China’s synthetic diamond finds its biggest opportunity through AI chips

China dominates the synthetic diamond industry, producing 95 per cent of the global total, with industrial-grade output alone accounting for over 90 per cent of worldwide production. The industry’s total output value exceeded RMB 17 billion in 2025.

Chinese researchers at Jilin University and Sun Yat-sen University have synthesised high-quality hexagonal diamond, 40 per cent harder than traditional cubic diamond, with thermal stability exceeding 1,100 degrees Celsius.

 As AI chip power densities continue to rise, China’s synthetic diamond industry is positioned to become an indispensable link in the global AI hardware supply chain.