When you think of a diamond, what do you see?

For most people, it's a perfectly clear, beautiful, colorless stone sparkling crazily in the light like nothing else on earth. This classic view is quite accurate – for one type of diamond.

But did you know that there are numerous types of diamonds, all with specific properties? This amazing stone can vary greatly in color, clarity, and carat, as well as shape. And, when cut, it can also have a variety of qualities imparted to it. These factors obviously affect how it appears in the end product: that ring, pair of ear-rings, bracelet or necklace that you've got your eyes on.

Also, it affects the tools which are made of the Industrial diamond.

Industrial diamond, any diamond that is designated for industrial use, principally as a cutting tool or abrasive. In general, industrial diamonds are of vital importance in the modern metalworking and mining industries. Their utility stems from the fact that diamond is the hardest natural substance known.

Diamond makes an excellent edge for machining a wide range of materials.

Industrial diamonds can be mined from natural deposits, or they can be produced synthetically. Natural diamond has traditionally been used to make diamond tools, but now there are also various types of synthetic diamond that are often as good as or better for certain machining applications.

Single crystal natural diamond

A natural diamond has the benefit of being a single crystal and an extremely fine edge can be produced with the right quality stone. The key is to use near-gem quality diamond, which is what Litian Century uses for their natural turning tools. We do not use lesser quality diamond; it is not worth risking the integrity of our tools and our reputation.

Single crystal synthetic diamond

Synthetic diamonds have the same chemical makeup as a natural diamond, and can even be more consistent since the growth process is controlled. This consistency often leads to a more uniform tool life. They are created in laboratories thanks to innovative processes that tend to replicate as perfectly as possible the natural structure of the diamond. Following are the two general categories of synthetic diamond:

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) synthetic diamond

CVD diamond was developed in the 1980's, and more recently has become more widely available as an alternative to natural diamond. When it was first developed, it was a polycrystalline material (which is also useful for certain applications). Now pure single crystal CVD is available that is extremely consistent and has no internal stresses. Since it is grown in a lab under vacuum rather than under high pressure, there are no hard spots and growth aberrations that are sometimes found in natural diamond.

High-pressure / high temperature (HPHT) synthetic diamond

The HPHT method is one of the two methods used in the production of synthetic diamonds. It consists in the combination of very high pressure (5 GPa) with very high temperature (1,500°C) using a press specific to the process. More recently there are companies that are producing pure white HPHT material for jewelry, and this material can also be used for making tools but is more expensive.

Our technicians can guide you on the best diamond type for your specific application. Contact our experts to know which crystal is best for your application.