Artificial diamond rough material and natural diamond rough material differ in many aspects, as follows:
Formation method
• Artificial diamond rough material: synthesized by artificial technology such as high temperature and high pressure method (HTHP) or chemical vapor deposition method (CVD). The high temperature and high pressure method simulates the internal environment of the earth and converts carbon source materials such as graphite into diamond under high temperature and high pressure conditions; the chemical vapor deposition method uses carbon-containing gas to decompose under certain conditions, so that carbon atoms are deposited on the substrate and grow into diamond.
• Natural diamond rough material: formed by natural crystallization of carbon elements over a long geological period under high temperature and high pressure in the deep earth, and is usually brought to the surface of the earth by geological processes such as volcanic activities.
Crystal characteristics
• Artificial diamond rough material: The crystal morphology is relatively regular, with common shapes such as octahedron and cube, the crystal surface is relatively smooth, and the internal defects of the crystal are relatively few and evenly distributed. By controlling the production process parameters, the crystal can grow in the expected direction and morphology to a certain extent.
• Natural diamond rough material: The crystal morphology is diverse and complex. In addition to the common regular shapes, there may be various irregular shapes. The crystal surface may have natural growth lines, pits and other features. There may be defects such as inclusions and cracks inside the crystal. The distribution of these defects often has no obvious pattern.
Physical and chemical properties
• Artificial diamond rough material: The purity can be precisely controlled through the production process. The impurity content is usually low and the type is relatively single. Due to the relatively stable growth environment, its physical properties such as hardness and thermal conductivity are relatively uniform within a certain range.
• Natural diamond rough material: The impurity content and type are relatively complex. In addition to carbon, it may contain nitrogen, boron and other impurity elements. These impurities will affect its physical and chemical properties, resulting in large differences in the hardness, conductivity and other properties of different natural diamond rough materials.
Isotope characteristics
• Artificial diamond rough material: The carbon isotope composition is relatively single, usually consistent with the carbon source material used, and there is generally no obvious isotope fractionation phenomenon.
• Natural diamond rough material: The carbon isotope composition varies greatly. Natural diamond rough materials from different origins may have different carbon isotope characteristics, which is related to their formation environment and geological processes deep in the earth.
Production cost and price
• Artificial diamond rough material: The production cost is relatively low, and the price is mainly affected by factors such as production process, output, and quality. With the continuous advancement of technology and large-scale production, its price is relatively stable and has a downward trend.
• Natural diamond rough material: The production cost mainly depends on the difficulty of mining and resource scarcity. Since the mining of natural diamond mines requires a lot of manpower, material and financial resources, and resources are limited, its price is usually high, especially high-quality natural diamond rough materials are more expensive.
Application field focus
• Artificial diamond rough material: It is widely used in industrial fields, such as the manufacture of cutting, grinding, drilling and other tools. Its application in electronics, optics and other fields is also expanding. Because it can be mass-produced and the cost is low, it is more suitable for cost-sensitive and high-demand industrial application scenarios.
• Natural rough diamond: In addition to being partially used in high-end industrial fields, it has an irreplaceable position in the jewelry industry. Due to its natural scarcity and unique quality, it is regarded as a precious gemstone raw material and is used to make high-end jewelry. It has high collection value and market value.
