As spring weather blooms, we're excited to share with you the latest and greatest when it comes to diamond substitutes - moissanite.
In its natural form, moissanite comes from space, created by a meteorite that fell to earth. These crystals are composed of silicon carbide, making natural moissanite incredibly rare. As a result, moissanite available today is lab-created. This lab-created stone is engineered to look similar to diamonds but is physically quite different from a true diamond.
Diamond Vs Moissanite
Unlike diamonds, which are naturally occurring, moissanite is mostly produced in labs. While diamonds are extremely rare and take years to develop, moissanite is developed easily and can be obtained at a much lower price.
Moissanite has some unique characteristics that set it apart from diamonds. When viewed through a jeweler's loupe, moissanite shows doubling signs that diamonds do not. Moissanite also produces a rainbow effect when light passes through, creating fiery rainbow flashes that some people love, while others may find it has a "disco ball" effect. Diamonds, on the other hand, are singly refractive.
When magnified, moissanite shows pipelike inclusions that cannot be seen in diamonds. Diamonds have a hardness of between 9.5 and 10 on the Mohs scale, depending on purity. Moissanite has a hardness of between 9.25 to 9.5, making it the second hardest stone in nature.
Diamonds are graded according to the 4 C's scale (cut, clarity, color, carat weight). Moissanite is graded solely on color. Premium moissanites are nearly colorless and can be compared to a G or H color on the 4 C's scale.
When examined under a microscope, moissanite is not as well polished as a typical diamond, with many having rounded facet junctions in contrast to the sharp junctions seen on a diamond.
Moissanite Vs. Cubic Zirconia
For those wondering how moissanite compares to cubic zirconia (CZ), moissanite is much harder than CZ. According to the Knoop indention test, CZ has less than half (45%) the hardness of moissanite, with CZ measuring 1370 and moissanite measuring 3000. This indicates that moissanite is 219% harder than CZ. Additionally, when comparing toughness, which is the resistance to chipping and breaking, moissanite comes out on top, being over 300% more resistant to chipping. PSI testing a CZ is 2.4 compared to moissanite's 7.6. Given moissanite's high hardness and toughness, it won't scratch, chip, or wear like a CZ.
Moissanite is known for its high refractive index of 2.69, which is 25% greater than the refractive index of CZ. The higher the refractive index, the more brilliance the jewel emits. Moissanite's dispersion of light is 58% greater than that of CZ, meaning it emits more fire or flashes of rainbow light than CZ. The luster of moissanite is also 50% higher than that of CZ. The higher the luster, the greater the amount of light reflected from the surface of the gemstone.
Lastly, moissanite has a heat resistance that is greater than CZ, which is very sensitive to heat.
At Cutenami Jewelry, we are always striving to educate and inform our customers. We encourage you to come to our store and see for yourself what suits your style and desires. We hope that this article has helped you learn more about the differences between diamonds, moissanites, and cubic zirconias.