A contraption about the size of a washing machine is needed to produce the synthetic diamonds. The machine squeezes a shard of diamond at 850,000 pounds of pressure per square inch and at a temperature of 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Graphite and secret-ingredient catalysts are added to stimulate carbon growth around the shard. It takes about 50 hours to make a diamond of at least 1.6 carats. Disagreeing is William Boyajian, president of the Gemological Institute of America, who advises consumers not to worry.
Synthetic diamonds are easy for a professional jeweler to identify.
We don't see synthetics penetrating the marketplace since gem-quality synthetic diamonds are still rare. Designer Diamonds Mother Nature may have the edge over synthetics at present, but Abbaschian says that in just a few years, his manufacturing process will create diamonds to order. No matter how creative a request may be, consumers will be able to specify their gem's size, shape, color and cut. In the near future, their wish will be our command. Both synthetic and naturally occurring diamonds are 100 percent carbon.