The scarcity in the gemstone market might become a thing of the past, thanks to new methods developed by scientists for synthesizing diamonds at normal atmospheric pressure. This groundbreaking development could revolutionize the gemstone industry by making lab-grown gems more accessible, potentially changing the economics of precious stones.
Traditionally, gems are formed deep within the Earth’s mantle over millions of years under extreme pressures and temperatures. Scientists have been using methods like high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to replicate these conditions in the lab, but these methods have drawbacks such as requiring starter gems and excessive resources.
A new technique, pioneered by physical chemist Rodney Ruoff and his team from the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea, eliminates these drawbacks. They use an electrically heated gallium crucible mixed with a small amount of silicon at normal atmospheric pressure to synthesize diamonds in just 15 minutes by introducing hot, carbon-rich methane gas.
This new method optimizes the combination of gallium, nickel, iron, and silicon to significantly reduce production time and simplify the process. Although the diamonds produced are currently very small, they possess valuable traits like solidity and thermal conductivity, making them useful for polishing and drilling.
Ruoff is optimistic about the commercial potential of this technique, foreseeing more lucrative applications emerging within one to two years. The ability to grow gems quickly and efficiently could reduce costs and increase availability, potentially disrupting the market dominated by natural diamond suppliers and traditional lab-grown methods.
In the future, scaled-up production could lead to larger gems suitable for jewelry, further altering the gemstone market landscape. Overall, this innovation could significantly change the rarity and affordability of diamonds in the coming years.
