How EX3 Diamond OB1X Growing Chamber Works

EX3 Diamond grows its diamonds using a proprietary CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) chamber called the OB1X. Inside this cylinder-shaped chamber, temperatures reach 10,000 degrees and a carefully controlled plasma environment mimics the intense conditions that form diamonds deep inside the Earth - only instead of taking thousands of years underground, it takes months in EX3 lab. The result is a chemically identical, real diamond: same carbon atoms, same tetrahedral lattice structure, same optical properties.

Here is exactly how it works.

What Is the OB1X Chamber?

The OB1X is EX3 Diamond in-house proprietary growing chamber - the kind you will not find at any other lab-grown diamond company. It is a cylinder-shaped reactor that generates temperatures of approximately 10,000 degrees and sustains an intense plasma field. The plasma is energetic enough to, as EX3 puts it, "immolate the sun outer layer." That is not marketing language - that is the actual thermal environment required to break down hydrocarbon gases and release pure carbon atoms.

EX3 developed the OB1X after nearly three years of failed attempts. Over the course of a decade, the company studied the science of diamond creation and partnered with the industry top engineers to perfect the process. That effort shows in the quality of every stone EX3 produces.

The Step-by-Step CVD Diamond-Growing Process

Growing a diamond in the OB1X is a precise, multi-stage process. Here is how it unfolds:

Step 1: Start with a Diamond Seed

Every EX3 diamond begins as a carbon diamond slice - approximately 1mm thick. This seed acts as the foundation. Carbon atoms will stack onto it one atomic layer at a time, mirroring the same tetrahedral lattice arrangement that makes natural diamonds the hardest substance on Earth.

Step 2: Load the Chamber and Heat to Plasma

The seed is placed inside the OB1X. The chamber is then sealed and heated to roughly 10,000 degrees. At this temperature, hydrocarbon gases - a carefully calibrated "cocktail of gases" - are introduced under precise pressure conditions.

Step 3: Carbon Atoms Bond to the Seed

Here is where the chemistry happens. The intense plasma causes carbon atoms to leave the gas phase and attach to the diamond seed, arranging themselves in the same tetrahedral lattice structure found in every natural diamond. EX3 describes this atomic bonding process as "somewhat of an atomic orgy" - which is accurate. Carbon atoms are stacking and bonding at the atomic level, layer by layer, under extreme heat and pressure.

Step 4: Growth Continues Over Months

This is not a quick process. A single diamond grow takes months to complete. The diamond grows slowly but precisely, building up carat weight while EX3 team monitors every variable - temperature, gas ratios, pressure, plasma stability.

Step 5: Quality Check - the Grow Succeeds or It Does Not

EX3 is transparent about this: approximately 15% of all grows do not turn out. Not every crystal becomes a gem-quality diamond. However, the carbon from failed grows is not wasted - it is recycled and re-used in the next grow, making the process remarkably efficient and low-waste.

Why Not All Grows Succeed (And Why That Is a Good Sign)

A 15% failure rate might sound like a problem. It is not. It is proof of EX3 commitment to quality over volume.

CVD diamond growing is a highly sensitive process. Variables like plasma stability, gas ratios, temperature uniformity, and seed quality all influence the outcome. When conditions are not perfectly aligned, the crystal that forms may have inclusions, irregular color, or structural inconsistencies that do not meet gem quality standards.

Rather than forcing substandard stones through to market, EX3 holds each grow to a strict quality threshold. The carbon that does not make gem grade goes back into the process - zero waste.

From the Chamber to the Ring: EX3 Full In-House Process

What makes EX3 Diamond unusual is not just the OB1X chamber - it is what happens after the diamond leaves it.

Once a diamond crystal is pulled from the OB1X, it enters EX3 in-house cutting operation in Illinois. EX3 follows strict ideal cutting standards, drawing on the tradition of Marcel Tolowksi, who defined the mathematical dimensions of an ideal-cut diamond. At least one of EX3 master cutters trained in that tradition. The result: every stone is cut for maximum light performance - cut is the one aspect of the diamond EX3 does not compromise.

Larger diamonds are then submitted to the IGI (International Gemological Institute) - one of the most trusted grading laboratories in the diamond industry - for a full grading certificate. This is an independent evaluation, not an in-house appraisal. It documents the diamond exact 4Cs: carat, cut, color, and clarity.

After cutting and certification, the diamond goes to EX3 setting team. Two of EX3 setters have more than 60 years of combined experience. They use a proprietary cup burr technique to round each prong, ensuring a smooth, clean finish. Every EX3 ring is cast in the metal of your choosing - white gold, platinum, rose gold, or yellow gold - and hand-assembled in Illinois.

Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Real Diamonds?

Yes. Emphatically yes.

A lab-grown diamond and a mined diamond are made of the exact same thing: pure carbon atoms arranged in a tetrahedral lattice structure. They have the same chemical composition (carbon), the same crystal structure (cubic), the same optical properties (refractive index, dispersion), and the same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale).

As EX3 Diamond states directly: "The only way in which our diamonds differ from those found in the Earth's crust is that ours are conflict-free and environmentally friendly."

What EX3 lab-grown diamonds are not:

• They are not cubic zirconia - a fundamentally different material and much softer
• They are not moissanite - silicon carbide, a different compound entirely
• They are not diamond alternatives - they are diamonds

The same carbon, the same structure, the same sparkle - grown above ground instead of below it.

Why This Matters When You Buy

When you buy an EX3 Diamond engagement ring or loose diamond, you are not choosing a diamond alternative. You are choosing a diamond - one that:

• Was grown with full accountability and traceability
• Carries an IGI grading certificate
• Was cut, polished, and set by skilled artisans in Illinois
• Required no mining, no environmental destruction, and no conflict supply chain
• Costs significantly less than an equivalent mined diamond

EX3 tagline says it best: Responsible. Traceable. Scintillating.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does OB1X stand for?

OB1X is EX3 Diamond proprietary designation for their CVD diamond-growing chamber - the cylinder-shaped plasma reactor they developed and refined in-house.

How long does it take to grow an EX3 diamond?

The growing process inside the OB1X takes months - compared to the thousands of years it takes for a natural diamond to form underground.

What temperature does the OB1X chamber reach?

Approximately 10,000 degrees. EX3 describes the plasma field as intense enough to "immolate the sun outer layer."

What gas is used in the CVD process?

EX3 uses a carefully calibrated "cocktail of gases" - hydrocarbon gases that, under the extreme heat and pressure of the OB1X plasma, release carbon atoms that bond onto the diamond seed.

Are EX3 lab-grown diamonds certified?

Yes. Larger EX3 diamonds receive an IGI (International Gemological Institute) grading certificate - an independent assessment of the diamond cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.

What happens to diamonds that do not grow correctly?

About 15% of EX3 grows do not produce gem-quality diamonds. The carbon from those grows is recycled and used to regrow in the chamber, resulting in minimal waste.

See the OB1X Process in Every Stone

Ready to see what the OB1X produces? Browse EX3 Diamond loose lab-grown diamonds - each one grown in Illinois, cut to ideal standards, and certified by IGI. Or explore our engagement ring collection to find the setting that brings your diamond to life.

EX3 Diamond: Made in USA. 100% Eco-Friendly. Breathtaking.