DIAMONDS HAVING ARTIFICIALLY EMBEDDED INCLUSIONS
Disclosed herein are synthetic, or cultured diamonds which have at least one artificially embedded inclusion(s) incorporated within their crystal structure during the diamond's deposition or growth process. Disclosed are cultured diamonds having a substrate portion, artificially embedded inclusion(s) disposed on the substrate portion, and an encapsulating portion, formed on the artificially embedded inclusion(s). The substrate portion and the encapsulating portion are bonded together by covalent carbon to carbon bonds.
1 . A cultured diamond comprising:
A substrate portion;
At least one artificially embedded inclusion(s) disposed on the substrate portion; and
An encapsulating portion, formed on the at least one artificially embedded inclusion(s),
wherein the substrate portion and the encapsulating portion are bonded by covalent carbon to carbon bonds.
2 . The cultured diamond of claim 1 , wherein the substrate portion and the encapsulating portion are diamond.
3 . The cultured diamond of claim 1 , wherein the substrate portion and/or encapsulating portion are formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD), microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD), or a high pressure high temperature process (HPHT).
4 . The cultured diamond of claim 1 , wherein the substrate portion, the encapsulating portion, and optionally the at least one artificially embedded inclusion(s) are formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD).
5 . The cultured diamond of claim 1 , wherein the at least one artificially embedded inclusion(s) comprises human readable or machine readable indicia.
6 . The cultured diamond of claim 5 , wherein the human readable or machine readable indicia comprise, an authentication identifier, a QR code, a bar code, an alphanumeric marking, written text, a personalized inscription, an image, a decorative design, a symbol, a pattern, a logo, or a combination thereof.
7 . The cultured diamond of claim 5 , wherein the human readable or machine readable indicia comprise at least one material layer formed on the substrate portion.
8 . The cultured diamond of claim 7 , wherein the human readable or machine readable indicia is formed from:
deposition of the least one material layer on a planar surface of the substrate portion, or
deposition of the least one material layer on a non-planar surface of the substrate portion.
9 . The cultured diamond of claim 7 , wherein the material layer comprises graphite, graphene, a metal oxide compound, a metallic compound, or a combination thereof.
10 . The cultured diamond of claim 5 , wherein the human readable or machine readable indicia are formed through a process comprising laser ablation, wet etching, ion milling, ion beam irradiation, direct laser writing, microprinting, sputter deposition, maskless lithography, or a combination thereof.
11 . The cultured diamond of claim 1 , wherein the at least one artificially embedded inclusion(s) comprises a secondary gemstone.
12 . The cultured diamond of claim 11 , wherein the secondary gemstone comprises a gray diamond, white diamond, blue diamond, yellow diamond, orange diamond, red diamond, olive diamond, green diamond, pink diamond, violet diamond, brown diamond, black diamond, garnet, ruby, peridot, sapphire, diopside, emerald, amethyst, topaz, citrine or a combination thereof.
13 . The cultured diamond of claim 11 , wherein secondary gemstone is pretreated to increase nucleation sites and/or nucleation density.
14 . The cultured diamond of claim 13 , wherein the secondary gemstone is pretreated by coating with diamond nanoparticles, electrostatic seeding with diamond nanoparticles, polishing with diamond grit, mechanical surface abrasion, chemical nucleating solutions comprising adamantane powder, or combinations thereof.
15 . The cultured diamond of claim 11 , wherein the secondary gemstone is disposed within a formed cavity on the surface of the substrate portion.
16 . The cultured diamond of claim 11 , wherein the encapsulating portion is deposited onto the secondary gemstone and onto the substrate portion by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD), hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD), microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD).
17 . The cultured diamond of claim 1 , wherein the at least one artificially embedded inclusion(s) comprises a combination of a human readable or machine readable indicia and a secondary gemstone.
18 . A cultured diamond, comprising:
a substrate portion comprising a diamond;
at least one artificially embedded inclusion(s) comprising one or more non-diamond carbon layer (s); and
an encapsulating portion comprising a diamond, formed onto the at least one artificially embedded inclusion(s) and the substrate portion,
wherein the substrate portion and the encapsulating portion are bonded through covalent carbon to carbon bonds.
19 . The cultured diamond of claim 18 , wherein the at least one non-diamond carbon layer(s) comprises a deposited graphite layer, deposited graphene layer, a deposited amorphous carbon layer, or a graphitized layer.
20 . The cultured diamond of claim 18 , wherein,
the substrate portion is formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD), microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD), or high pressure high temperature (HPHT) process; and
the encapsulating portion is grown onto the substrate portion subsequently, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD), microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD).
21 . A method of embedding artificial inclusion(s) in a diamond, the method comprising:
forming a substrate portion comprising a diamond;
disposing at least one artificial inclusion(s) on the substrate portion; and
forming an encapsulating portion comprising a diamond, onto the at least one artificial inclusion(s) and substrate portion;
wherein the substrate portion and the encapsulating portion are formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD), microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD), or high pressure high temperature (HPHT) process.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the at least one artificial inclusion(s) comprises a secondary gemstone.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the secondary gemstone comprises a gray diamond, white diamond, blue diamond, yellow diamond, orange diamond, red diamond, olive diamond, green diamond, pink diamond, violet diamond, brown diamond, black diamond, garnet, ruby, peridot, sapphire, diopside, emerald, amethyst, topaz, citrine, or a combination thereof.
24 . The cultured diamond of claim 22 , further comprising pretreating the secondary gemstone to increase nucleation sites and/or nucleation density.
25 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising pretreating the secondary gemstone by coating with diamond nanoparticles, electrostatic seeding with diamond nanoparticles, polishing with diamond grit, mechanical surface abrasion, chemical nucleating solutions comprising adamantane powder, or combinations thereof.
26 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
forming at least one cavity on the surface of the substrate portion; and
disposing the secondary gemstone within the formed at least one cavity on the surface of the substrate portion.
27 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising disposing the secondary gemstone on a planar surface of the substrate portion.
28 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising pretreating the surface of the substrate portion, prior to forming the encapsulating portion and/or prior to disposing the at least one artificial inclusion(s) thereon.
29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein pretreating the surface of the substrate portion comprises removal of non-diamond carbon or amorphous carbon species, enhancement of nucleation sites or nucleation density, or a combination thereof.
30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein enhancement of nucleation sites or nucleation density comprises coating with chemical nucleation agents, electrostatic seeding with diamond nanoparticles, polishing with diamond grit, or a combination thereof.