How are lab-grown diamonds made?
Lab-grown diamonds are produced in specialised laboratories. One of two methods is generally used to produce lab-grown diamonds: the CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) method or the HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) method.
In the HPHT process, the high pressure and high temperature found in mines are replicated in the same way as they occur during the formation of diamonds deep within the Earth. In the more modern, newer and more sustainable CVD process, the diamonds grow in a vacuum chamber as pure carbon is deposited layer by layer onto a wafer-thin diamond plate under precisely controlled conditions.
Nevermined’s lab-grown diamonds are produced exclusively using the CVD process.
Nevermined manufacturing process
Nevermined lab-grown diamonds are created in Germany under controlled conditions using state-of-the-art CVD technology. Unlike mined diamonds, our lab-grown diamonds are produced in a more resource-efficient and transparent manner, using 100% certified green electricity – without compromising on quality or brilliance.
From Seed to Diamond
Nevermined production is based on intensive research and the precise laboratory techniques of our process engineers using the CVD process. Find out here exactly what happens during diamond growth and which chemical processes follow one another.
Nevermined Herstellungsprozess
Nevermined lab-grown Diamanten entstehen in Deutschland unter kontrollierten Bedingungen mithilfe modernster CVD-Technologie. Im Gegensatz zu Minendiamanten wachsen unsere Labordiamanten ressourcenschonender, transparent und mit 100 % zertifiziertem Ökostrom heran – ohne dabei Kompromisse bei Qualität oder Brillanz einzugehen.
From Seed to Diamond
Die Nevermined Produktion beruht auf intensiver Forschungsarbeit und präziser Labortechnik unserer Prozessingenieur:innen anhand des CVD-Verfahrens. Was genau beim Wachsen der Diamanten passiert und welche chemischen Prozesse aufeinanderfolgen erfahren Sie hier.
Our Nevermined Lab
Lab-grown ≠ lab-grown
Not all lab-grown diamonds are produced to the same standards. Wherever the Nevermined Origin mark appears, genuine quality meets responsibility and transparency. Our lab-grown diamonds are grown in the Nevermined Lab in Germany under controlled conditions using 100% certified green electricity. Our diamonds are SCS-certified and meet the highest quality standards in accordance with the international 4C criteria.
„Behind every Nevermined diamond lie controlled conditions and years of development work. The CVD process requires the utmost precision in every single growth phase. Even the slightest changes within the process affect the quality of the resulting diamond.“
Dr. Dennis Oing
Director Development & Production
Lab-grown ≠ lab-grown
Nicht alle Labordiamanten werden unter denselben Standards produziert. Wo das Nevermined Origin Zeichen auftaucht, trifft echte Qualität auf Verantwortung und Transparenz. Unsere lab-grown Diamanten wachsen im Nevermined Lab in Deutschland unter kontrollierten Bedingungen mit 100 % zertifiziertem Ökostrom. Unsere Diamanten sind SCS-zertifiziert und erfüllen höchste Qualitätsansprüche gemäß der internationalen 4C-Kriterien.
„Hinter jedem Nevermined Diamanten stehen kontrollierte Bedingungen und jahrelange Entwicklungsarbeit. Das CVD-Verfahren erfordert höchste Präzision in jeder einzelnen Wachstumsphase. Bereits kleinste Veränderungen innerhalb des Prozesses beeinflussen die Qualität des späteren Diamanten.“
Dr. Dennis Oing
Director Development & Production
What is the CVD process for lab-grown diamonds?
‘Chemical Vapour Deposition’ is the newer and more sustainable development of the two previously mentioned methods in diamond production. In the CVD process, diamond seeds are first placed in a chamber. The seeds themselves consist of diamond that has also been grown in the laboratory. The chamber, which is under vacuum, is filled with hydrogen. Microwaves are used to supply energy to the hydrogen gas, thereby igniting a plasma. Put simply, a plasma is a mixture of particles containing high-energy free electrons and ions, reaching temperatures of around 3000°C. The seed is heated by the plasma to a temperature of between 800°C and 1200°C. Subsequently, minimal quantities of gases such as methane and other additives are introduced into the plasma. The high temperatures generated in the chamber cause the chemical bonds of the added gases to break down. This releases carbon – the material from which a diamond is formed.
The carbon particles now bond to the surface of the seeds, allowing the diamond to grow atom by atom and layer by layer. Diamond manufacturers are performing a physical balancing act here, as they must carefully maintain the balance of temperature, pressure and gas composition within their vacuum chamber. Fluctuations could affect the diamond’s growth, its purity or its colour. If this complicated process is successful, cuboid-shaped rough diamonds are formed within a very short time, which are then processed and cut in the same way as natural diamonds.
Advantages of lab-grown diamonds
Lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds are chemically, physically and optically identical. The difference lies solely in their origin. Through our own production, we have succeeded in manufacturing lab-grown diamonds in Germany that are in no way inferior in quality to mined diamonds and also offer numerous ethical and environmental benefits. Nevermined lab-grown diamonds protect the climate, rainforests, water resources and agricultural land. Furthermore, it is important to us to guarantee fair working conditions for all employees at our production facilities in Germany and to provide transparent insight into every stage of the process, which helps us to continuously improve our high quality.