The Lab Gem Supplier

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City offers an excellent opportunity to compare natural to lab created diamonds. A new exhibit displays 25 fabulous diamonds, including rarely colored diamonds and excellent examples of lab created diamonds. Sign up to follow us on Twitter for more information.

Did you know that diamonds are mined on every continent except Europe and Antarctica? Today, diamonds can be found in 25 countries; but before the 20th century, diamonds were considered extremely rare. Until the 1725 discovery of diamonds in Brazil, India was the only known source of diamonds. The 1870 discovery of abundant diamond pipes in South Africa increased world supply dramatically and made South Africa synonymous with the sparkling gems. For the first time diamonds came within the grasp of the common (albeit, rich) man.

The growth of scientific advancements in mining technology allowed gem explorers to discover and exploit abundant diamond deposits in other parts of the world. While South Africa is still a major producer, diamond production is now dominated by Australia, Botswana, Russia and the Congo Republic. The U.S. has never been a major player, but diamonds are found in Arkansas. Crater of Diamonds State Park, 90 miles southwest of Little Rock, is the only diamond-producing site in the world where the public can search for diamonds. Its “finder’s keepers” policy draws thousands of adventurous vacationers every year. The onsite Diamond Discovery Center houses informative exhibits and offers free rock and mineral identification. Most of the diamonds found at the park are the size of a match head, but every year some lucky vacationer finds a 3 to 5 carat jewelry quality diamond.

Made of pure carbon, diamonds were formed from melted rocks in the Earth’s upper mantle, compacted deep in the earth under tremendous pressure for hundreds of millions of years. The most prolific diamond deposits are found in ancient bedrock 2500 million years old. Diamonds form in solid rock in circular or funnel-shaped “pipes” made of kimberlite or lamproite. The pipes are forced to the surface by volcanic eruptions. No wonder diamonds are so rare and expensive.

Lab created cubic zirconia diamonds, on the other hand, are affordable, of exceptional quality and easy to obtain from reliable online wholesalers like PehnecGems. Visit our website at www.pehnec.com for more information.