Guideline for Protection of Consumer Interest in Diamond Sector

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) will soon release comprehensive guidelines related to labeling, certification, specifying origin and production method of all diamonds.

Table of Contents

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) will soon release comprehensive guidelines related to labeling, and certification, specifying the origin and production method of all diamonds.

Difference between Natural diamonds & Lab Grown Diamonds

Feature	Natural diamonds	Lab Grown Diamonds
Formation Process	Formed naturally over millions of years deep within the Earth under high pressure and temperature.	Created in controlled laboratory environments using methods like High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) or Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).
Time to Form	Takes millions to billions of years to form.	Can be created in a matter of weeks to months.
Chemical Composition	Composed of carbon atoms arranged in a crystal structure (Cubic).	Identical chemical composition (carbon) and crystal structure to natural diamonds.
Physical Properties	Same physical properties as lab-grown diamonds, including hardness (10 on the Mohs scale).	Same hardness, brilliance and durability as natural diamonds.
Cost	More expensive due to rarity and mining costs.	Less expensive, often 20-40% cheaper than natural diamonds.

About Different Forms of Carbon

Carbon exists in various forms due to its ability to bond in multiple configurations. These forms are broadly categorised into allotropes and nanotropes.
Allotropes of Carbon: Allotropes are different physical forms in which an element can exist due to variations in atomic bonding or arrangement.
- Crystalline Allotropes: Diamond, Graphite, Fullerenes, Graphene etc.
- Amorphous Allotropes: Coal, Charcoal etc.
Nanotropes of Carbon: Nanotropes are nanoscale forms of carbon with unique properties due to their reduced size and high surface area.
- Nanotropes: Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs), Carbon Nanohorns, Carbon Quantum Dots, Nano Diamonds etc.

Differences Between Diamond and Graphite

Composition:
- Both diamond and graphite are made of carbon atoms.
- The difference lies in their atomic arrangement and bonding:
  - Diamond: Carbon atoms form a 3D, pyramid-like lattice, making it transparent, extremely hard and tightly bound.
  - Graphite: Carbon atoms form flat sheets arranged in layers, which can slide off easily.
Physical Properties:
- Diamond: Shiny, transparent, hardest known natural material.
- Graphite: Black, shiny, soft and slippery.
Mechanics of Writing with a Pencil
- Sliding Layers:
  - When a pencil slides across paper, the weakly bonded graphene layers in graphite slough off onto the surface.
  - These layers appear black and shiny to the human eye, forming visible marks.
- Why Not Diamonds?
  - Diamond atoms are so tightly bound that they resist separation or leaving traces on paper, unlike the layered structure of graphite.