In 1772, French scientist Antoine Lavoisier discovered that diamonds were composed of carbon by conducting experiments with pure oxygen and sunlight, leading to the understanding that diamonds are made of pure carbon.

In 1797, English chemist Smithson Tennant demonstrated that diamonds are composed of pure carbon.

In 1893, James Ballantyne Hannay and Ferdinand Frédéric Henri Moissan were the first to attempt synthesizing a lab diamond by heating a mixture of iron and charcoal in a carbon crucible at 3,500℃. Although their attempt was unsuccessful, it laid the foundation for future inventions in creating lab-grown diamonds.

In 1941, General Electric (GE) assembled a research and development team to work on creating high-quality man-made diamonds, but their progress was halted by the outbreak of the Second World War.

On February 16, 1953, ASEA in Stockholm achieved the first known diamond synthesis using a split-sphere apparatus under high pressure and temperature. Although they produced small diamonds, the quality and size were not suitable for gemstones.

Hall achieved the first commercially successful synthesis of diamond using a 'belt' press, capable of producing high pressures and temperatures. The diamonds produced were small and imperfect for jewelry but usable in industrial abrasives.

General Electric (GE) made an announcement about their diamond synthesis project shortly after ASEA's results were disclosed in February 1955. The project, initiated in 1941 and resumed in 1951, aimed to develop diamond synthesis under high pressure and temperature.

GE produced the first synthetic gem-quality diamond crystals in 1970. The process involved using a pyrophyllite tube seeded with diamond pieces and a metal solvent.

In 1971, General Electric (GE) developed the High Pressure/High-Temperature (HPHT) method for creating gem-grade lab-grown diamonds, overcoming the limitations of small and unsuitable diamonds produced earlier.

In 1991, De Beers discovered a 14.2-carat high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) diamond, marking a significant advancement in industrial diamond production.

At the beginning of the 21st century, companies like Apollo Diamond and Gemesis started marketing synthetic diamonds, particularly yellow HPHT diamonds, to the general public in the jewelry market.

Micron-sized diamond crystals can be synthesized from graphite using ultrasonic cavitation at room temperature. Although the cost is comparable to HPHT method, the crystalline perfection is lower. This technique has not been industrially utilized as of 2008.

Reports emerged in 2013 of a rise in undisclosed synthetic melee diamonds being found in set jewelry and diamond parcels sold in the trade. Not all dealers have made an effort to test diamond melee to correctly identify whether it is of natural or synthetic origin.

Lab-grown diamonds started gaining popularity around 2014, driven by new consumers seeking affordable and eco-friendly diamond options. This shift in consumer preference led to major companies making lab-grown diamonds more accessible in the market.

In May 2015, a record was set for an HPHT colorless diamond at 10.02 carats, cut from a 32.2-carat stone grown in about 300 hours.

In May 2018, De Beers announced the introduction of 'Lightbox', a jewelry brand featuring synthetic diamonds, marking a significant shift in the diamond industry.

In July 2018, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission approved a revision to its Jewelry Guides, including new rules that redefine diamonds to include lab-grown diamonds, a decision contrary to De Beers' advocacy.

In July 2019, the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) removed the word 'synthetic' from its certification process and report for lab-grown diamonds, aligning with the FTC revision.

In 2021, Russian-based company New Diamond Technologies revealed a 10.08-carat blue synthetic diamond, the largest HPHT diamond known at that time.

In 2022, New Diamond Technology unveiled a square emerald-cut, 10.02-carat colorless synthetic diamond, believed to be the largest of its kind.

The first batch of lab diamonds was created on August 7, 2023. Lab diamonds, also known as cultured or cultivated diamonds, are manufactured through advanced technological processes in controlled lab environments to mimic the conditions in which natural diamonds are formed over millions of years.

In 2024, scientists introduced a new method to crystallize diamond by injecting methane and hydrogen gases onto a liquid metal alloy at high temperature and pressure, resulting in a 'seedless' process that produces diamond nuclei and continuous diamond films.