The first lab-created diamonds were invented in the mid-1950s, shortly after the discovery of the diamond-making process by General Electric scientists Tracy Hall and Robert Wentorf. They developed a process called High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT), which involves simulating the intense heat and pressure conditions found deep within the earth’s mantle to create diamonds from a carbon source.
The first HPHT lab-created diamond was created in December 1954, and by the early 1960s, these diamonds were being produced on a larger scale for industrial applications such as cutting tools and abrasives.
In recent years, technological advancements have led to the development of other diamond-making processes, including Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and High Pressure Low Temperature (HPLT) methods. These newer methods have made it possible to create larger and higher-quality lab-created diamonds, which are now used not only for industrial applications but also in the jewelry industry as a more affordable and sustainable alternative to natural diamonds.