Artificially cultivated diamonds are indistinguishable from natural diamonds. [Photo/WeChat ID: hefeigaoxinfabu]

Hefei Advanced Crystal Technology Co, based in Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone, has brought its lab-grown diamonds to domestic and overseas markets.

The artificial diamonds are indistinguishable from natural ones, but much cheaper.

The formation cycle of natural diamonds may require millions or even hundreds of millions of years, while it only takes a week to cultivate a one carat diamond in the lab. The lab can cultivate a transparent diamond of up to 10 carats.

Song Xuerui, general manager of the company, said the rough diamonds cultivated in the lab will be cut into sparkling diamonds that can be worn as jewelry. They are like natural diamonds in their physical and chemical properties, so they resemble real diamonds.

The technology used to cultivate diamonds originates from the University of Science and Technology of China's national lab. The company's founder, and developers including Song, all graduated from the university.

Song said that although the company was established in 2017, it took 30 years for the technology to move from the lab to become industrialized.

Hu Xuexu, sales directors of the company, said the company's diamond production technology is the most advanced in the country, and its products are sold all over the country as well as in many countries such as India and the United States.

The output value of the company has doubled every year since it was established, and it expects to exceed 30 million yuan ($4.48 million) this year, according to Hu.