Is Moissanite a Diamond?
When it mentions Moissanite, a series of questions may come to your mind. Some questions like What is Moissanite?” or “Is Moissanite a Diamond” may still puzzle you, although moissanite jewelry was available on the market by Charles & Colvard since 1995. To bring a deeper understanding of moissanite to you, here we will tell you more details about it.
What is moissanite?
Moissanite is a gemstone that shares plenty of common with a diamond. However, it is not a diamond. It riginally discovered in a meteor crater in Canyon Diablo, Arizona by Henri Moissan in 1893, it was even mistaken for a diamond at one time, for the reason that it is highly similar to a diamond in structure and appearance. Until 1904, it was identified as silicon carbide, a mineral that can be laboratory-created. Because it highly resembles a diamond and goes even with more brilliance than a diamond, it is sought after by the market. However, natural moissanite is extremely rare. As a result, most of the moissanite available on the market are laboratory-created. https://www.bestcarat.com/
What is the difference between moissanite and diamond?
Price and Value
Moissanite is composed of silicon carbide that can be made in a laboratory, while a diamond is a naturally-produced mineral. Due to its rarity and difficulty in mining, the price for a one-carat diamond reaches between $2,000 to $20,000, while one-carat moissanite will cost only $400-$500, which is only 10% of the value of diamonds.
Although moissanite is cheaper than diamonds, they lack value. In contrast， diamonds can remain valuable for a long time and can be kept as a precious family heirloom.
Brilliance and Fire
However, in the comparison of both fire and brilliance, moissanite goes better than a diamond does. The former one is rated at 0.104 in fire, with a refractive index of 2.65-2.69, while the latter is rated at 0.044 in fire, with a refractive index of only 2.42. This is the reason why moissanite is more dazzling than diamonds do.
Hardness
When it comes to the comparison of hardness between them, there is no doubt that diamonds are incredibly more durable than moissanite, as on the Mohs scale of gemstone's hardness, moissanite rank 9.25, while diamonds receive a 10, the maximum of the scale. Because of this score, diamonds are known as the best choice for daily wear. Although moissanite gets only 9.25, they are still very durable and even also widely used in jewelry for daily wearing.
Color
It is hard to differentiate moissanite from diamond if you view them in poor light or at a distance. However, when taking a closer look, you can see that moissanite are not colorless and even go with yellow, green, or gray tints under strong lighting. In comparison, diamonds are nearly colorless, without containing any yellow or gray tints.
Clarity
Due to their difference in source, there is a world difference in their clarity. Laboratory-made moissanite performs better than naturally-generated diamonds in the average clarity. It even goes without any impurities, in contrast, you can usually see some flaws and inclusion in diamonds.
Conclusion
Moissanite is a gemstone that highly resembles diamonds whether in appearance or structure. Despite its lack of value, it can be the best alternative due to its better performance in brilliance, fire, clarity, and price than that of diamonds.
