New Record-breaking Lab-Grown Diamonds Show That Size Matters
Technology used in the diamond growth process is advancing at great pace. Getting a polished man-made diamond that would weigh at least 5 carats was an extremely hard task a few years ago. And those few that were showing up left a lot to be desired in terms of quality. Today the 5 carat lab-grown diamonds with high color and clarity grades are significantly more common, and growing companies have set their eyes on setting new records.
The new high for CVD-grown diamonds in terms of size has been recently reported by GIA. The laboratory certified a 16.41 carat princess cut that got G grade for color, and VVS2 for clarity. The excellent marks of polish and symmetry were also stated. Gemologists couldn’t find any indicators of post-growth treatment to improve the quality. This gem marks the 3rd record for size of a CVD diamond set within the last two years. In August of 2021, IGI reported on 14.60 carat emerald cut, which surpassed the record that had been set in November of 2020 with a 12.75 carat round brilliant diamond. Only a couple of years ago, the CVD method was considered to be limiting in terms of size and color of polished goods. However, recent records have shown how much the technology advanced over such a short period of time.
The 16.41 carat CVD goliath surpassed the previous record-holder in the white lab diamonds category, a 15.32 carat cushion cut that was grown by using an HPHT-press. At the same time, the biggest lab-created diamond to date is still a 20.23 carat Fancy Orange cushion that was achieved with HPHT method in 2019. This process was recently applied for new gem titans. Last month IGI certified a 150.42 carat man-made blue rough diamond and a 141.58 carat grayish one that were created with high pressure and high temperature. Perhaps, these stones may be cut and polished into finished diamonds of unimaginable sizes. “The acceleration of technology in the lab-grown diamond sector is significant… we’re seeing new benchmarks from the world’s most advanced producers,” John Pollars, IGI’s senior director of education, said.
As progress moves forward, so does the demand within the market. While most of the lab-grown gems purchased around the world come in smaller sizes and are used for fun jewelry pieces, there are many bigger diamonds set in the outstanding engagement rings, and some of the high end buyers are purchasing the largest man-created stones for their collections. That only means that the industry members will continue to advance the technology further on. The plans for 200 carats of single rough HPHT crystal and polished CVD stone that would weigh over 20 carats have already been stated. LaBrilliante is among those pioneer growers, as we’re working non-stop to improve our technology and get the biggest and most captivating man-made diamonds to our partners.
