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FAQs Moissanite

What is Moissanite?

Where does moissanite come from?

Natural silicon carbide is impossibly rare on Earth; in fact, it first gained fame when tiny particles were discovered by the Nobel Prize-winning French chemist Dr. Henri Moissan at the site of a massive meteorite strike in Arizona.

 

This intriguing new stone was named Moissanite in his honor, and Moissan spent the rest of his life attempting to re-create this rare mineral, which is among the hardest materials on Earth.

 

In nature, silicon carbide is created over millennia by a combination of extreme heat and pressure. Our researchers re-create those conditions in a controlled, profoundly accelerated process which produces durable, super-hard crystals with a minimum of ecological impact…and absolutely no mining.

 

Many years later in a research laboratory, scientists perfected the innovative process that creates silicon carbide crystals with such purity that it rivals any earthly gemstone for fire and brilliance. In these gems, which are more durable than diamond, sapphire, ruby, or emerald, this fire and brilliance will last forever.

Moissanite Characteristic:

What is The Characteristic of Moissanite?

There are four C’s jewelers use when grading gemstones; the Cut, the Color, the Clarity and the Carat weight. They tell you everything you need to know about moissanite to achieve the fifth C – which is Confidence. The quality and enduring value of moissanite jewelry can be expressed in those 5C’s and every Moissanite gem is strictly examined by our experienced Gemological Institute of America Graduate Gemologists.

Will Moissanite Fade or Change Color Over Time?

Moissanite is the hardest, toughest and more durable gemstones on earth. It is as stable as a diamond. Therefore it is impossible to fade or change the color overtime. 

Does Moissanite Have Inclusions?

Moissanite’s clarity grading is “eye-clean. Moissanite using organic elements, mimicking nature in a controlled environment, therefore moissanite gems have tiny, needle-like inclusions that invariably develop during the growing process of moissanite. However, only moissanite gemstones that pass stringent quality standards are made available for distribution.

How the Moissanite Carat Work?

Moissanite is visually proportionate to typical diamond carat weights but is approximately 10% lighter. Most jewelers find it easier to sell moissanite by size rather than weight. A 6.5mm round brilliant natural diamond would have a carat weight of approximately 1.00ct compared to a moissanite of the same dimension (6.5mm) which has a carat weight of approximately 0.88ct. Simply put, to the eye they appear to be the same size, although the weight of the two stones may be slightly different.

Like other gems, large sizes of moissanite are rare. However, the premium for large sizes is much less, making moissanite a particularly good choice for bold jewelry designs.

Is Moissanite an Ideal Cut?

Each Moissanite gemstone is cut according to strict standards, using exact angles and proportions designed especially for the moissanite gemstone. Master gemstone cutters carefully and precisely hand-facet each beautiful jewel to bring out the stunning brilliance of its coveted fire. All of our moissanite colorless gemstones are precisely calibrated and hand-cut by a master technician to create maximum brilliance and spark the ultimate fire. 

What are the Shapes of Moissanite?

Here are the most popular cuts of moissanite. The round brilliant moissanite is the most popular cut, other favorites include asscher cut, cushion cut, oval cut, princess cut, square brilliant cut, trillion cut, triangle cut, pear cut, emerald cut, radiant cut marquise cut, heart cut.

 

See below the illustration of some of moissanite’s most popular cuts:

 

Round Brilliant Cut Moissanite

58 facets (available in 2.5mm to 15mm)

Cushion Cut Moissanite

62 Facets. (available in 2.0mm to 10.0mm)

Emerald Cut Moissanite

46 Facets. (available in 4.0×2.0mm to 10.0×8.0mm)

Heart Cut Moissanite

57 Facets. (available in 2.5mm to 10.0mm)

Marquise Cut Moissanite

59 Facets. (available in 5.0×2.5mm to 14.0×7.0)

Oval Cut Moissanite

58 Facets. (available in 4.0×2.0mm to 14.0×10.0mm)

Pear Cut Moissanite

72 Facets. (available in 5.0×3.0mm to 12.0×8.0mm)

Radiant Cut Moissanite

54 Facets. (available in 4.0×2.0mm to 14.0×10.0mm)

Princess/Square Brilliant Cut Moissanite

66 Facets. (available in 2.5×2.5mm to 10.0×10.0mm)

Asscher Cut Moissanite

58 Facets. (available in 5.0mm to 6.0mm)

Toughness And Hardness:

Is Moissanite Resistant to Scratching?

The MOHs scale ranges from a 0 to a 10, with a 10 being the hardest mineral, Moissanite measured at a 9.25 (in comparison, diamonds have a hardness of 10). This means moissanite is very durable and extremely resistant to scratching and abrasion.

Does Moissanite break easily?

Moissanite is one of the toughest known gemstones. Studies in high pressure research have shown that moissanite is highly resistant to breaking and chipping.

Is moissanite heat resistant?

While many gemstones don’t do well with heat, Moissanite has an incredibly high melting point of 2730 °C, which will withstand a jeweler’s torch during resizing or repairs to the ring setting.

Moissanite’s heat tolerance burn at 1,100 °F. The color of the Moissanite does change color temporarily but will revert back to its original color once it cools down.

What Property of Moissanite Makes It Sparkle?

The most significant optical property affecting a gemstone’s brilliance, or sparkle, is the brilliance refractive index or BRI. The BRI of moissanite ranges from 2.65 to 2.69, meaning it displays more brilliance than diamond (with a BRI of 2.42) or any other popular gemstone.

Will Moissanite Retain Its Value Over Time?

Due to its rarity and unrivaled beauty, moissanite is expected to retain or increase its value over time.

Moissanite vs Diamond:

What Is The Difference Between a Diamond and a Moissanite?

The biggest difference between diamonds and Moissanite is how they sparkle. Moissanite has a higher refractive index than diamond – 2.65 vs. 2.69. This means it will bring you more brilliance than a diamond.

You will find below the comparison between diamonds and moissanite.

Characteristics Diamond Moissanite
Brilliance Refraction Index (RI) 2.42 2.65-2.69
Fire Dispersion 0.044 0.104
Hardness Mohs Scales 10 9.25-9.5
Toughness Good to Excellent Excellent

What Color Is Moissanite?

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), provide standards for gems and precious stones. The famous 4 C’s (cut, color, clarity, and carat weight), are now used as the industry standard for grading diamonds and lab-created stones.

Diamonds are graded for color using an alphabetical scale from “D” that represents the most colorless diamond to “K” that represents some slightly tinted.

  • Colorless: (D-E-F),
  • Near colorless: (G-H-I)
  • Slightly tinted: (J-K)

Moissanite color ranges is from colorless (D-E-F) to near colorless (G-H-I).

 

All of our Moissanite gemstones and Moissanite engagement rings found on our website are from Charles and Colvard’s Forever One collection, which are the highest quality stones available on the market today. They are guaranteed to be colorless and VS clarity or better.

Moissanite is a stone as stable, and durable, as a diamond. The brilliance and the color will never change over time.

Is Moissanite a Diamond?

Moissanite is a gemstone by itself that is 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.

 Some investigation where done by 20/20 and took a moissanite engagement ring to 10 different jewelers. Half of them declared it was a real diamond. Even their diamond detectors tested positive!

Is Moissanite a synthetic diamond?

Moissanite is both a synthetic, and a lab-created diamond. Moissanite is a diamond simulant because it is made to look like a diamond. It is synthetic because it is made in a lab. The molecular structure of moissanite is almost the same that is found in Diamond.

Moissanite is our favorite diamond alternative.  It is highly dispersive (rainbow sparkle!), and durable for a lifetime like a diamond. 

Is moissanite a diamond alternative?

Moissanite is the most popular diamond alternative for couples on a budget. 

Moissanite is as stable as a diamond. Therefore it is impossible to fade or change the color overtime.  

See below prices comparison:

 

Carat

GIA Certified Diamond

(Round, F color, VS1 clarity)

Moissanite Forever One

(Round, D-E-F Color, VS1 clarity or better)

0.50ct $1,500+ $269
1.00ct $7,000+ $599
2.00ct $25,000+ $1,349

 

How Much Does Moissanite Cost?

On average, a moissanite costs 90% less than a diamond of similar size and quality. This drastic difference in price is a major selling point for many people who choose moissanite for their jewelry design.

 

Because moissanite is so brilliant and durable, it has become the best diamond alternative. It is available to almost all of the well known shapes.

You will see below some side to side price comparison of the most popular shape.

 

Shape Carat

GIA certified Diamond

(F color, VS clarity)

Moissanite Forever One

(D-E-F Color, VS+ clarity)

Round

1.00 $8,000+ $599
Round 1.90 $25,000+ $1,349
Cushion 1.10 $6,000+ $689
Square/princess 1.30 $7,000+ $849
Emerald 1.75 $13,000+ $1,349
Oval 1.50 $11,000+ $1,040
Pear 1.50 $12,000+ $1,189

 

Does moissanite test as a real diamond?

Moissanite will test positive using a traditional thermal diamond tester used in jewelry stores. The reason is due to the very similar heat signature of Moissanite and diamond stones.

 

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