Moissanite vs. Diamonds: Which Should You Choose
by Francis Alukkas | 22 May 2023 | DIAMOND JEWELLERYIf someone asks you about gemstones, the first option that comes to your mind will be diamonds. Because the popularity of diamonds is increasing day-to-day and a study showed that about 6% of global diamond jewelry sales are in India. But, is diamonds affordable for you? If not, you have a cheaper alternative option. It is moissanite. Here mentioned is a comparison between moissanite vs. diamonds.
In recent days, diamonds are mostly preferred for engagement rings, as it symbolizes everlasting love. Other than this, diamond jewelry also represents the social, and economic status and success of the person who wears it. But, these are expensive jewelry and are not affordable to everyone. This is the primary reason why we don’t buy diamond jewellery frequently and prefer alternative options.
What is Moissanite?
Moissanite, also called diamond simulant is a naturally occurring silicon carbide and its various crystalline polymorphs. Many people misunderstand this as a laboratory-grown diamond substitute. But the fact is, this rare gemstone was discovered over 120 years and it can be found in upper mantle rock and meteorites. Because of its incredible rarity, this gemstone is being mainly produced in a laboratory with minimal environmental impact and it takes at least 2 months period for production. So, moissanite is not at all completely a lab-grown gemstone, but it has natural existence too.
Is moissanite diamond? Not exactly. The striking visual properties of moissanite make it a common alternative to diamond. But, both these have some similar features in terms of appearance and hardness.
Moissanite vs. Diamonds
Want to know the difference between diamond and moissanite? The following information will help you with this.
Price: If you plan to buy new jewellery and diamond price is a major concern, then you can prefer moissanite. As both these jewellery looks similar and are durable, no one can easily distinguish diamond from moissanite. To make a price comparison, the 1-carat moissanite price will be around $600 and the cost of the diamond will be $5000. In short, moissanite is a budget-friendly alternative without compromising on beauty.
Appearance: In terms of appearance, diamond, and mossanite have a lot of similarities and are indistinguishable from the naked eye. Both these gemstones will have similar brightness and sparkle. The refractive index(brilliance) of moissanite is 2.65, which is higher than that of diamond. Moissanite will reflect light exceptionally well and it appears more sparkly compared to diamonds.
Durability: On Mohs Scale, the hardness of moissanite ranges between 9.25-9.5, which is slightly lesser than diamonds. But this never proves that moissanite is less durable. Moissanite is as durable as that of diamonds. Its durability allows for a wide range of cuts, providing jewellery designers with abundant options when creating moissanite jewellery. The hardness of moissanite makes it a daily-wear jewelry option. Also, due to the extremely hard surface, moissanite will withstand heavy wear.
Ethical and Environmental Considerations: Moissanite is mostly lab-grown gemstone and doesn’t require mining. So, the impact on the environment is minimum for Moissanite. On evaluating from an ethical perspective, mossanite is ethically responsible, while diamonds are problematic.
Weight: Moissanite weighs 15% lighter than that of diamonds. Because of this, mossanite is sold based on size and color, rather than carat weight.
Grading: Color grading, cut grading, carat grading, and clarity grading are the four commonly used grading practices for moissanite. With respect to Color grading, moissanite stones are classified into 3 categories colorless(Grade D, E, and F), near colorless (Grade G, H, and I), and with tones of color (Grade J and K).
Color: Moissanite is mostly labeled as colorless. But, lab-grown fancy-colored moissanite is available in shades of grey, green, gold, brown, blue, purple, pink, and yellow.
No matter whether you need to buy an earring, pendant, ring, necklace or any other jewellery, you can prefer diamond or moissanite. The above-stated are the key moissanite and diamond differences and from this, you might have attained a clear understanding of which gemstone to choose from. Also, Read: How to Identify a Diamond is Real or Fake?
Now, what to choose from moissanite vs. diamonds? This exactly depends on the budget, personal taste, and ethical considerations of the buyer. In my opinion, both these jewellery will have their own unique qualities. It’s completely up to the customer's choice, whether he/she needs the timeless elegance of diamonds or the affordable brilliance of moissanite.
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