April 2023 | Lab Grown Magazine

April 2023 | The Lab Grown Diamond Resource Book 20 Mailed to 24,000 Jewelers Monthly - To advertise call (888) 832-1109 | April 2023 21 J AS D IAMONDS , INC . Grower, Wholesaler, Importer, & Manufacturer Grow with INVENTORY  5000+ Loose Certified Lab Diamonds up to 15cts  GIA, GCAL, IGI  All Inventory located in the U.S.  24/7 Live Inventory Listed on our Website  Premium Quality & Makes  Unique Shapes: Elongated & Square Old Miners, European Cuts  Fancy Shape Melee, Matched Pairs, & Layouts OFFERINGS  Long Term Memo Program  Custom Cutting Capabilities  Drop Shipping  Next Day Shipping  Dedicated Weekend Sales Sta“ Natural & Lab Melee, Layouts Preset & Made-to-Order Lab Grown Jewelry Lab Grown WWW.JASDIAMONDS.COM (312) 781-1865 Kaboom! That’s the sound that Tom Chatham was accustom to hearing as a child. His father, Carroll Chatham was an inventor, a geologist, a scientist, and a chemist. Creating his own gem growing garage lab in his pre-teens came with some surprises. And, some explosions. Luckily, Carroll Chatham’s unintentional detonations didn’t create any major misfortunes. Without the unexpected combustions of a “learn as you go” gem growing home lab, Chatham, Inc. may not be around today. As a curious and creative thinker, Carroll Chatham was also a genius. The last accolade is justified for anyone who can memorize The Hand Book of Chemistry - about the size of two dictionaries and this knowledge served as a reliable daily tool. But, Chatham was one more important thing: a perseverant. Undaunted by naysayers and a few dramatic detonations, the word “relentless” seems to run in the Chatham family DNA. It took Carroll Chatham three years to figure out how emerald crystals manifested in his garage gem growing chamber. And it literally took a flip of a switch after his father turned off the power to save on their electric bill. The drop in room temperature created the necessary cooling component required as one of the final growth steps. In 1965, Tom Chatham joined his father in business. After a tremulous struggle with lengthy legal battles with the FTC and many trial and error sessions in his father’s home lab, Tom Chatham knew he had to do more than be in lockstep with his dad’s gem growing methods… he had to find a way to promote the fact they were doing so. Today, Chatham, Inc. produces emeralds that align with the finest quality Columbia Muzo mined emeralds and may be grown in excess of ten carats. They also produce a wide array of colored gemstones, each structurally and chemically identical to their natural counterparts. Chatham, Inc. grows their own gems, cuts, facets and sets their own line of jewelry too. We had the opportunity to chat with Tom Chatham and gain insight into the gemstone growing world. “As grown” Natural gem quality emeralds are often treated. Emeralds grown in a laboratory are not irradiated, dyed, oiled or heat treated; that’s one major “as grown” advantage that Chatham offers. The allure of majestic blue sapphire roughs as grown by Chatham. Photo: Chatham, Inc.