Researchers from North Carolina State University have discovered a new phase of solid carbon, called Q-carbon, which is distinct from the known phases of graphite and diamond. They have also developed a technique for using Q-carbon to make diamond-related structures at room temperature and at ambient atmospheric pressure in air.
https://www.1215engagement.com/education.html http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Synthetic-Diamond/ sorry for bad type and format but still in a cast and still hurts to type. lab diamonds have been a thing now for years. this looks like it is a serious reduction in costs. good.
What makes this different from standard lab grown diamonds is that there were only originally only two known phases of solid carbon, graphite and diamond. Making a lab grown diamond required large amounts of heat and pressure. This new phase that they discovered (which is magnetic by the way, how cool it that?) only required ambient pressure and temperature. Yes this will lead to cheaper lab grown diamonds but it is also an amazing discovery in its own right. Oh, and get well soon!