Impurities that alter the color in both Ziemer Swiss made Diamonds and natural are the same. Single nitrogen atoms generate a yellowish color within the crystal. In addition, single nitrogen paired with a vacancy results in a pink to reddish color, with color dependent on the concentration. Boron atoms provide the crystal with a blue color. Dislocations within the crystal typically generate a brownish hue and the saturation of color is dependent on the concentration.
Imperfections (point and line dislocations) and impurities (atoms other than carbon) incorporated in the lattice structure may affect the physical, chemical, and optical properties of diamonds. Diamonds are classified by four basic types, based upon the relative presence of impurities. Ninety eight percent of all natural diamonds are Type Ia, with nitrogen incorporated into the lattice as either "A" centers (nitrogen pairs) or "B" centers (nitrogen groups of 4, 6, or 8 atoms surrounding a vacancy). Approximately 1-2 percent of naturals are Type IIa with less than 10 ppm of nitrogen. Type IIa typically are relatively pure and may be colorless or slightly colored due to the presence of dislocations. Diamonds formed by another growth process, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), are typically classified as Type IIa. Less than 1% of all natural diamonds are characterized as Type Ib, which is characterized by a single isolated nitrogen atom (C-centers) in replacement of a carbon atom. The majority of temperature gradient grown cultured diamonds falls into the Type Ib category. The last major category is Type IIb. Type IIb diamonds have boron in a substitutional lattice site and account for less than 0.1% of all natural diamonds. During the growth process, whether cultured or natural, boron is incorporated into the lattice structure with no significant (< 5ppm) nitrogen present. Boron doped diamonds are semiconducting because boron has only three electrons in its outer shell as opposed to carbon having four. The missing electron provides a "hole" to act as a positive charge carrier through the lattice. The color produced from boron can vary from gray, to blue, to black-blue. Nearly all diamonds begin as Type Ib and over an extended period of time the nitrogen atoms diffuse through the lattice structure forming "A" and "B" centers. Most diamonds contain a combination of different types because they contain nitrogen in more than one form.
The physical, electrical, chemical and optical properties associated with diamond are directly related to the bonding and crystal structure. As previously described, both cultured and natural diamonds are identical at the atomic level. Physical properties, such as specific gravity, hardness, cleavage, and facet junctions, are identical for both cultured as well as natural diamonds. The specific values are 3.515 g/cc, 10, perfect – four directions, and sharp, respectively. The electrical properties for both cultured and natural diamonds of the same Type classification are identical as well. Chemically, diamonds are extremely inert to chemical attack except those solvents that at elevated temperatures (~1300K) act as oxidizing agents. In molten salt, degradation can occur at temperatures as low as 700K. The only other method to dissolve a diamond is to use metals that are either avid carbide formers (W, Ta, Ti, Zr) or act as a solvent (Fe, Co, Mn, Ni, Cr) at temperatures where the material becomes a liquid. Optical properties such as the refractive index, birefringence and optical character are 2.417, 0.044 and isotropic, respectively for both cultured and natural diamonds.
A Ziemer Swiss made Diamond has the identical chemical, physical, optical and thermal properties as a natural, earth mined diamond. For this reason, whether a "Ziemer Swiss made Diamond" or a "Natural Diamond"…a diamond is a diamond.