Hobbies And Interests
Cubic Zirconia
The technology to produce cubic zirconia was originally developed in the 1970s and 1980s. This involved the use of microwaves to melt down the grayish-white metallic element zirconium (ZR). This reacts with oxygen to form a thin coating of zirconium oxide. Zirconium is very durable and does not corrode or oxidize. Cubic zirconia were intended to be used to make artificial limbs as well as laser equipment for industrial purposes. But the scientists discovered that cubic zirconia could be effectively applied to jewelry and gemstone production.
History of Russian Diamonds
During the time of the Cold War, the Russians made great efforts to develop their own diamond industry to achieve financial independence and to have a source for industrial diamonds necessary for military purposes. Their efforts to find natural sources of diamonds and to manufacture synthetic industrial grade diamonds were both highly successful. As a result, diamond production became a valuable component of the Russian economy.
Overproduction
Russian diamond production flourished and such a large amount of high-quality diamonds were produced that this brought about a glut in the market. This posed a danger of destabilizing the world diamond market by substantially bringing down the high price of diamonds. In the 1970s, scientists discovered that some of the diamonds coming from Russia were actually cubic zirconia rather than natural diamonds.
Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD)
CVD is a process that creates synthetic diamonds in a laboratory. This process works by depositing an extremely hot gas containing carbon into a chamber at a very high temperature and under great pressure. The atoms of carbon are then deposited into either a natural or a synthetic diamond seed crystal, called a substrate. These substrates are then able to grow new diamonds at the rate of about 1/2 mm per day. CVD diamonds look like real diamonds and it is very difficult to tell them apart.