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 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.
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?
If you must know, the one in the setting is the diamond. Could you see any differences?
By Shane Stone March 25, 2013 - 7:11 am
Some people are pointing out differences between the two stones in the side by side comparison. Let me remind you that a gem in a setting refracts light differently than a loose gem. If they were to switch positions, the picture would look the same.
By Kevin December 6, 2014 - 4:47 pm
It is obvious to me which one is the moissanite!
By Jinky December 7, 2020 - 6:09 am
Hi Sir Stone . Can you tell me more about the difference of diamond and Loose Gemstones Moissanite Diamond .!?
By Rene Bohner August 21, 2013 - 9:42 am
when a jeweler says that a moissanite he is selling is certified and charges lots for it what is he really saying.
Is he say it is expensive because it is a real stone or a lab created stone he is charging a lot for and has made up papers to make me happy?
By Shane Stone September 3, 2013 - 6:53 am
Hi Rene – I have not heard of “certified moissanite” before, and it sounds like a scam. Besides, I can see the reason to get a certified diamond, but not a certified moissanite – it’s already a fake diamond and you know it. I’d stay away from that jeweler.
By bandit March 23, 2015 - 7:16 am
Hey Shane – Obviously you have not seen the collection of Moissanite Jewelry in Fingerhut Catalog. It offers a Certificate of Authenticity.
By Shane Stone March 28, 2015 - 10:36 am
Hey Bandit – I was not aware of that, thank you. Although not sure what it is certifying? The way I see it, who needs a certificate for fools gold?
By Patricia Angelo February 5, 2017 - 6:51 pm
The key word here is Fingerhut
By I Atkins January 7, 2018 - 1:53 pm
Moissanite. IS a rare stone but very few found, so they have found out what it is made off and created the stone in the laboraties. Does that make it real? Thats for you to decide. Ask yourself how many other stones are made this way but still considered real. Have you seen stones in there natural state. I have many. What you are used to seeing have been heated and some chemically treated to give them the sparkle and shine you are used to. In the natural state most have no natural sparkle or shine. So are they any more real? As for Diamonds they are the least rare gem of all. They are only considered the best because of the hardness and cutting qualities, so does it really matter so long as you love what you see.
By Singh Divyanathan October 10, 2013 - 9:04 pm
Charles and Colvard does include certificate card on every loose stone that they sell.
By Chuck Monachino April 7, 2014 - 5:15 am
I bought what is supposed to be a 1.5 carat black diamond but upon testing was told that it is a moissanite. Is it worth anything?
By Lisa Campbell May 17, 2014 - 2:02 pm
Hi I have a 1 carat heart shaped moissanite ring 18ct & it is a beautiful ring it came with a certificate of authenticity to & I just ordered my 2nd 1 from Very.co.uk it has so much more fire & colour than a diamond.
By Kevin August 27, 2014 - 4:19 pm
Good choice they are stunning !
By Susan Lounsbury June 8, 2014 - 1:10 pm
I guessed wrong. Wow.
By Kevin August 27, 2014 - 4:17 pm
Moissanite gems are spectacular and of all the diamonds I had purchased the moissanite has garnered more comments to my wife as yo how beautiful it is .also the fundamental makeup of moissanite is the same triangle molecular carbon as a diamond and therefore the diamond industry lobbied hard to get M declared a non-diamond , just as hard , more brilliant and much less blood spliled to get one . It’s an awesome rock . But for those if you that feel you need to pay big money for a diamond for which you could be lucky to resell for 25% of what you paid ….go ahead . My wife likes the M stone better than the diamond I got her that was smaller and cost 10x the money . It’s all about profits for the world market of diamonds which is monopolized by debeers who releases and holds diamonds to control the market and keep it high , diamonds , are only worth big money if they are unique , in color and size otherwise 98% are just regular massively marked up rip offs
By Mike November 18, 2014 - 4:58 am
If you can only resell your diamond for 25% of what you paid then you are doing it very wrong
By Jason December 9, 2014 - 12:13 am
I have talked to many jewellers and valuers (one from one of the biggest houses), and you will be very lucky to get 10% of what you paid for it. Eg: If you paid $4k then expect to get between $200 and $400 for it at the hoc shop or a jeweller. They work out what it would cost them to make wholesale and give you something less than this as its second hand.
By Barbara December 12, 2014 - 2:18 pm
The replacement value that you are given for insurance purposes is generally 70% more than you will get if you try to sell it.The jeweler has overheads,wages and in Britain almost 20% tax to pay on any gemstone jewelry that he sells,all you will be offered when you want to sell it back will be what the gem is actually worth.diamonds are worth a lot less than we are persuaded they are,particularly those under half a carat.
By Madee P May 25, 2016 - 9:21 pm
First of all…. may I say I’m sorry for such a late response, but I’m just finding this website now.You absolutely can’t tell the difference between moissante and a mined diamond other than the inclusions and color and a diamond tester. I saw Moissante in a Dept store years ago and it was so damned expensive!!! I have been doing some research and found a stone that I could buy and set into my ring!! I just had a 1.90ct moissante set into my diamond band. My engagement ring is so friggin awesome I can’t stop looking at it!!!!! The refraction of color and light in this stone is beautiful!!! Even my jeweler couldn’t tell the difference without his diamond tester. He was amazed! I’ve been down the road with real diamonds and the expense. I will never buy a real diamond again!! Thanks Moissante!!! I’m a true fan!!! Thank you!!
By Angela January 5, 2015 - 6:33 pm
Nah, Actually he isn’t much off at all, his 25% could actually be a generous amount.. My question would be, has anyone else had the horrible experience or know of a situation,. Where a True Authentic 3-C.C.C. Diamond From a Respected Family Owned ‘Local jeweler,. I owned a One Carat center stone surrounded by Both baguette & round diamond.. A Smashing Ring at a lil under 2carat total weight and tag’d at $2,900.00,.. The ring was left ten yrs after purchase at our hometown local jewelry store (with no less an in house jeweler), to be resized..This week my attempt to sell the ring, what I proposed an easy task has turned into 3days alota travel an leg work and sad-offers, Til my true amazement today when I for the first time ever heard the word ‘Moissanite,,. I stop by a friends pawnshop to ask for any further suggestions that I hadnt already attempted. After cleaning it up for me, he check the stones and my center diamond ‘Has been Switched . I now own a yet very beautiful, but dollar wise ‘A now Worthless Ring’ my friends business does not even allow employees to take these stones on a pawn much less purchase.!!! Needless to say I’m Fuk’n devastated’ and too angry to confront anyone just yet’ gather my facts first and think it thru..? So I’m Thankful for this information, I honestly can say my next purchase could very well be a ‘Moissanite Gem’ especially after the comparison this information, and what I unknowingly yet first hand experienced by wearing one the past 3-4 mths.. Nobody knew”. Gracious Comments made Daily, oh and so you know I would have dove toward a 25% percent offer the past week of running my ass off from person to person and store to store of course stranger to stranger.. Been a Real headache, and as of now im feeling pretty screwed.¿?.!! Any Suggestions.¿!? Keeping it Real… Nashville’
By Lechana April 15, 2015 - 12:11 pm
OMG THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY MOMS RING AFTER SHE LEFT IT AT HER JEWELERS TO BE CLEANED. IM SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT HAPPENED TO U . THATS WHY ITS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE UR DIAMONDS LAZERD WITH A SERIAL NUMBER.
By Danny February 1, 2015 - 7:11 pm
Does it make a difference in their value if a moissanite is a natural gemstone or a synthetic gemstone?
By Shane Stone March 3, 2015 - 8:26 pm
Pretty much all moissanite is synthetic. I have not come across any natural moissanite in my life.
By I Atkins January 7, 2018 - 2:14 pm
Moissanite is NOT actually synthetic. The original but rare ones were mined, just as Diamonds are. However being so rare and hard to find, they were tested and the substances in them almost similar to a Diamond were then re-produced in a lab. MOST Gemstones have some chemicals and heating to get to the state that you would buy them in. I have natural emerald, rubies as well as many others. Most look like lumps of coloured (not brightly) rocks. Diamonds are not rare and some other stones are actually more rarer and valuable, one instance is Tanzanite. But because of the clever marketing, Diamonds have been vastly overpriced…
By Ted rose July 2, 2015 - 11:00 pm
Synthetic is merely a WORD that refers to one thing here that it was “man made “. The reason diamond people use the word “synthetic” is it sounds fake ….which it’s not , moissanite is the SAME chemical material and structure as a diamond …the only part that is different is the manufacturing , man made it with carbon heat and pressure , the earth did the same usually but not always more time . So “synthetic ” is analogous to man made . So what ? They are more brilliant , just as hard and they even had to invent a machine for jewelry stores ,so they could differentiate between a diamond and a moissanite . Ask any jeweler . Why ? Jewelrs can’t even tell the difference ! How does the machine know ….Well no it’s not because it’s a different chemical structure as many misinformed people say , it knows because the Moissanite is perfect …no inclusions, no color fade or inconsistency and perfect cut . There’s how it knows . So why do so many people not in the diamond business defend diamonds to death ? Simple they got spanked hard by shelling out way to much $$ for something they now ( secretly) checked ain’t worth squat ! So by defending their purchase they collectively or individually are trying to not feel like schmucks and prop up the current diamond market with their own propaganda . Remember the number one rule in sales of ANYTHING …it’s only worth what somebody will pay for it . Buy what you , want , pay what you want , but Moissanite is the best kept secret there is and they are stunning …..keep buying diamonds I don’t care …..there’s wharehouses full of them .
By Gordy April 16, 2016 - 10:30 pm
The machine can tell the difference between moissianite and a diamond because they have different index of refraction. That is all
By jo July 13, 2015 - 11:24 am
Moissanites are easy to identify when you know how, mainly because of double refraction which diamonds dont have. It contributes to the superior sparkle. Im a pawnbroker and see many customers trying to pass them off as diamonds. They beat the diamond tester and the moissanite tester is unreliable so we rely on our eyes to compare fire colour and refraction. Also there are very few totally flawless diamonds being pawned in as you never get close.to your money back. For that reason if it looks too good to be true (flawless) it usually is.
By jo July 13, 2015 - 11:28 am
Also when buying diamonds ask the seller to show you them through a.10x loupe. If the stone is decent they will be happy to point out any natural flaws..even the ones you hadnt noticed. Once you know your diamond properly you wont need laser etching to identify it as they usually have their own unique fingerprint of inclusions
By Catherine October 12, 2015 - 11:30 am
I’m proud to wear a moissanite ring, and I would be ashamed to wear a diamond. DeBeers is THE MOST corrupt company in the world! And the diamond industry is a sham. Diamonds ARE NOT rare people! DeBeers controls the market and wants you to think that diamonds are rare gems. And why anyone would want to wear something that has, and continues to, cost the lives of so many people is beyond me. Just because they slap a “conflict free” label on it doesn’t change the history, and can you really believe that label coming from such a corrupt organization. I don’t. I’ll just continue to where my gorgeous moissanite ring with pride and a clear conscience.
By I Atkins January 7, 2018 - 2:17 pm
Well said…
By Catherine October 12, 2015 - 11:39 am
Oh, and moissanite is not synthetic. It is a genuine gem stone grown in a lab rather than in the earth (meteorite). It is still comprised of all the properties that you would find in a moissanite found in nature. Just the same as lab created rubies, sapphires, emeralds, etc. even though they are created in a lab they are still genuine gem stones. And actually they are better than what you find in nature because they are flawless. I’ve heard jewelers make that very statement.
By janko November 15, 2015 - 9:15 am
Which moissanite are positive on the latest diamond tester
By Lori Garcia January 21, 2016 - 6:17 am
I had been wanting a new diamond ring for my 25th wedding anniversary. When my husband told me i had to see this moissanite diamond, i was hurt because i had been wearing a cz cheapo rings for yrs since my original wedding ring was set in gold i liked silver as yrs pasted….well let me tell you when the seller put the moissanite up to her diamond same size 2 c i picked the moissanite hands down i dont care where it came from so much prettier than a diamond by far and so much more affordable. We could of never bought a 2c flawless diamond, i love it and am so proud to wear it i cant stop looking at it it so beautiful. My husband was right, he knew id love it once i saw it..
By Demosthenes January 23, 2016 - 9:20 am
There are many mistakes in the various comments I’ve read, (and I’m not talking about the atrocious spelling, syntax and punctuation of some). First, Moissonites are not the same composition as diamonds; they are made of silicon carbide whereas diamonds are pure carbon. They can readily be detected by machines that all jewelers now have. 15 years ago many jewelers had old testers that couldn’t detect Moissonites but there’s no point in pretending that today most jewelers are fooled, it’s simply not true. The garish rainbow of colors given off by Moissonites might charm some people but more than a few non jewelers can tell the difference and while they may not say something to you about your ring, you are making a fool of yourself if you pretend to all your friends you’re wearing a diamond if one of them can tell the difference and tells all the others…… Moissonite is indeed harder than a sapphire and wears well. As for resale value, it all depends on how you BOUGHT your diamond. If you carefully sourced an unmounted and certified diamond and had it set yourself, you should be able to get a good proportion of your purchase price back if you are careful about choosing a good buyer. However if you had walked into a jeweler and said you needed a $1500 diamond ring, you’ll probably get no more than 10 to 15% of the purchase price back.
By the way, the idea of conflict-free diamonds is a fallacy. The diamond trade was worried about sales going down so they came up with the idea of certified diamonds. Looks great on paper but that’s all it is. Think about it. I’m a poor black farmer in Congo and I find a 5 carat rough diamond in the river. I say to my wife “what a pity I’m in Congo. This stone is worth $10.000 just 100 miles away, what a pity we live in Congo. I guess I’ll just throw it back in the river………”
By Minnie March 4, 2016 - 1:37 am
*Moissanite
By Briana January 29, 2016 - 12:35 am
Good for you, Lori! Now if I could just convince people on the local site I’m trying to sell my moissanite engagement ring on. It has a 1.5 carat heart-shaped center stone flanked by two marquise stones for a total of 1.96 carats, set in 14k white and yellow gold. We had it custom designed.
Sadly, the relationship ended without a trip to the altar nearly 12.5 years ago. The ring has just been sitting in its box most of that time, while I’ve tried to sell it the past couple of years. Some of the offers have been downright insulting. People really think a diamond is better, but I patently disagree, which is why I chose moissanite to begin with. I didn’t want something that came from a huge open pit mine with all that damage to the environment and there were so many conflict diamonds around in the early 2000s. But now people are such hypocrites. They’re all about saving the planet, but they want diamonds and it never occurs to them the destruction involved in obtaining them. It also never occurs to them how much more beautiful moissanite can be. I will never forget how my female co-workers reacted when I first wore my ring to the office–their eyes were popping out of their heads. What a shame it would be if it never brought another lady the joy it once gave me and just sat in a box for years to come the way it’s been doing all this time.
By April April 10, 2016 - 9:26 pm
I had to sell my 2ct Asscher cut diamond last year due to an emergency and I got just 1/3 of what I paid for it. Broke my heart to know that I had paid so dearly for a beautiful stone and wasn’t able to recoup the investment. I replaced it with a 2-ct Asscher cut Moissanite and it’s beautiful, but I’m having a hard time with the “lab created” aspect, because diamond is my birthstone. I don’t see how Moissanite is different than a CZ – when the stones are so plentiful they’re not very special at all.
By Todd Wood July 12, 2016 - 9:55 pm
Yes the diamond // Moissanite argument is like trying to convince someone from the CIA that Oswald Was set up to look like he shot JFK.
M’s are across the board more brilliant and exceed diamonds in ever other catagory of luster , refraction etc, it’s no contest and they are cut to perfection which enhances the brilliance . They stack up and beyond diamonds in every way except price . Only unique and unusual diamonds bring big $$. Otherwise it’s a good %75-%95 markup . How do you think those mall diamond peddlers have 200 employees at one store ???
By keith Robberding February 9, 2017 - 10:21 pm
I have a charles colvard lab created moissanite 9mm stone, it’s gorgeous and is a 9.5 on the mohs scale hardness . After originally buying a better than diamond stone which became damaged after weariing it for a couple of months. Edges got rounded in a stone. Saphires have flaws. Jewelers know that a supposed gemstone is a fake when it has no flaws. My moissanite is gorgeous, fieryI was perplexed seeing the engagement ring designers are creating rings with huge numbers of tiny, (industrial diamonds) that collectively look nice but in fact aren’t worth much. When placing these tiny diamonds next to the latest fad, the “chocolate diamond” ( worth less than industrial diamonds ) this phony industry needs to be exposed for what it is, a basic scam.
I am writing this comment as a warning, “caveat emptor,” “let the buyer beware ) to unsuspecting diamond shoppers. Go look at a moissanite stone in person, and see what
you’ve been missing. Mine is a 9mm stone k, cost aboutk $800, beat that
By Betty March 13, 2017 - 7:20 pm
Is one of the traits of a moissanite that it has really dark refractions in certain lighting while remaining relatively clear/white in the other non-dark areas? Thanks!
By Lucy Lanasa March 17, 2017 - 10:06 am
Catherine, if a gemstone is created, it’s not “genuine”. Created is created. Genuine is genuine.
By I Atkins January 7, 2018 - 2:23 pm
Lucy Lanasa:- In that case then MOST gemstones are not ”genuine” in your view. So cultured pearls cannot be genuine in your view. REALLY!
By JF lanessa February 8, 2019 - 7:17 am
What is the difference between a real diamond and russian diamond? Which one has a greater value?
By Stanley Johnson August 12, 2020 - 12:30 am
Moissanite is engineered to give the illusion of similarity to diamonds, but is compositionally and visually quite different from a real diamond.
By Colin Campbell November 20, 2020 - 9:30 am
Is Moissante listed on the stock exchange or has an investment opportunity?