What is moissanite?

Moissanite is a rare gem that has almost all of the qualities of a diamond. It was first discovered in 1893, while a scientist was examining meteor samples from a crater in Arizona. Upon first glance he thought he had found diamonds, but a few years later after some lab testing they were identified as as new spectacular gem.

Upon seeing such a breathtaking gem, people searched far and wide to find more. In the 1950’s more samples were found in Russian mines and Wyoming rock formations, but naturally occurring this is a very scarce gemstone. Realizing the potential of this material, scientists determined a way to create it in a laboratory in the 1990’s. Since then we now have an amazing stone that’s superior to diamonds that can be made at a fraction of the cost.

moissanite_stone

Moissanite in jewelry

Moissanite has some incredible properties that make it ideal for jewelry  In fact, it is more brilliant (sparkles) and more fiery (rainbow colors) than a diamond. While diamonds have imperfections that must be measured (the 4 C’s), moissanite is created as perfect – no inclusions, no cloudiness, no worries. When you pick out a diamond you must examine it carefully to make sure you are aware of the imperfections, yet with a moissanite you can rest assured knowing it’s flawless.

moissanite_setting

Charles & Colvard is the first company to produce and sell moissanite for jewelry. Almost all of the moissanite stones that are found in engagement rings are created by them. They blazed the trails and now dominate the moissanite market through their brands Forever Brilliant, Moissanite.com, and Lulu Avenue. Thankfully they have not artificially inflated the price like deBeers has done to the diamond market.

Is moissanite a diamond?

Moissanite is NOT a diamond. Yet they get confused so often because they are practically indistinguishable by the naked eye. In fact, even under a microscope they are rarely different. A gemologist has to have a special tool to determine if a stone is a diamond or moissanite.

Many people wonder “Can you tell moissanite is not a diamond?”. 20/20 did an investigation where they took a moissanite ring to 10 different jewelers. Half of them declared it was a real diamond. Even their diamond detectors tested positive!

Here’s an image of a moissanite and a diamond side by side. Can you tell which is which?

moissante_vs_diamond_sidebyside

If you must know, the one in the setting is the diamond. Could you see any differences?

 

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