A method of growing carbonaceous particles comprises depositing carbon from a carbon source, onto a particle nucleus, the particle nucleus being a carbon-containing material, an inorganic material, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, and the carbon source comprising a saturated or unsaturated compound of C20 or less, the carbonaceous particles having a uniform particle size and particle size distribution. The method is useful for preparing polycrystalline diamond compacts (PDCs) by a high-pressure, high temperature (HPHT) process.