Researchers Create LGD In 150 Minutes

The words of Botswana's President Masisi during his opening address of AWDC's Facets conference in Gaborone last year, when he described Lab-Grown Diamonds (LGD) as "microwave diamonds" come to mind as news came that South Korean scientist claim to have produced a synthetic diamond in little over two hours, using a new method that omits the need to mimic the immense pressure needed to form a diamond artificially. LGD production processes to date still require a significant amount of time to produce a diamond. The research is still in its infancy and it seems that the quality of the resulting diamonds is more likely to be of industrial and not gem quality for the moment. Nevertheless, the researchers believe that the technique, using liquid metal, could radically change the way LGD are produced, further accelerating mass production, differentating LGD from rare natural diamonds. Experts comment that even though diamonds found in nature were formed billions of years ago, it is a myth that the natural process to form diamonds took billions of years.

_{photo credit: Envato Elements}