PM gifts U.S. First lady Jill lab-grown diamond

PM gifts U.S. First lady Jill lab-grown diamond

Subject : Science and Technology

Context: Narendra Modi presented First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) Jill Biden with a 7.5 carat lab-grown green diamond nan exquisite papier mâché box from Kashmir known as kar-e-kalamdani,

Lab-Grown Diamonds

• Lab-grown diamonds (LGD) are diamonds that are produced in laboratories, using specific technology which mimics the geological processes that grow natural diamonds.

About lab-grown diamonds

• Lab-grown diamonds (LGDs) are diamonds that are produced using specific technology which mimics the geological processes that grow natural diamonds.

Properties of LGDs

• Laboratory-grown diamonds have essentially the same chemical, optical and physical properties and crystal structure as natural diamonds.
• Like natural diamonds, they are made of tightly-bonded carbon atoms.
• They respond to light in the same way and are just as hard as natural diamonds.
• The main differences between laboratory-grown and natural diamonds lie in their origin.
• Since they are created in controlled environments, many of their properties can be enhanced for various purposes.

Difference between simulants and LGDs:

• LGDs are not the same as diamond simulants as LGDs are chemically, physically and optically diamond and thus are difficult to identify as lab-grown.
• Simulants such as Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia (CZ), White Sapphire, YAG, etc. look like a diamond but they lack the sparkle and durability of a diamond and are thus easily identifiable.
• Differentiating between an LGD and an Earth Mined Diamond is hard, with advanced equipment required for the purpose.

Production Process of LGDs:

• LGDs are mostly manufactured through two processes – high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) method or Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) method.
• High pressure, high temperature (HPHT) method: HPHT method requires extremely heavy presses that can produce up to 730,000 psi of pressure under extremely high temperatures (at least 1500 celsius).
• Usually graphite is used as the “diamond seed” and when subjected to these extreme conditions, the relatively inexpensive form of carbon turns into one of the most expensive carbon forms.
• Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)method: A thin slice of diamond seed is placed in a sealed chamber and heated to around 800 degrees celsius, and then the chamber is filled with other carbon rich gases such as methane.
• The gases are ionised into plasma using microwaves, lasers, and other techniques. The ionisation breaks down the gases and allows the carbon to merge with the diamond seed, growing the diamond up layer by layer.
• Both HPHT and CVD methods of growing diamonds artificially begin with a seed — a slice of another diamond.
• Lab-grown diamonds are considered more socially and environmentally responsible, while being nearly identical to natural diamonds.
• It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used in its making.
• Since renewable or clean energy sources can be used in all of these methods, LGDs are more eco- friendly than traditionally mined diamonds.
• The productive of LGD is not socially explorative which gives traditional diamond obtained via mining as “Blood Diamond”

Applications:

• LGDs have basic properties similar to natural diamonds, including their optical dispersion, which provide them the signature diamond sheen. However, since they are created in controlled environments, many of their properties can be enhanced for various purposes.
• LGDs are most often used for industrial purposes, in machines and tools. Their hardness and extra strength make them ideal for use as cutters.
• Pure synthetic diamonds have high thermal conductivity, but negligible electrical conductivity. This combination is invaluable for electronics where such diamonds can be used as a heat spreader for high-power laser diodes, laser arrays and high-power transistors

Advantages:

• There is a growth in buying behaviours on justifiable and realistic terms among the new-age population.
• While natural diamonds are only affordable to upper strata-rich populations, lab-grown diamonds can be bought by mid-sized to income-based families.

Advantage for India:

• India’s growing consumer pool of sustainable diamonds has put it to a competitor’s advantage.
• It will soon be pioneering a host of developments, seconding India as a lab-grown market hotspot.
• LGD’s business has the capacity to touch the mark of Rs 40,000 crore in the next five years.
• It has challenged the market hegemony of natural diamonds and completely taken over consumer luxury tastes.

Challenges:

• One of the few challenges that the lab-grown diamond industry faces is a travesty of people’s judgement.

Lab-grown diamonds are often considered inferior and debased to natural diamonds, which is an inimical misrepresentation