Known by many names. Synthetic. Man Made. Laboratory Produced Gems. Artificial Diamonds.
What are they and what's the difference.

Natural diamonds are precious gems that are formed in the earth from deposits of carbon. Formed over time as a result of tremendous pressure from the surrounding rock formations, the dark carbon crystallizes into a translucent milky white stone.
Once the outside impurities have been cut away, the clear brilliant stone we know so well is revealed.

But if these are real diamonds, does that mean that artificial diamonds are not real?

Yes and no.
Artificial diamonds are produced not by the blind forces of nature, but by manufacturing processes developed and regulated by people. And not over eons, but over much shorter periods of time.
They are real in that they are chemically identical to natural diamonds and, even if they are flawless, they will always lack the rarity and status of minded diamonds.
They can be more perfect than their out of the ground counterparts as well. The laboratory or the production floor are controlled environments by definition. Many of the naturally occurring accidents that mar a genuine diamond can be eliminated when producing a man made crystal.

Before you search the Internet for a grow your own diamond kit, there are a few caveats that you should know about creating artificial diamonds.

First, it takes extremes of pressure and temperature. The process is very expensive and often results in substandard stones.

Second, most synthetic diamonds are very small, suitable only for industrial applications. Not what you would want to put on a ring or a necklace.

The techniques for manufacturing larger stones can be very complex and often fail, producing a flawed product. However, synthetic diamonds are now becoming more and more common on the market, to the point where members of the traditional diamond industry are concerned about their impact.