applying energy through microwave radiation to activate the carbon molecules in the chamber to allow for activation and the growth of the seedling diamond.
CVD DIAMOND CULTIVATION
The activated carbon atoms are deposited onto the diamond seed crystal in the chamber and settle, starting to form layers of diamond. Cultivation is slow and controlled to ensure the purity, quality and integrity of the increasing diamond structure and carefully controlled to achieve the desired quality and size of the lab-grown diamond.
CVD DIAMOND GROWTH
The growth process is closely monitored to check optical emissions, spectroscopy, and laser interferometry to measure the thickness and quality of the growing diamond. Diligent observation of the process ensures optima diamond growth.
CVD DIAMOND COMPLETION
Once the desired size and quality of the diamond are achieved, the growth chamber is gradually cooled down to room temperature, and once it is appropriately cooled it is carefully removed from the seed plate and chamber.
After the diamond is finished 'growing', it is selected to be cut, faceted and polished. Avila Vara diamonds are shipped from the growing lab to an artisanal cutting facility where expert diamond cutters shape, facet and polish creating finished diamonds of the highest calibre and brilliance.
The final step involves a thorough quality assessment of the finished diamond. It is examined for its optical properties, chemical composition, and structural integrity. Various gemological techniques, such as diamond grading and certification, are employed to ensure the diamond meets industry standards. Avila Vara CVD diamonds over a third of carat are all certified for quality by IGI or GIA, two of the most reputable, long-standing gemological institutes in the world.
Diamonds are assessed for their quality based on the 4C’s. For Avila Vara, we include two additional “C’s” - Culture and Care.
Memories of my local coffee shop... A strange place to spark discussion on the subject. But what is sustainability if not sentimentality?