Although often compared to a diamond for its similar appearance, there is no such thing as a moissanite diamond. In the same way that an emerald or a sapphire is different to a diamond, moissanite is a real gemstone with its own unique beauty and chemical properties. As a sparkly, affordable and responsible choice, moissanite is rapidly becoming a gemstone of choice for those who want a break in tradition, or just simply love the unique sparkle that this gemstone has to offer.

Benefits of Moissanite

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    Mining Free

    Moissanite is lab created with minimal environmental impact.

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    Value

    Moissanite is less expensive per carat than many other gemstones.

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    Durability

    Moissanite is a 9.25 on the Mohs scale of hardness, so they’re suitable for everyday wear.

Moissanite is Its Own Unique Gemstone

With origins literally out of this world, moissanite has a unique story of discovery. First unearthed in an Arizona meteor crater by Henry Moissan in 1893, the French scientist first assumed he’d discovered diamonds. However, he soon realised that the microscopic particles were made of silicon carbide and were an entirely new discovery – a gemstone that would share his name: Moissanite.

Natural moissanite particles are extremely rare but luckily for us, modern science allows them to be beautifully replicated in controlled laboratory environments. As a lab grown stone, this makes moissanite both an affordable option, as well as one that is responsible for the planet. Since moissanite does not require mining, you can be rest assured that your stone’s source is easily traceable and was created without the concerns associated with traditional gemstone mining.

Moissanite Has Unique Physical Properties

Although moissanite can give the illusion of a diamond appearance, it is its own unique gemstone with subtle physical differences that separate it from a diamond and other white gemstones. This includes differences in chemical makeup, hardness, clarity, colour and brilliance.

Chemical Makeup

Unlike diamonds, which are made from carbon, moissanite is made from silicon carbide. As an extraordinarily rare, naturally-occurring mineral, moissanite in today’s jewellery is grown in controlled laboratory environments. Moissanite is grown using the Physical Vapour Transport (PVT) process. This intricate method involves sublimating silicon carbide in a vacuum, transforming it into a vapour that delicately deposits onto a seed crystal. The process starts by heating silicon carbide powder in a graphite crucible at high temperatures, causing it to sublime in a vacuum. The silicon carbide vapour then moves to a cooler part of the crucible, where it settles onto a seed crystal, forming a brilliant moissanite gem.

Moissanite vs. Diamond vs. Lab Diamond

Durability
Gemstones are measured on the Mohs scale, which addresses a gem's hardness.

Moissanite

Moissanites are at 9.25 on the Mohs scale, making them suitable for everyday wear.

Diamond

Diamonds, the hardest naturally occurring mineral, rank 10 on the Mohs scale.

Lab Diamond

Lab diamonds also rank 10 on the Mohs scale and offer the same durability as natural diamonds.

Brilliance
Brilliance refers to how much light is reflected from the gemstone.

Moissanite

Moissanite has very high brilliance with more fire than diamonds due to its higher refractive index.

Diamond

Natural diamonds have strong brilliance and balanced sparkle.

Lab Diamond

Lab diamonds have identical brilliance and optical properties to natural diamonds.

Color
Color refers to the visible color within the gemstone.

Moissanite

Most moissanites are colorless or near colorless, though some may show slight warmth.

Diamond

Natural diamonds range from colorless to light yellow or brown and are graded using the GIA color scale.

Lab Diamond

Lab diamonds are also graded using the same color scale and can be produced in various colors.

Price
Price depends on rarity, origin, and gemstone characteristics.

Moissanite

Moissanite is significantly more affordable while still offering impressive brilliance and durability.

Diamond

Natural diamonds are the most expensive due to their rarity and mining process.

Lab Diamond

Lab diamonds are more affordable than natural diamonds but typically cost more than moissanite.

Sourcing
Sourcing refers to how the gemstone is produced.

Moissanite

Moissanite is grown in laboratories and then cut and polished.

Diamond

Natural diamonds are mined from the earth and then cut and polished.

Lab Diamond

Lab diamonds are created in laboratories using advanced technology that replicates natural diamond formation.

Hardness

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The hardness of a gemstone is measured using the Mohs scale, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the hardest. On this scale, moissanite measures 9.25 and is second only to diamond, which has a score of 10. As one of the hardest minerals on earth, moissanite is extremely durable and will last a lifetime of everyday wear, without ever fading or dulling in its appearance.

Clarity

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As many know, diamonds are graded according to the 4 C’s: Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat. As a lab grown stone, the cut and clarity of moissanite rarely varies. This means that moissanite stones will almost always be close to flawless in clarity, with very small imperfections or blemishes that can only be seen under magnification. At Cullen Jewellery, our stones have a nearly perfect clarity grading of VVSI-2 (very very slightly included), ensuring your moissanite will always have a clear, bright sparkle. Just like the uniformity of the cut and clarity of moissanite stones, moissanite is uniformly graded as colourless (unless you opt for a coloured moissanite). Like diamonds, moissanite is a white gemstone but the difference in appearance will be seen in the way it interacts with light and its unique properties.