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Gems & Gemology, Summer 2012, Vol. 48, No. 2
CVD Synthetic Diamonds from Gemesis Corp.
Wuyi Wang, Ulrika F. S. D’Haenens-Johansson, Paul Johnson, Kyaw Soe Moe, Erica Emerson, Mark E. Newton, and Thomas M. Moses
Gemological and spectroscopic properties of CVD synthetic diamonds from Gemesis Corp. were examined. Their color (colorless, near-colorless, and faint, ranging from F to L) and clarity (typically VVS) grades were comparable to those of top natural diamonds, and their average weight was nearly 0.5 ct. Absorption spectra in the mid- and near-infrared regions were free from defect-related features, except for very weak absorption attributed to isolated nitrogen, but all samples were classified as type IIa. Varying intensities of [Si-V]- and isolated nitrogen were detected with UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy. Electron paramagnetic resonance was used to quantify the neutral single substitutional nitrogen content. Photoluminescence spectra were dominated by N-V centers, [Si-V]-, H3, and many unassigned weak emissions. The combination of optical centers strongly suggests that post-growth treatments were applied to improve color and transparency. PL spectroscopy at low temperature and UV fluorescence imaging are critical in separating these synthetic products from their natural counterparts.
