Guide to CVD Diamonds
A lot of people are unaware of what CVD diamonds are. CVD stands for chemical vapor deposition. Unfortunately, people who are not directly involved in the diamond industry often have never heard this acronym. CVD diamonds have some benefits that definitely make them worthwhile to look into for consumers. Here is our guide to CVD diamonds.
What is a CVD Diamond
Simply put, CVD diamonds are man-made and come from above ground. The process of producing CVD diamonds differs from natural diamonds which take billions of years to form underground, and CVD diamonds are produced in a lab.Â
How Are CVD Diamonds Made
As we mentioned, CVD diamonds are produced in a lab. This is done by a process known as chemical vapor deposition. Within this process, a thin seed diamond is placed in a sealed chamber that hosts temperatures around 800 degrees celsius.Â
After this, a carbon rich gas mixture is released into the chamber. The mixture typically consists of hydrogen and methane. The gases are ionized and broken down, which allows the pure carbon to bond to the diamond seed.Â

Growing CVD Diamonds takes much less time than natural diamonds take to form, but the process still takes about a month to produce 1 carat. The process typically moves at a rate of 0.1-10 microns per hour.
Are Lab Grown Diamonds Always CVD Diamonds?
The short answer to this question is no. There are two different types of lab grown diamonds. The first of which is CVD diamonds, and the other type is HPHT diamonds. HPHT stands for high pressure high temperature.Â
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Considering that HPHT diamonds require more extreme conditions, CVD diamonds offer a more efficient way to create diamonds within a lab. Nowadays, HPHT diamonds will test as moissanite, which differs from diamonds in aspects like brilliance, durability, fire and value.
Quality of CVD Diamonds
Since CVD diamonds are lab grown, you may expect them to be perfect. This is a common misunderstanding though. Similar to natural diamonds, CVD diamonds will show a range of quality. This is due to the fact that the lab grown process is essentially the same as the natural process.
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When CVD diamonds are finished growing, they go through the same quality test that natural diamonds do. The diamonds are sent to a diamond certification lab, where they will evaluate the stone based on the four Cs (cut, color, clarity and carat).
Quality of CVD Diamonds
Since CVD diamonds are lab grown, you may expect them to be perfect. This is a common misunderstanding though. Similar to natural diamonds, CVD diamonds will show a range of quality. This is due to the fact that the lab grown process is essentially the same as the natural process.
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When CVD diamonds are finished growing, they go through the same quality test that natural diamonds do. The diamonds are sent to a diamond certification lab, where they will evaluate the stone based on the four Cs (cut, color, clarity and carat).
Are CVD Diamonds Expensive
When looking at the cost of diamonds, we will look at them relatively, since all diamonds are technically expensive. CVD diamonds are less expensive than naturally mined diamonds, typically 20-30% less expensive.Â
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This makes CVD diamonds a great way to get the same real diamond that went under the same process, for a lower price tag. The reason that CVD diamonds are less expensive is because there is no need for expensive mining processes, there are less people involved in the supply chain, and there is less manipulation of pricing.
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Are you interested in purchasing a CVD diamond? Shop our collection of high quality CVD diamonds today!
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