Dr. Yuan: Ruby Sapphire/Diamond, Synthetic vs. Natural

专栏 · 苑博士讲钻石

Column: Dr. Yuan Chat Diamonds

A friend asked about the comparison of natural and synthetic ruby, sapphires to determine the future of the natural and lab-grown diamond market.

Q1: The release of synthetic ruby, sapphire does not affect the natural ruby, sapphire market, but natural is more expensive. With this argument, lab-grown diamonds will not affect natural diamonds, and the price of natural diamonds will increase? Is it comparable?

Answer：There have been several synthetic methods for synthesizing ruby, sapphire for more than 100 years: flame melting method, pulling method, hydrothermal method, and co-solvent method. The first two kinds of synthetic ruby, sapphires can be easily distinguished with a 10x loupe, while the latter two require a professional laboratory appraiser to identify them. The prices of ruby, sapphires synthesized by different methods on the market have their own prices, so they have their own systems with natural ruby, sapphires and do not interfere with each other.

Natural and lab-grown diamonds are more difficult to be distinguished, but the regular laboratories can also distinguish them. Therefore, ruby, sapphires will definitely be compared, and the same model will be sold in the market with natural and lab-grown diamonds separately.

The mining areas of natural ruby, sapphire are distributed in more various parts of the world, they are mined on a small scale, there is no problem of exhaustion. Natural diamonds are brought to the surface of the earth by volcanic eruptions, mainly volcanic tubular mines. Very few of them are washed into rivers to form alluvial deposits. There are still traces to be found. After every mine is gradually exhausted, all natural diamonds will be exhausted. Better and bigger natural diamonds will increase in price. Medium, small, and poor-quality natural diamonds are affected by the lab-grown diamonds with large-size, high-quality, and low prices. Consumers will gradually abandon medium, small, and poor natural diamonds, thus prices will fall.

Q2: Synthetic ruby, sapphires are so cheap at the moment. Is this because: First, Without major jewelry brand promotion, there is not so much demand. Second, technical barriers are not high, causing supply to far exceed demand.

The difference in lab-grown diamonds is that there are already jewellery brands that are already being promoted, and international recognition is also increasing. In the future, they will be regarded as mainstream jewellery, and the demand will increase greatly. In addition, the technical barriers are high and the supply is limited. Wouldn't the price be as cheap as synthetic ruby, sapphire?

If because of these 2 reasons, why isn't there any organization like De Beers to promote synthetic ruby, sapphire?

Answer：The natural ruby, sapphire mining areas are scattered, and the output of each mining area is small. There is no large group in the maintenance and promotion. The lowest-end artificial ruby, sapphire has a low price and the jewellery market is not large. No group is interested in maintaining it.

It is difficult for the growth technology of lab-grown diamonds. The prices of lab-grown diamonds in the early stage are close to those of natural diamonds. Natural and lab-grown diamonds are influenced by De Beers and other groups. Therefore, the right time and place has made the lab-grown diamond industry more important. In 20 to 30 years, natural diamond mines are gradually depleted, and the vacated diamond market will be replaced by lab-grown diamonds. At that time, the price of lab-grown diamonds can be maintained by a suitable group, imitating De Beers' method of supporting and controlling natural diamonds, maintaining a small range floating reasonable price, the surplus lab-grown diamond production equipment can be gradually transferred to more in demand lab-grown diamond production for industrial use.

Author

Joe Chih-Chung Yuan, Ph.D. from Sun yat-sen university, Director of Henan Godiam New Material Technology Co., Ltd. Engaged in diamond cutting , identification, researching teaching and growing for more than 44 years. Currently engaged in diamond jewellery cutting, high temperature high pressure(HPHT), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) single crystal, polycrystalline diamonds growing, application researching and production. Established laboratories and diamond cutting and growing factories in New York, Taipei, and Zhengzhou.

- Obtained the GIA Graduated Gemologist G.G.
- Obtained the D.G.A diamond membership and tutor qualification of British Gem-A.
- Dozens of new diamond design patterns and invention patents in various countries around the world
-In 2009, became a delegate of the International Gemmological Conference(IGC), the highest gemmologjcal conference in the world.
- Hundreds of presentations and dozens of papers in Chinese and English in professional journals in various countries.
-  Publication: "Diamond Researching" was published in New York, USA in 1999.

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