Why is Synthetic Single Crystal Diamond Yellow?
A. Nearly all synthetic single crystal diamond is Type Ib diamond, which is characterised by its optical absorption spectrum and contains nitrogen in a dispersed substitutional form (where a carbon atom has been replaced by a nitrogen atom) in small amounts, typically about 0.01%. A selection of synthetic single crystal diamond plates The effect of this form and quantity of nitrogen atoms is to introduce absorption bands in the visible wavelength spectrum which give this diamond a yellow colour when viewed under white light Natural single crystal diamond exists in a variety of colours – including yellow – some of which are dominated by the inclusion of atomic nitrogen, but many where the colour is an inherent aspect of the diamond’s beauty, its origin unknown – even after careful scientific examination.
