The formation of a natural diamond requires the power of nature and a long period of time. The carbon elements deep in the earth's crust rock layer, after a long period of high temperature and high pressure to form minerals, but also by volcanic eruptions and other lava activities to the shallow surface, are explored, excavated and then carefully polished to appear in front of consumers. Packaged by advertisers, diamonds have gradually become a symbol of love in people's minds.
Artificial cultivated diamonds are "grown" from the laboratory, using natural diamonds or graphite powder as raw materials, and growing through specific techniques in an artificially simulated diamond growth environment. This process usually takes only a few weeks, and the quality of the finished product is the same or even better.
At present, China is at the world's advanced level in the field of lab-grown diamonds. In the past, in the field of jewelry, domestic brands did not have a high voice. The emerging industry of lab-grown diamonds has allowed domestic brands to see new opportunities. From raw material production to processing and cutting to downstream sales, the industrial chain has gradually improved, and domestic lab-grown diamonds have also appeared in the field of vision of more and more consumers. So, how do domestic lab-grown diamonds and lab-grown diamond brands "grow"?
"Sustainable Green Jewelry"
"I saw a variety of lab-grown diamonds from the online store, and the price is really 'fragrant'!" Zhu Ruifeng, a Beijing citizen who was busy preparing for the wedding, couldn't help but sigh.
"A diamond lasts forever, a diamond lasts forever". This classic advertising slogan has made diamonds a symbol of love in the minds of many people. Zhu Ruifeng also wanted to choose a diamond ring and put it on his beautiful bride on the wedding day.
To this end, the little couple ran a lot of jewelry stores, but the price of tens of thousands of yuan and the limited wearing scene made them reluctant. "The value for money is a bit low." Zhu Ruifeng told reporters that he accidentally learned about lab-grown diamonds, "the same weight and color as natural diamonds, and the price of lab-grown diamonds is tens of thousands of yuan." ”
What is a lab-grown diamond? What is the difference from natural diamonds?
"Lab-grown diamonds are grown in laboratories by artificially simulating the environment in which natural diamonds grow." Wu Xiaolei, head of functional diamond at Zhengzhou Abrasives and Abrasives Grinding Research Institute Co., Ltd. (referred to as Sanmao), said.
"From a material point of view, lab-grown diamonds are no different from natural diamonds, they are crystals made of pure carbon, and the physical, chemical and optical properties are the same, the difference is the formation process." Wu Xiaolei said.
For example, if natural diamonds are ice cubes formed under natural conditions, artificial diamonds are ice cubes frozen in the refrigerator. "Neither can be identified by the naked eye or by simple devices, and must be distinguished by precision instruments." Wu Xiaolei said.
According to Wu Xiaolei, there are currently two technical paths for artificially cultivated diamonds, one is the high temperature and high pressure method (HPHT), that is, through a six-sided top press in a high temperature and high pressure environment of 1300-1600 degrees Celsius and more than 60 billion Pa, graphite is used as raw material, and graphite is converted into rough diamond under the action of a catalyst. The other is microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD), which simply means that in a vacuum chamber filled with hydrogen and carbonaceous gases (such as methane), the energy source (usually microwave beam) breaks down gas molecules, and carbon atoms diffuse and crystallize to cooler, flat diamond seed plates to achieve the growth of diamond crystals.
"'Lab-grown diamonds' typically take only a few weeks to shape, can be mass-produced, are of consistent quality, are more environmentally friendly, and are known as sustainable green jewelry, while also bringing more affordable prices to consumers." Guo Sheng, founder of the artificial cultivation diamond brand Kailixi, told reporters.
Founded in 2015, Kailixi is one of the earliest brands in China to set foot in artificial lab-grown diamonds. "When we first went to the jewelry show, the vast majority of consumers lacked knowledge about lab-grown diamonds, and some even asked, 'Isn't it a fake diamond?' How did you get it to the exhibition? Guo Sheng said.
In recent years, with the improvement of production technology, domestic lab-grown diamond production has been growing, and China's lab-grown diamond production has exceeded 2021 million carats in 400, close to half of the global output. Guo Sheng told reporters that he is excited that more and more domestic consumers recognize and accept lab-grown diamonds. At present, Kailisi has opened 4 stores in Shenzhen, Guangdong, Nanjing, Jiangsu and Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and will deploy more outlets in first- and second-tier cities this year.
"Mutual promotion with the superhard materials industry"
Behind the increasingly hot lab-grown diamonds is the huge industrial diamond industry.
Diamonds that sparkle in the eyes of ordinary people actually have a wide range of uses in the industrial field. Diamond's rough diamond, which is a superhard material in industrial production, is called "industrial teeth". In aerospace, national defense industry, photovoltaic, electronic information and other industries, processing and polishing of various difficult materials are inseparable from this hard "tooth".
In 2022, China's diamond production exceeded 160 billion carats, accounting for more than ninety percent of global production. Domestic lab-grown diamonds started late but developed rapidly, which is inseparable from the deep accumulation in the field of superhard materials such as diamond.
In the early days of the founding of New China, everything was in ruins, but "industrial teeth" were completely dependent on imports. In order to break through the foreign blockade, the First Ministry of Machinery Industry at that time set up a research group codenamed "121", and issued an order to the Sanma Institute and other institutions to study synthetic diamond.
After more than 1000,1963 days and nights of hard work, on the night of December 12, 6, the research team found that there were shiny crystals in the synthetic rod, and when the glass was cut with this crystal, a crisp squeak could be heard.
This is the starting point of China's diamond industry.
The synthesis of the first synthetic diamond is like a seed, taking root and germinating in Zhengzhou, and spreading branches and leaves all over Henan. Today, Henan has become China's superhard materials research and development center and technical talent radiation source, with more than 200 superhard materials and their products manufacturers, forming a complete industrial chain including raw and auxiliary materials, industrial diamonds, diamond single crystals, cultivated diamond products and other products.
It is this deep accumulation that allows Chinese companies to quickly seize the industrial outlet of lab-grown diamonds.
Zhecheng Huifeng Diamond Technology Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise focusing on the research and development, production and sales of high-grade diamond powder, and in 2021, the company's artificial single crystal diamond powder was identified by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as a single champion product in the manufacturing industry.
In August last year, Huifeng Diamond also successfully developed lab-grown diamonds, and has now achieved mass production of multi-specification high-grade lab-grown diamond blanks, all of which are sold to overseas markets. "The factory price of industrial diamond is only a few cents for 8 carat, and the diamond billet as a consumer product can be sold for several hundred yuan, which enriches the company's product line and complements industrial diamond products, which is of great significance to enhance the company's profitability." Han Jinghe, deputy general manager of Huifeng Diamond, said.
Han Jinghe also mentioned the "seesaw effect": "The rapid development of the lab-grown diamond industry, many enterprises with traditional industrial diamond as the main product began to increase the production capacity of lab-grown diamonds, which may squeeze the output of industrial diamonds, resulting in short supply of industrial diamonds and rising prices, therefore, the development of lab-grown diamonds in addition to enriching superhard material products, can further promote the progress of the entire superhard material industry, lab-grown diamonds and superhard material industry can promote each other." ”
"Delivering the Concept of 'Love Grows'"
Backed by the large-scale industrial diamond industry with deep technological accumulation, China's lab-grown diamond industry has grown rapidly in the face of expanding market prospects. "Under the circumstance that there is no difference in the physical and chemical properties of lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds, lower prices, higher quality and stronger sense of design are undoubtedly strong support for lab-grown diamonds to further expand the domestic jewelry market share." Guo Sheng said.
Emerging man-grown diamond brands such as Kailixi, Xiaobaiguang and Daino, incubated by Mima, are vying to enter the market, and traditional diamond manufacturers have also launched lab-grown diamond products, and the competition on the track is becoming increasingly fierce.
"In recent years, lab-grown diamond-related enterprises have sprung up one after another, and domestic artificially grown diamond brands have flourished. Young consumers are increasingly aware of environmental protection and pay more attention to consumer needs such as "self-pleasing to themselves", "personalized" and "cost-effective", which provides new opportunities for lab-grown diamonds. Han Jinghe said.
However, in the middle and downstream links of the jewelry industry chain, the voice of Chinese brands is not high. "The jewelry industry is a very traditional industry, due to the higher product prices and professional and complex product knowledge, consumers tend to trust the brand, and building the brand is a long-term accumulation process. In the past, the natural diamond market was dominated by European and American companies, both in terms of supply chain and branding, but now lab-grown diamonds have given the opportunity to China. Guo Sheng said.
Recently, the 2nd China International Conference on Laboratory-Grown Diamond Industry Development and Innovation was held. Zhang Xiongzhi, chairman of Guangzhou Diamond Exchange Center, said at the meeting that China, as a major producer of lab-grown diamonds, contributes more than half of the world's lab-grown diamond production and has a strong competitive advantage in production. How to make use of the advantages of production capacity and the potential of the domestic consumer market to realize the leap from a major producer of lab-grown diamonds to a strong country in the lab-grown diamond industry, and promote the sustainable and healthy development of the industry, has become a concern of the lab-grown diamond industry.
"Sanmill is an important member of China's lab-grown diamond industry, with the ability to independently develop and produce rough rough, has strong supply chain advantages, and incubates its own brand, which is to improve the middle and downstream industrial chain and promote the development of the industry." Wu Xiaolei said that the brand has entered Tmall, Jingdong and other platforms to cultivate the downstream consumer market through multiple channels.
Unlike other jewelry brands, Deno focuses on the development and design of shaped diamonds. Different from common round diamonds, fancy cut diamonds are fancy cut, exquisite in craftsmanship, changeable in shape, difficult to cut, and low in yield. "Common are oval diamonds, square diamonds, pear-shaped diamonds, marquise-shaped diamonds, etc., hoping to bring more novel and unique products to consumers." Wu Xiaolei said.
Guo Sheng believes that the key to brand recognition lies in differentiation. "Combined with the characteristics of artificially grown diamonds, we hope to convey the concept of 'let love grow' to consumers." Guo Sheng said, "Love is like a small diamond seed, only after careful care can it continue to grow after the precipitation of time." The same is true for nurturing brands, which must not sacrifice quality for low prices and rapid expansion. ”
Further reading
The 4Cs of diamonds
Diamond grade 4C refers to the diamond grade from the weight (Caratage), clarity (Clarity), color (Color) and cut (Cut) 4C is the standard to measure the price of a diamond, including both lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds.
The weight of a diamond is generally calculated in carats, and the price of a diamond appreciates with the weight of carats. In general, the greater the weight of a diamond of the same clarity, color, and craftsmanship, the higher the price of the diamond.
Color refers to how colorless a diamond is. The color of diamonds is graded D-Z, with the highest color being D, which represents complete colorlessness. In general, as the color deepens, the diamond grade decreases. Diamonds are best colored and transparent, but red diamonds are also more expensive.
Diamond clarity refers to diamond inclusions and surface imperfection standards, diamonds are formed by carbon in a high temperature environment, may contain some impurities, and some cracks will occur on the surface. The fewer internal impurities a diamond has, the fewer surface imperfections and the higher its clarity.
Processing rough into polished diamonds requires complex processes and cutting techniques, which is the cutting of diamonds. The cut is directly related to the value and appearance of the diamond, and is the most complex of the 4Cs, with high technical requirements, which are divided into excellent, excellent, good, fair, and bad.
(People's Daily overseas edition reporter Kang Pu)