What is Moissanite?
Where does it come from?
In 1893, French chemist Henri Moissan discovered this gemstone in a meteorite crater in Arizona.
At first, he thought it was a diamond, but then after testing it out, he discovered it was silicon carbide (diamond is just simple “carbon”).
Nowadays, most, if not all of the moissanite you see in jewelry is made in a lab, using extreme heat and pressure, similar to how lab diamonds are made.
What makes moissanite a good alternative to diamonds?
Moissanite is the hardest gemstone, next to diamonds, which makes them very durable and long lasting. Diamond is a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, and Moissanite scores a 9.25 – 9.5. Also, moissanite has a similar thermal conductivity to diamond, which is why it can pass many diamond testers.
Does moissanite shine like diamonds?
Moissanite and diamond shine very similar, especially for smaller stones, and is very hard to tell them apart. However, moissanite is “double refractive”, which means light entering the stone splits into two as it refracts outwards. This creates that brilliant shine that you see in moissanite jewelry. The double refraction creates brilliance and greater "fire" than a diamond. Many people believe this is the reason why moissanite may have a more “rainbow” shine effect than diamonds, although diamonds can also have that same effect.
How much does moissanite cost?
Like diamonds, the prices for moissanite can vary significantly based on where you get it from, but is significantly lower than the cost of natural and lab diamonds. Shop at Moi Customs to get some great prices on moissanite jewelry!