How Can You Tell The Difference Between Cultured Diamonds And Mined Ones?
Synthetic diamond (also known as HPHT diamond and CVD diamond) is diamond produced in a technological process, as opposed to natural diamond, which is produced by geological processes. Synthetic diamond is made using two major processes: chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) synthesis. Its properties depend on the manufacturing process, and can be inferior, similar or superior to those of natural diamond. In particular, the hardness, thermal conductivity and electron mobility are superior in some synthetic diamonds. Certain synthetic diamonds are known to be the hardest and most thermally conductive among any known material (as of 2009). Consequently, synthetic diamonds are widely used in abrasives, cutting and polishing tools and as heat sinks. Their advantages for electronic applications have been demonstrated and those applications are forthcoming. Detectors of UV light or high-energy particles, made of synthetic diamond, are being applied at high
